America

Saturday, 2 September 2017

America is one of my favourite places in the world. I love the fact that each state can be like visiting a different country, and I'm desperate to go back and explore a little more. During the time I have visited I have come across some things that were a little different to life in the UK...

Tax

Tax isn't included in the prices on the shelves. So you have to work it out yourself. If your rubbish at maths like me, it can be a surprise when you get to the till...I'm not sure why they can't just write it on the label. That would be too easy right?

Massive gaps on the toilet doors.

Most of the toilet cubicles in public places have big gaps in the door so you can see out - or even worse - see in. Queue the awkward eye contact. I actually Google'd this whilst writing so see if I could find some kind of explanation, and the only thing I could find was 'it stops sexual assault and drug taking'. Ok then. If you say so?

Crazy food choices

This one just gets a picture. No explanation needed. Spotted in Ithaca, NY.

Royal family obsession

Every time I have visited America, I have seen magazines plastered with the latest completely untrue scandal about the royal family. 'Charles and Camilla shock secret divorce'. 'Kate and Wills secret heart ache'. They literally just make stuff up. Let's not forget the fantastically tacky (but also secretly watchable) Kate and Wills movie they made - which FYI I only recently found out the actress that plays Kate Middleton is Jo from Grey's Anatomy.

Credit or Debit?

Whenever you use a card they also ask 'credit or debit?' I always have a travel bank card, but find staring at them blankly works a treat, and suddenly they just seem to know the answer. Also, if you want to draw out cash from a cash machine, you have to pay for it. If you're going to Vegas, you can expect to pay $7 for your own money. Daylight robbery.

Biscuits are not biscuits

In America, biscuits are more like scones. And they have them with gravy. And to make it slightly more weird. They have them for breakfast. I cannot cope.

The Adverts

TV programmes have SO many commercial breaks. And it's not always obvious. Sometimes there is definitely some uncertainty as to whether it is actually part of the show. They advertise some weird stuff too. Medication (with all the side effects listed), and this sign in particular was one of my favourites - Divorce. Spotted somewhere near Newark, NJ.

So much water in the toilet bowl

The toilets are full of water, and they are not blocked. They are actually supposed to be like that. If you drop your phone in there, it's survival rate is practically next to nothing.

Tipping

You have to tip everyone for everything. Basically add extra to any bill, taxi, or service. I joined a taxi queue in NY and had to tip the man stood at the front for sticking his arm out for a taxi for me. He literally stuck his head through the window and wouldn't let the taxi leave until I had paid him. I paid him $2 to stick his arm out. Also whilst getting a pedicure in NY, me and my friends basically got held hostage until we tipped. But that's another story.

All the Pop-Tarts

They have so many choices. And this isn't just the Pop-Tarts. We are also talking Pringles, Ben and Jerry's, and Oreo's. How are you possibly supposed to choose? I would 100% be obese if I lived in the States.

Jay walking

It's illegal in America to just cross the road anywhere. You have to use the crossings. Illegally crossing the road is called jay walking. It's highly inconvenient if you don't have a car, as some of the main roads don't have crossings, and for example, the 'all you can eat Chinese buffet' might be on the other side of the dual carriage way. Which we definitely did not make a cheeky illegal dash to. Disclaimer - don't do that.

They love Australian's

I did some travel after camp, with an Australian girl I had met. We had numerous conversations with American's that basically went like this. (I'm not joking, it was a regular occurrence)

American: So where are you girls from?

Me: I'm from England

Australian friend: I'm from Australia

American: Ooo Australia! I know someone who went to Sydney once, have you been there?

Laws change in different states

So, in some states it is illegal to use a mobile whilst driving, but in other states it's not. Each state has it's own state laws. How on earth American's know what law is where?! Very confusing.

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My Camp America Experience - Pre Camp

Tuesday, 25 April 2017

Follow on post from Before Camp.

I headed over to America two weeks early to help out in Pre-Camp. I'm sure its fairly explanatory, but pre-camp is the weeks before all the kids and staff arrive at camp. It's pretty much setting up and preparing everything to make sure it is all ready for the campers. Over the winter the camp can get pretty neglected so theres lots of tidying, setting up and even building to be done.

I arrived in Hancock, NY just after lunch. It was everyone's day off so when I pulled up at camp, there was no one around. I headed into my new room for the summer and instantly broke my bed - queue the move into the room next door and pretend that never happened.

One of the highlights of doing pre camp, was that I had a proper mattress for my whole stay as I arrived before they changed them all to thin plastic wannabe mattresses. I however had my stuff spread out all over my bed so they forgot about me - the one time I haven't complained about being forgotten.

I headed into the nearest town, Hancock, to meet the rest of the pre camp crew. It was pretty much all guys, as pre camp involved a lot of building and DIY - I was just there to help out in the office. Weirdly, over half the people at pre-camp were actually from England. Some even lived quite close to me back home. There were two girls there that worked within the kitchen, so I did have some female company.

We spent the first afternoon in a local bar. Hancock is a very small America town/village (I'm not even sure and Google confused me further when I tried to fact check). It kind of reminds me of Sleepy Hollow in Gilmore Girls - it even had the town square. I remember feeling really nervous as all the guys were drinking alcohol and I was under the impression that was a strict no-go at camp and I didn't want to get fired on my first day (turns out this was not the case and I had nothing to worry about - there were plenty of drunken nights ahead). I made friends straight away, and I was thankful for how friendly and welcoming everyone was.

The work over the pre-camp period was fairly easy. I answered the occasional phone call and had simple tasks to do in the office. It was a little lonely at times as the office was set up for 6 people and at the time it was just me. There was a terrible moment where there was an event at camp (I can't for the life of me remember what it was, new campers day possibly?) and someone rang asking for directions. I didn't really have a clue where I was, and I couldn't find anyone to help me! Great impression I made there.

The work hours during pre camp were nice and easy. It was a simple 9-5 each day. The evenings were great fun. A couple more girls had made an appearance since my arrival and we had already made a super tight friendship group. There were activities most evenings such as basketball and frisbee - not that any of those interested us - but they were great for us to watch.

We had a couple days off before others arrived, both times we headed off to the nearest town and did a bit of shopping at the mall. The shops were nothing exciting. It was usually a choice of Victoria's Secret, PacSun and Hollister. Lunch was at TGIs which was pretty much the same as it is over here and Ruby Tuesdays. On one of the trips we stopped in some bars on the way back - which were exactly like I would imagine an American bar would be like. I think the correct term is 'dive bar'? There were hot chicken wings involved so it was pretty great.

The closest friendships I made during my whole time at camp was during pre-camp. A group of 3 girls who I am still in touch with now. All through our camp experience we stuck together and would meet most evenings to gossip/moan/chill. I even travelled after with one of them, and am planning to stay with one of them on my trip to New Zealand next year.

The whole atmosphere of pre-camp was totally different to actual camp. It was very chilled, and there were not many of us there. We even had a pool party on one occasion, and evenings watching the sunset at the lake. These places were pretty much out of bounds for us support staff once camp was in motion.

It was an incredible experience and definitely my favourite part of my trip. If anyone has the option to do a pre-camp I would totally recommend it.

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Los Angeles

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

Flying over LA and it didn't ever seem to end. I never realised just how huge the city was. When we arrived at LAX we hopped into a cab and headed over to Venice Beach which took about a 15 minutes.

We stayed in Venice Beach Hostel - it was horrific. The staff were very rude and didn't want to help us with anything, the rooms were horrible and the noise was too much. It is right next to bars that are open late which is great if you were on a party holiday, but we were there to explore and were knackered at night and just wanted to sleep. Unfortunately it was waaaay too hot to shut the windows and the noise went on until the early hours. At the time it was the first hostel I had ever stayed in, so I assumed they were all grotty like this one - they are not. I've stayed in a few since then and none of them were this bad.

On our first day we did some exploring. My number one goal while in LA was to see the Hollywood sign - of course! Baring in mind Hollywood is no where near Venice Beach, we headed to the nearest bus stop to get some advice. Luckily the bus drivers were super helpful and gave us the advice the hostel staff failed with. We took 2 buses - the first was to Santa Monica (this was walkable but took about 20-30 mins and we were saving time) the next bus took us fairly near to Hollywood. We did have a short walk, but it was nice to have a look round.

When we got to Hollywood, the first thing I spotted was the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We didn't have time to walk the whole thing. But we did spot famous names such as Orlando Bloom, Michael Jackson, Julie Andrews and Christina Aguilera. We were also there shortly after the death of legendary actor, Robin Williams, so we got to see the little memorial that had been created on his star.

We decided to do a Hollywood Bus Tour. The street was full of people trying to sell tickets for their tours so it was a bit confusing trying to work out what one was best. We went for one of the smaller buses as they got closer to the Hollywood sign. The downside was the seats were in rows of 4 and I was stuck in the middle, next to a stranger with personal space issues, so my photos didn't come out great. Next time I think I would stick with a hop on hop off bus as they the seats are in pairs and worth paying the extra money for. During the tour we got to see some of the main sights in the Hollywood and Beverly Hills area. We went around the celeb houses, saw some famous movie locations and got to get out the bus near the Hollywood sign for a pic.

After the tour we decided to get a taxi to Beverley Hills as we had spotted a Cheesecake Factory whilst driving round. It was pretty surreal sitting in Beverley Hills eating cheesecake and I definitely felt I was living the dream. I'm definitely recommending the lemon meringue cheesecake, it's like heaven on a plate. After stuffing our faces with the biggest slices of cheesecake you have ever seen, we wandered around for a bit and saw all the designers stores and the hotel where Pretty Woman was filmed!

We got the bus back to Santa Monica and explored the shopping complex and then walked back along the beach. Santa Monica has the famous pier that has loads of restaurants and a fairground on it. We strolled all the way back to Venice Beach and admired the views and sunset. Venice Beach is where the 'hipsters' hang out. There is a lot of skaters and a lot of people smoking things that I'm pretty sure would not be legal here. There are a lot of shops and food outlets along the beach front. This the place to get a pizza slice or a corn dog. I also came away with a tie dye top from one of the many t-shirt stores. Also as you walk along Venice Beach there are a lot of artists working and selling their creations. It is fascinating to watch.

The following day we decided to hire bikes. We initially hired a tandem, but we only managed a few metres before we realised it was way too hard so we stuck to normal bikes. We got breakfast at a beach cafe - blueberry pancakes - delish. We cycled down the beach for a while. It was so relaxing, and great seeing the different beach areas. When we found a nice quiet spot we went to relax on the beach. My major fail of my whole trip happened at this point. My sun cream application was disastrous and I got the worst sunburn of my life. The sea breeze is very misleading and I didn't feel like I was burning. After about an hour I started to feel really ill. We headed to a McDonalds so I could cool down in their air con. Eventually I realised I was a complete lobster and had to head back to the hostel to recover. I ended up with crazy burns on one of my legs and it took a few months to heal. It partly ruined my trip to Vegas, and was too painful to even wear shorts.

Remember kids - suncream is vital!

The final day we had to travel to Downtown LA to catch a Greyhound bus. We got on the bus and it took about an hour to get there. Crazy right? One thing I loved about the buses in LA is that people can put their bikes on the front of the bus - its a pretty weird thing to see, but totally normal to the Americans! When we got to Downtown LA, the bus driver warned us not to walk to the bus station - apparently it's not very safe. We got a taxi and managed to get our bus on time. The Greyhound was pretty amazing. There is so much leg room I didn't feel guilty about reclining, so the journey to Vegas was the perfect time to catch up on sleep!

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Las Vegas

Monday, 11 July 2016

Vegas Baby

My biggest regret in life is under appreciating Vegas. It had so much to offer, but it was the last place I visited whilst on my travels. On my final day in LA I got the most horrific sunburn - I'm talking practically third degree burns, which no joke, took months to heal. By the time I got to Vegas, I wanted to hide indoors in a cold bath for the whole 5 days.

We had an amazing room. We stayed in Tuscany Suites, which is not on the strip, but sooooo much cheaper and better value. The strip was walkable if you like heat. Or it was like 5 mins in a taxi. My travel mate made me walk once. It was horrific. It only took about 15 mins but the heat was unbearable.

The room we were in was ridiculously cheap - cheaper than the hostel we stayed in whilst in LA, and it was amazing. It was literally a suite. We had a little kitchen area, a sofa, a desk/place to spread out my make up everywhere, and the biggest bed! Me and my travel partner shared a bed, but it was like we didn't - it was so big I forgot she was there.

Whilst we were in Vegas, we went to the hotel some of our friends were staying in. They were on the strip, and there room was tiny. They didn't even have wifi and they had paid about triple what we paid!!

Tuscany Suites had 2 pools, one for fitness and one for relaxing. There was a gym, and a few restaurants. And of course, a massive casino, because this is still Vegas. There was a 7/11 just around the corner too which was pretty handy. I could walk to that without feeling like I was going to die.

Let's talk about that heat. I warn you now. It is like a heat I had never felt before. I have been to Spain/Miami/LA etc which were all hot. But Vegas was extreme. I totally understand why it has such an amazing nightlife. Because people don't want to go out during the day.

I spoke to lady who was working on the Chanel counter in the Mall. She told me she was from the UK and had moved to Vegas after marrying an Elvis impersonator - I know right, coolest story ever. She told me that she hated living in Vegas. She had been living there for years and said you never get used to that heat.

When I first got off the bus - Greyhound. Amazing. Totally another story, it was kind of like I couldn't breathe properly. Obviously I got used to it after a few minutes, but the air was incredibly dry. I did go in August, so I'm not sure if it's always that hot. I am totally aware I sound like the most dramatic person ever right now. But it really is hot.

The best thing we did whilst in Vegas was watch the Cirque du Soleil at Treasure Island. It was incredible. We had front row seats and I sat with my mouth wide open in awe throughout the whole thing. I believe we paid around $70 for tickets. But it was the best $70 I spent whilst in America. It was slightly terrifying throughout because the acrobats were literally throwing themselves around, and I was a bit concerned they would fall and land on me, but they didn't so all was okay. You're not allowed to take pictures in the show, so unfortunately I don't have any to show.

One evening we walked to the famous Las Vegas sign. It was the longest walk ever. The heat wasn't too bad in the evening so it was bearable. We had an idea of where we needed to had to see the sign - because obviously you need a picture with this sign when you go to Vegas. We walked, and we walked and we walked. Everything looks a lot closer than it actually is on the strip. Eventually we made it to the sign. It was a lot smaller than we had imagined. By the time we got there it was dark, so our photos weren't as clear as we would have liked. We did cheat on the way back and stop at the first hotel and get a taxi.

Note: Taxis are not allowed to stop on the strip, so you have to go into the hotels, or side roads if you want to get one.

The strip is amazing. It is basically made up of hotels, but all the hotels are very extravagant. Some of them have themes such a New York New York - which you guessed it, has a New York Theme (it also has a roller coaster built around it). There is also a hotel called Paris, which is French themed with the Eiffel Tower built into it. There are other famous hotels such as The Bellagio, The Venetian, MGM, Planet Hollywood and The Wynn. Each hotel is like a little shopping mall when you go inside. They all have huge casinos, bars and restaurants, and anyone can go in. You don't have to be staying in them to visit.

The strip also has loads of shops. There is designer stores, and many more such as The Coca-Cola store and The M&M store.

Whilst walking along the streets there are fans that blow water lightly over you, which is like heaven in the heat - did I mention that it's hot? There is also escalators that take you up onto the bridges to walk over the road. I like to believe it's because it is too hot to walk up stairs.

On one of our days we got a taxi out to the Outlet Mall. I didn't really have enough money to appreciate it. There were outlets for store such Michael Kors, Pacsun, American Apparel and of course sunglasses and perfume shops. We also went to a normal mall, which was located on the strip. It basically had every shop you could want. There were a good selection of restaurants - we went to Johnny Rockets - very entertaining when the staff just break out into dance. There were a good selection of clothing stores, and a few souvenir stores too.

We also visited an all you can eat buffet as we heard they were pretty good in Vegas. We went to one at Planet Hollywood and it was amazing. Pretty much any type of food you could imagine and some super scrummy desserts. At one point, whilst sat alone eating a piece of cake, a man sat on the table next to me starting laughing and said 'you're facial expressions are telling me that's a good cake to choose' - awkward. It was a good cake though.

On a night out in Vegas, we went to Marquee nightclub. We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for. When we were stood in the queue, two men came up to us and said they needed two women to walk in with them get into the club for free. So we followed them to the front of the queue and sure enough we got in for free. I'm not sure if that's normal. I don't really know what happened there.

The place was massive! I can't even remember what the layout was. It was dark and I had a lot of wine. I do remember that a single vodka and coke was about $15. So we didn't buy many drinks.

The place was packed and by the end of our night it was hard to move, so we left.

We also went on a night out to an ice bar - Minus 5 Ice bar, which was also pretty cool. Not any different from any other ice bar I have been to though. You can pay extra to have bigger coats and hats though. You can see the cool hats below.

I have so many regrets from Vegas.....

I regret no taking more photos. For some reason I barely took any!
I regret not going to a pool party. I think it's a must whilst in Vegas. Unfortunately my leg was too burnt, and getting in a pool or sitting in the sun were just not an option
I regret not going to 'Old Vegas' - I'm not sure what is there, but I have heard it is pretty cool
If I had more money I would have love to have done a helicopter ride, because that would have just been the coolest.
I regret not going in and looking around every hotel. I expect there is so much to see in each!
I regret not going to In n Out Burger - WHY WHY WHY
And finally I really wish I had done a bus tour because I am such a fan of bus tours these days

Basically I am going to have to go back one day. What a shame. Or not.

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Miami

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

I recently went to Miami for a week, and it was incredible. Miami feels like paradise. It is a mixture of a city and a beach and the weather is fantastic. We stayed in the Red South Beach Hotel and were there for 6 days in total.

Miami had always been on my wish list. As you may have noticed, I love visiting America. I think this is due to my obsession with American TV growing up. I went to Orlando when I was 15, so this wasn't my first time to Florida. Miami was very different though.

We did so many different things whilst there, such as a trip to the Everglades, a baseball game, a bus tour and a boat tour. My favourite part of the trip was the sightseeing bus tour and I would recommend this to anyone who is travelling to Miami. The city is so big and there is so much to see, the hop on hop off tour is a perfect way to see as much as possible in an easy and convenient way.

There were 4 routes, and the ticket lasted for 48 hours - and we didn't even complete it all in that time. There were still places I would have liked to have gone and if we had been there longer, I would have considered buying another 2 day ticket. The buses also have a tour guide, who shared loads of cool facts about the different areas.

Some of the tour highlights were:

Bayside

This was the main bus stop where all the routes start. This area is home to the Miami Heat stadium - much to my boyfriends delight. There is also a small shopping complex with numerous restaurants including Hooters, Chilli's, Five Guys, Bubbu Gump Shrimp and Hard Rock Cafe.

There is a small selection of shops, some market style, and some actual shops such as Express, Gap, Footlocker and Guess. Bayside also has a harbour, and it's where you go to start all the Biscayne Bay boat tours - another must do. On these tours, you can see all the homes of the rich and famous - not sure how true these celeb tours actually are, but there are some beaut views and perfect photo ops.

Coconut Grove

Another beautiful area of Miami, big houses, beautiful scenery and a place you can dream of living in. When driving through, look out for the peacocks strolling through. One of the stops is another small shopping area, where you can find The Cheesecake Factory - home of the best cheesecake in the world, and also some delicious food. I had an amazing Californian Cheesesteak sandwich and it was probably my favourite meal I had in Miami. This was followed by a huge chunk of salted caramel cheesecake, which sadly was so big I couldn't finish it. The choice of cheesecake options is amazing, you won't be able to pick!

Little Havana

This is an area we didn't get to explore properly, but I wish we did. It is home to the Cuban community of Miami. As you drive through, you are hit by a delicious smell coming from the numerous food places. If I ever go back, I will definitely head there for a meal. We got off here as it was the closest stop to Marlins Park - home of the Miami Marlins Baseball Team. we were however warned that the neighbourhood was not the safest to walk through, so we got our first Uber to the stadium for a Baseball game.

Art District

Driving through the art district we saw some amazing graffiti art work on the buildings. This is another area we did not have enough time to explore as I think if we had got off at the art district stop, there would have been lots to see. Lots of people got off here, and the place seemed very busy, so I think there was a lot more there than you see driving through. I did however, get some great photos of some brilliant art.

South Beach

This is one of the main tourist attractions in Miami. The bus takes you nice and close to the beach, and you can go to places such as Lincoln Road Mall - so many shops!!, and Espanola Way - a spanish style street with numerous restaurants. We went to a lovely Italian restaurant, where I had a delicious Carbonara accompanied by Cosmopolitans. The prices were a bit higher than other places, but the atmosphere and tasty food makes it worth it. South Beach is also home to shops such as Sephora and DASH. Along Ocean Drive you can find famous places such as The Clevelander and The Sugar Factory. The tour also takes you past some famous hotels and past Millionaires Row, which is 'supposedly' homes to stars such as Justin Bieber, David Beckham and Simon Cowell. South Beach and Ocean Drive also have some amazing art deco style buildings that make the place even more beautiful.

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Miami - Red South Beach Hotel

Tuesday, 14 June 2016

So last week I went to Miami! What an amazing place.

We stayed at the Red South Beach Hotel. It was more mid-beach than South Beach so it was a bit of a trek when we wanted to explore, but Ubers became life/feet savers.

We upgraded our room so we had a bigger bed, as neither me or my boyfriend are great at bed sharing. The room was well air conditioned - another life saver, and there was a en-suite, wardrobe, fridge and safe. Also a TV and dressing table. There was an iron and ironing board - but please, we were on holiday - so I pretended that didn't exist.

As you probably guessed by the name, the theme of the hotel is the colour red, so the hotel and rooms have a nice red decor.

Bedroom

We didn't pay for an ocean view room - which I believe was an option (I guess this would be the higher rooms) but we could just see it through the buildings. We mainly looked out over a main road - Collins Ave, which could be a bit noisy at night - a lot of racing cars and sirens. But this didn't bother us too much. What was annoying though was the other people staying in the hotel. We were often woken up by shouting, and people walking down the corridors talking loudly and playing music at 5am - but hey it is Miami, a lot of people go there to party, and I expect it's the same in most hotels.

View from room - window was a bit dirty!

Hotel pool area

The hotel also had a nice pool area with a restaurant. The restaurant offers room service - although we didn't take advantage of this. We did however have the most delicious mushroom pizza there. Service was a little slow, but they made up for it with the delicious food. One day we even had a pizza out by the pool while we were sunbathing - heaven.

I'm ashamed to say I never actually went in the pool as the only time I went down it was pretty busy and I was too engrossed in my book. There were plenty of sun loungers for sun bathing and the hotel offers beach towels to use by the pool or the beach.

The beach is literally two minutes away. Cross the road, and walk down a small street and you are there. There were plenty of places to hire sun loungers and parasols - $35 for 2 loungers and a parasol for the day. As you can imagine the beach was beautiful. There was a path so you can walk all the way along it. A lot of people were jogging along the path - crazy people - I could barely walk in that heat.

The hotel also offers tours to different places around Miami, such as the Everglades, the Mall, the Sea Aquarium and many others. Obviously these are at a cost, but the prices seemed reasonable. This is booked through the concierge at the front of the hotel.

Over all we were happy with the hotel and would probably stay there again. The staff were friendly and the hotel had everything you need for a holiday in Miami!

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Camp America - What to Pack

Tuesday, 12 April 2016

First time going to Camp this year? One thing that I wish I had before I left was a list of things to take to camp, because the camp supplied list really did not cut it. Below is my list of things I recommend you take.

Passport

Because you won't get far without it. You visa will be in your passport too after you have been to the US Embassy in London.

Money

Make sure you have cash, you will need it. I took about $500 in cash and then more on a Caxton Cash Card. It is very handy to have $1 bills, as you will need them to tip in America. Also my camp had a fizzy drink vending machine, and we needed quarters to use the washing machines.

Travel Documents

Make sure you print and take everything. Travel insurance details, flight details etc. You never know when you might need it.

Suncream

It's hot in America. Be smart.

Sunglasses

Fashion accessory/protector of the eyes= essential

A Hat

Everyone at camp wears baseball caps. You will want one. It's 'cool' at camp.

Travel Hairdryer

I made the mistake of taking my normal hairdryer. It didn't work. The voltage in the USA is different and you need to make sure yours works over there. I bought one in Argos for my next trip to America, and it works perfectly. It was roughly £10.

Comfy Shoes

I wore my converse pretty much all summer. There will be a lot of walking involved. Trainers and comfy shoes are advisable. But remember it will also be hot, so flip flops/sandals are good for days off.

Hoody/Jumper

There may be some times where it is a bit chilly - especially if your camp is more North. You will most likely be able to buy camp hoodies at camp, but its handy to have one too.

Swimwear

My camp told us we had to have a one piece. As a Camp Power I went swimming once, so that was a waste of money, however if you are swimming with the kids you will need one. Pack a couple bikinis for after camp travel.

Towel

My camp did supply towels to international staff, however I didn't know this until I got there. I took a beach towel for swimming/after camp, and a normal bath towel. When I left camp, I dumped the bath towel to make more room in my case. Most hotels have towels, and in the hostels I just used my beach towel.

Shorts

You will want plenty of shorts to wear with your camp t-shirts. I was told to take white and blue shorts, but once there I realised everyone just wore demin shorts/sports shorts - so I went and bought some in Wal Mart - they weren't the nicest, so take a nice selection with you.

Jeans & Leggings

It's a good idea to take these for the colder days. I had a couple of large camp t-shirts that could be worn with leggings. Jeans are a bit inconvenient for packing - but if you have a thinner pair, it is worth taking.

Clothing

Remember you have to pay to wash your clothes. Also its mostly hot and you will probably get quite sweaty. Therefore try and pack as much as possible, vest tops, shorts and clothes for after camp. Also take some nice clothes for banquet night, and any nights out you may go on after camp. I'd recommend a couple of skirts/dresses.

Ipad/Tablet

Not an essential, but very handy for after camp. Most places have wifi so they are good to use for making plans and sorting out flight info. Also, in camp we had the wifi password so I used it to watch Netflix on my breaks.

Phone

When I got to America, I bought a cheap US smart phone. It was such a waste of money and I never used it. I took my iPhone with me and that was plenty. You most likely won't have any signal at camp as it will be in the middle of nowhere. You will probably have to lock your phone away in a locker all day too. When out and about, you can get wifi to use phone functions. It's good for face timing back home. I took most of my photos on my phone too.

Headphones

You will not regret taking these when on long journeys

A book

There will be long bus journeys and evening when you want to relax. A book will keep you entertained and doesn't require wifi. Also you can easily ditch it when you have finished reading - more luggage space.

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