CHARLEY TIME!

Less than a month until I finish at work.  And only 39 days until I fly out.  This shit just got real.

I got my Russian visa!  Woohooooo!!!  I picked it up on Thursday morning, and it was a much less intimidating experience than when I dropped it off.  Now I can stop worrying that I'm going to have to change my entire itinerary and all my flights because of that visa, and start worrying about the ash cloud.  What a relief! 

I thought about posting a photo of my brand new Russian Tourist Visa in my brand new passport, but I wasn't sure that either country would've been too happy about that.  So you'll just have to believe me that it's bright and shiny and red and mostly indecipherable.  Must start learning some Russian.  At least enough to get me through the airport on the small chance that they don't have at least a few staff who speak English.

Hugh is doing well, learning the ropes to take over from me when I leave.   He now has roster writing down to about a 5 hour mission, including the two of us looking at it together for an hour and a half.  I remember those days...  such frustration! 

So much still to do before I go overseas.  Every time I cross one thing off the list, I add something else to it!  I had a really big think and chose one of my staff who I know loves me to bits (she's the only one I've kept in touch with since she's left Kaffee Eis), and who's now studying management at Waikato, and asked her to write me a reference.  That was another one of those learning curves, figuring out how to explain to her how to write a reference without telling her what to say!  I know you usually get references from your superiors, and I'll do that as well, but if I was hiring a manager I'd be just as interested to know the thoughts of the staff who had reported to that person in the past.  And I've written my formal resignation letter to Karl, which is currently a page and a half long.  Might edit that a little before I give it to him!  When I thought back over the almost six years I've worked for him, I suddenly had plenty to say.  And I've drafted one for Christine, but I haven't got anywhere near finishing it yet.  I also got all the forms filled in to get my driver's licence renewed (it's due to expire in April of next year and I have to be in the country to do it); started the process to get a Visa card and now just have to collect ten tonne of paperwork to prove that I do currently earn money and have some idea of how to manage it; signed the letter from MasterCard offering me an extention on the limit on that card but am still deciding whether to return it; booked a flight to Greece from Istanbul to meet Charley for a week at the end of my tour!! (Charley is from the UK and came to NZ for six months on a work exchangey thing over summer, and rowed with my crew for the time she was here); photographed my stereo with the intention of listing it on TradeMe to sell it; and went to the travel agent to book accommodation in Hong Kong and a flight from Greece to Canada - but she wasn't in so I'll have to go back.

For those who don't know, my plans (dates are very vague at this stage) -

29 July - Finish at Kaffee Eis
30 July - Some kind of leaving do (will make details known when I figure out what I want to do!)
3 Aug - Goodbye Wellington   :-(
10 Aug - Goodbye NZ!!  Hello Hong Kong!
13 Aug - Midnight Flight Delight from Hong Kong to Moscow...  And TOUR DAY!!  You can see my tour itinerary on the company's website:  http://www.tucantravel.com/tour/overview/eastern-europe-discovery/eeed
8 Oct - My birthday!  Tour ends, fly to Greece, YAY CHARLEY TIME!
16 Oct - Fly to my new home in Caaaaanada.... 

I'm really excited!  And now I have to go and try to get to sleep.  I don't really see this working out for me.