Lost in spain (almost)

Well…i’m home from our holiday in Benidorm…but just about!! i’ll explain more in a bit. had a really great time over in Benidorm, and i’m missing the weather already. taking the 5/6 days to chill out and relax after a busy busy year was amazing.

now to explain the title of this post. less than 2 hrs before our plane was due to leave…natasha and I were still in Benidorm (about 70km from the airport in Alicante) … and my passport had mysteriously disappeared. our transport to the airport had failed to show up and where my passport went I think i’ll never know…one min it was there…the next it was gone. panic stations.

we raised our prayers to the Lord for much needed help. I sent Natasha to look for a taxi whilst I sprinted to the bank to get money to pay for it. explaining the situation to the taxi driver, he put the foot down and got us to the airport about 20mins before check out was due to close. still the small issue of my lack of a passport!! sending Natasha on to check herself in (she wanted to stay with me but I insisted there was no point the two of us being stranded at the airport) I went about trying to figure out what to do about the passport situation.

Frantic sprints back and forth across the airport, between the helpdesks, police office, helpdesks, EasyJet’s office and the check in were taking their toll in the short time I had before the plane left. A phonecall to the British Embassy helped matters along, and somehow or other…I was allowed onto the plain. I shouldn’t have been on that plane, no way, esp not in today’s security tightened airports.

it was an AMAZING answer to prayer. Whilst I was going about doing everything, I was continuously praying to God to help me and to intervene. It’s when we need Him most that God shows His power. He led me to the right people that I needed to see to sort it all out…and they managed to have a good enough grasp of English to understand me (or if they didn’t, there happened to be someone there to translate, which was the case with one person). Gods hand was upon it all. Thank-you Lord.

update from Benidorm

We (Natasha and I) are having a great time here in Benidorm, Spain. The weather has been great so far (we´ve been careful not to burn too badly although that can be difficult!!). I´ve just dropped into an interent cafe to check the emails but i´ll drop a line or two about our trip so far.

We arrived on Monday morning as expected, and after a little difficulty finiding the correct transfer, we reached our hotel – the Olympus. No complaints about the hotel whatsoever, it has a really nice lobby etc, and whilst the rooms arn´t quite so classy, yet adequate, the food (we´ve gone half board) is excellent !! and thats a big plus for me.

We spent Monday having a nosey around the town and beach, picking up some brochures etc. On Tuesday we enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean. Today we went to Terra Mitica…a large theme park just a short bus ride from the hotel. It was alot of fun, and combined with the sun has made me tired. I think i´ll take and early night as we are heading on a boat trip out to the Island of Tabarja tomorrow, so that should be fun.

That´s all for now from Benidrom

the calm before the storm

it may be a slightly misleading title to the post…but i’m looking forward to some ‘calm before the storm’. My father gave me an AMAZING present today…a holiday comprising of 5 nights in Benidorm, Spain!!

I can’t really believe it, especially cause he not only has paid for me, but also for Natasha. Mum and Dad say it’s for a ‘well deserved break after all the hard work we’ve put in over the last year, and before we start full time work‘. I kinda feel bad about it cause it’s alot of £££ that they could have spent to go away somewhere themselves, but a massive thank-you is called for I think.

We go in 3 days time, Monday 18th June early morning, returning on Saturday 23rd late evening.  I’m looking forward to it, and needless to say, Natasha is dead excited about it all.

Thanks Mum and Dad!

second class: upper division

I got my degree classification this morning online. I’ve got a 2:1 , which I’m very happy with. It’s what I wanted, and it’s what I was working towards. I knew a 1st was out of reach, but with all the work I put in, I would have been very dissapointed with a 2:2… so i’m satisfied.

At this moment, everything is working out well. I’m currently working on freelance work which will bring in a wee bit of £££, i’ve got the 2:1 degree I wanted, and have a job lined up. God has been good to me.

and its full time employment for me!!

quite a significant update this is actually…i got the job with Vision Solutions NI!! i’m pretty chuffed about it, although i know it will be quite a bit of hard work and pressure. its amazing to have the oppertunity to get right into a web design job so quickly after uni. things have worked out really well. i know i’ve God to thank for this.

i start on the 2nd july…so i’ve a couple of wks to enjoy before that, although i’m doin a bit of freelance work these days to pay the bills.

over and out for now from a pretty happy me!

another job interview

I’ve yet to hear back about the interview which I had last week in the Ulster Herald, but i’m really happy that another oppertunity has come along so quickly. Hopefully I can get one of them!!

My preference however, is definitely the job I had an interview for today. I won’t be getting rich on either….scraping the barrell is a more suitable term, but it’s a dead exciting/scary prospect.

If I was to get this job…I would be the first person to be hired by Vision Solutions NI. At the moment the compnay is owned, managed and run by a two man team. Work has come in beyond expectations, opening the door to hiring someone. It’s understandable that the pay isn’t bigwith the compnay still being in it’s infancy, but the challenge will be massive…to enter such a small team and try to help the company grow. What’s more is that it’s a Christian company, which is fantastic aswell, giving me something in common with the guys and meaning no moral dilemas further down the line.

I should hear back within the next 48hrs, if not 24hrs. I’m a little nervous, but hopefully I gave a good enough impression today.

Hopefully come 1st July…i’ll be a Vision Solutions NI employee. Hopefully.

moving house

It’s been pretty hectic the last day or two with having to move house. We had been perfectly happy in 29 Ardenlee Place, however the house owner spoiled the party by deciding he wanted to live in the house himself. Thankfully we have been able to get a house in the same development. It’s a little bit extra money than the last one, but it’s a nice house etc so it’ll work out well.