Crash Bang Boom - getting covered with Insurance

I'm house sitting for a couple in Pennal, Wales for three months.  They are graciously giving me the use of their car to drive while they are gone.  In America, car insurance is easy to obtain if you have a drivers license.  But guess what?  It's not so easy for Americans to obtain insurance in the UK for a LOANED car (not rented from a ''car hire company" as they call it).  Do they Americans are all nuts?  We drive insane?  Um - don't answer that.  

So Sian spent weeks calling around finding a company that would cover me.  We finally found one - Yay!  But the cost?  Almost the equivalent of $500!!!  For three months!  Really?  So my  rationing for this is that 

it would cost me much more money per day to rent a car and have it insured.  

Then Sian reads the fine print... it's not fully comprehensive!  It will only cover fire, theft and the other car.  Ok, that's something but not enough for $500.  So the hunt is back on....

Then a friend of mine searches online and he finds something.  I tell her to check out Norwich Union.  The next day I see an email in my inbox from her... I close my eyes quickly saying repeatedly "Please be good news! Please be good news!" Upon opening my eyes, I notice that the subject line says Ï love Norwich Union"!  

She calls them and finds out yes! They will cover me!  And for only £80!!! Woot!  And it's fully comprehensive!  I'm so excited I could jump hoops!  The difference is what I paid for the hotel room for London at Hilton Docklands!  Woot! Doing the happy dance!

Could use some more good news this week!  Anyone got any???

Love ~ Peace ~ Happiness

Marianne

Tick Tock Tick Tock

Tick Tock Tick Tock says the clock.  For me, though, it's the calendar speaking to me.  Exactly one month and one hour to go till my plane flight takes off for Chicago.. then on to the UK.  ONE MONTH!  In some ways, it seems so far away, and in others, right around the corner.  Nerves have set in a bit - it's a big trip.
I've flown overseas before, but not for six months, and not being responsible for my teenage daughter while there.  I've always been on my own before, mostly.

So many things have had to align for this to happen.  I had to find a place to stay.  Check.  I'm house sitting for a couple who is going to Australia for three months in Wales.  I had to have transportation while I was in Wales.  Check.  Sian is graciously loaning me her car.  I had to find insurance to cover me driving said car.  Check.  Sian found a policy to cover me - 290 pounds for three months.  Ouch.   but Check.

I'm not sure where I am staying the second three months yet.  More things that need to fall in place.  I am willing to take a leap of faith though and believe that it will fall into place while I am there.  I'd love to find a job there.  More things to fall in place.

All my friends are concerned that we will be bored in Wales.  Wales happens to be a new place for me so how can we get bored?  Plenty of places to go explore.  We'll have a car so this is not a problem.  I'm sure we'll make friends with some of the locals and this will help too.  All will be good.  How could I be bored with Snowdonia nearby?

Snowdonia, by the way, is Wales largest mountain which stands at ,1,085 m high.  In Welsh, it is called Eryri.  Some say it means Eagle, but was proved to mean it stands for "Highlands"by Sir Ifor Williams.  From what I have read, there's hiking and a lot of really awesome nature to be found in Snowdonia and appears to be one of the wettest spots in the UK - although this years rain has not be calculated in that theory yet (ok maybe someone has but I haven't seen it yet LOL).   Here's a pictture of Snowdonia from Wikipedia page - so I take no credit for it :)

Snowdonia

Love ~Peace ~Happiness
Marianne