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Day Three



4am: Wake up, text my boyfriend good morning to let him know I’m awake, then fall back to sleep almost immediately. He replies straightaway and I feel girlfriend guilt.



8.15am: Wake up again, at a much more reasonable time than yesterday. Don’t want to leave too early as I don’t have much planned today. Chill in bed for a while, watching more Amazon Prime Video. Saved the bit of cake that I bought yesterday for breakfast this morning – it goes down a treat.



9.30am: Get myself showered and ready for the day ahead. Another hot one today, 25 degrees but very muggy, so the shorts stay on. Leave the house about half an hour later for the 25-minute walk to the university where I’ve got to collect my cheque.



10.30am: Arrive at UNF to be told that the cheque isn’t ready for me to collect, despite the fact I emailed ahead to tell them I would be coming, which was a requirement. Start to get a bit grumpy and the cheque magically becomes ready.



10.55am: Hop in an Uber to the closest Walmart, where they’ve recommended I go to get the cheque cashed. £6.13 plus a tip of £1.50. Go to cash the cheque only to be told that it needs to be done at a Wells Fargo, which issued the cheque. Not impressed at all by this, get in yet another Uber to the nearest Wells Fargo. Coincidentally, another £6.13 with a tip of £1.50.



11.50am: Get to Wells Fargo and go to cash the cheque. I’m told they need to call the university to ensure that the cheque is genuine. This is understandable as it was for more than $1,000 and I’m not a US citizen. The university then says it has no record of the cheque being issued. Needless to say, at this point I am beyond fuming and nearly in tears. Wells Fargo recommend that I go back to the uni and get a new cheque printed. Yet another Uber, £6.40 with a tip of £1.50.



12.30pm: Back at the university, where they claim they’ve had no calls from Wells Fargo but despite this are incredibly helpful. They give me the name and number of the treasurer, and tell me to get Wells Fargo to call him. Head back to the branch of Wells Fargo I’ve just come from, in yet another Uber. £6.57 plus a tip of £1.50.



1.25pm: Back at Wells Fargo with a different teller. Doesn’t even ask for my ID, just hands me the cash and I’m so thankful that it is over and done with! Order another Uber back to the Walmart where I started. I want to do some shopping there anyway, so I can justify it. £6.71 plus a tip of £1.50.



1.45pm: Get to Walmart and see an IHOP in the same lot, which I managed to miss the first time around. Head there for a late lunch as I am starving and have been feeling sick from the worry of all the hassle. Order a combo deal with chipolatas, eggs, bacon, French toast and two birthday cake-flavoured pancakes. Takes about 10 minutes to arrive and is absolutely divine. The pancakes are very good and barely touch the sides! I slowly finish my drink, to give my food time to settle down before I head over to Walmart. Lunch is £15 and I leave a £3 tip.



2.30pm: Get to Walmart and get myself a cart. I know I’ll be buying a LOT here, like I always do. Grab myself some snacks, as well as some for the best friend. She gets some Sour Patch Kids of all varieties (her favourite) and I have some Swedish Fish (my favourite). Can’t resist some Oreos and my absolute favourite drink, strawberry Fanta. They go in the cart, along with a fair amount of junk. I browse every aisle as I have plenty of time to kill. I decide that I’ll get myself a snack for later when I inevitably get hungry, and go for some frozen pizza pockets. Carry on browsing, throw in some pens and a nice nightshirt. Get to the health and beauty section, my favourite in almost every shop! All sorts go in the cart at this point: numerous Aussie hairsprays, some foot soak powder (I do up to 170k steps a week, so it is justified), ibuprofen, vitamins and more makeup for my best friend. Having spent nearly two hours in the shop, I decide it’s time to head to the checkout. £89.48 but I’ve definitely got a lot for my money, and I enjoyed it!



4.45pm: Order yet another Uber and have a fair wait. He finally turns up after about 25 minutes, and I head back to the Airbnb. The fare is £7.28 and I give him a £2 tip.



5.30pm: Back at the Airbnb, and let the important people know that I’m safe and sound. I bung the pizza pockets in the freezer to eat later, and throw the rest in the bedroom. I chill and watch Derry Girls on Netflix for an hour or so before realising that I actually need to start packing my stuff up as I leave tomorrow.



7.30pm: My suitcase is almost packed, it just needs the last few bits to go in. I’ve bought a LOT in the two days I’ve been here. I eat my pizza pocket, which is delicious, and call it a night about 8pm.



Total: £156.20