Last month I took my first decent holiday in 10 years. It was my very first trip solo and my first time doing like a backpacker rather than a tourist with money to burn.

After much deliberation I chose the west coast of the good ol’ US of A as my destination. Why? A whole host of reasons. I wanted to ease myself into the idea of being a lone female traveller and although I don’t consider the USA to be the safest destination in the world, factors like knowing the language and knowing that my VISA would buy me pretty much anything I needed were encouraging. Another draw was when I discovered the Green Tortoise Bus Tours. I was enthralled by the idea of seeing some of the most amazing places in the world and in a way which sounded like lots of fun for not very much money.

I chose to take their 9 day trip called ‘Canyons of the West’ out of San Francisco. I was so excited. I was going to spend 9 days on this crazy hippy bus with 35 other like minded people seeing places like the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion Canyons and Monument Valley. The rest of my trip stemmed from there and begins North in Seattle.

Day 1
So my holiday started in Seattle, I arrived at 4pm local time, yet my brain said it’s midnight and you’ve been up since 7am Helen. The excitement and a little touch of anxiety too were pumping adrenalin through my veins though. I’d done my research, and finding the bus downtown was a doddle, thank you for good signage Seattle! As I board I ask the bus driver as nicely as possible if he would be kind enough to let me know when we arrived at 2nd and Pine, where I needed to get off. To my delight he says no problem, he’ll give me shout when we get there, he smiling and he’s really friendly, bus drivers in the UK are not known, in general for their helpfulness or geniality. Then he asks me if I’m Australian, I explain no, no I’m British. This will be the first of many times I’m asked this question during my trip, I was also asked if I was South African once, and a guy on the street thought I looked German?

So I find the Hostel (Green Tortoise, yes same company as the bus tour) and I check in. I’m told that that night there’s free dinner and free beer (while the keg lasts). Hurrah! Sounds like a good way to spend my first night.

In my room I meet Vanessa, a tiny French girl. She’s totally adorable and we chat for a while or at least she chats and I listen, I couldn’t get a word in edgeways. I agree to meet Vanessa and another girl in my room, Naoko, in the common room for dinner.

My goal at this point it’s 6pm, my brain says it’s 2am and you’ve been up for 19 hours, is to get a drink and have a cigarette. Success, offie (Off Licence) right downstairs, smoking room in hostel, filled with nice approachable people.

After dinner of baked potatoes, plenty of beer and good company I can no longer keep my eyes open (I tried to stay up till a reasonable hour in order to combat the jet-lag). I crawl off to bed at 10pm, my brain says it’s 6am and you’ve been up for 23 hours!