3000 Miles to My Best Friend

Alexandria Roberts Start Date: Jun 21, 2017 - End Date: Oct 18, 2017
  • Redditch, United Kingdom

My Travel Story

by: Alexandria Roberts Start Date: Jun 21, 2017 - End Date: Oct 18, 2017
3000 miles couldn't have kept me from meeting him. With the internet and friends, it feels like we would have met eventually.

I've been dating Tom for almost a year now, a loving and respectful Brit with an amazing sense of humor and affinity for all things nerdy. Most importantly though, he's been someone supportive in times when we're together and times when we're apart. Going as far as to be the first who was willing to travel to the United States. Twice. For me. In rural Michigan.

This is something that I've wanted to repay, to go to his country in return, but it's hard.

It's hard because he and I live in very different economic worlds. He can easily save to visit me, and is even willing to pay for the ticket for this trip, because of his position as a programmer in a fledgling company, however I'm not so lucky financially.

I'm a college student who has been studying like mad to maintain a 3.0 with honors in Japanese language studies. Even though I used to work full-time while attending school full-time, those funds went to rent, gas, tuition, books, and helping my family with any financial problems they might be having. Finally if I had anything left, some would go to savings. I worked hard, 40+ hours a week in an intense healthcare position, and I was able to save $1000 towards my trip!

I was excited, and since it was summer and my lease was up anyway I decided to move back to my mom's house. This would allow me to keep working, plan for school next semester, and save for my trip! It became even more exciting when I caught wind of a job that would be closer than my now 40 minute drive to work, and it was closer to my marketing major!

I went in for an interview for an office assistant in a hotel, and the pay that was promised to me was supposed to be as good as my last job, but with less abuse. I was excited because this meant I could finally save!
But the owner of the company lied.
They put out an ad for office assistant so they could cat fish for housekeeping. While I did not mind working housekeeping while looking for another job, it was upsetting that the business owner had lied to me about not only the position, but also the pay. In the end he fired me the same day because "I was not fast enough" for the job that I wasn't hired for.

It has been nearly a month since then, and jobs in this area are scarce. Tom has been an amazing support as I burn through the savings that were meant for my visit to him. Of the $1000 that I had worked so hard to save I only have about $50 left and it's devastating.

I wanted to see him for our one year anniversary, or at least for the anniversary for when we met, and repay him for all his visits here. For him to volunteer to take care of the flight costs has been amazing!
...but I'd like to help too.

I'm not looking to do anything as extravagant as an outting to London, but I don't want him to pay for everything, like groceries or gas for local outtings.

All I'm asking for is help reaching $600 of the $1000 that I've unfortunately had to spend while searching for new employment so I can see Tom for our anniversary. Anything extra would be used to make up for the cost of my passport, make sure that my share of mom's bills keep paid, and that I won't have to worry about the pets while I'm gone.

Please don't feel obligated to donate, but anything you could give would help! Even just sharing with your friends.

Thank you so much for at least reading all this, and thank you for any help you could give. I know your money might be better off spent somewhere else, but thank you for considering helping continue my story.
  • Redditch, United Kingdom

Updates

5

  • Trip Update 3

    Trip Update 3
    I got my passport yesterday!!!! I'm so shocked that it came so fast and that I got it on a Saturday. I'm waiting for my birth certificate to come back, but other than that all I need before the trip is to purchase travel insurance and we need to get the ticket.
    Thank you guys so much for your support <3

  • Trip Update 2

    I went to Detroit on the 5th to put in my application for an expedited passport. I'll be getting it in a week, so expect a picture! The trip is still on for July 18th to August 3rd, but on the way back from Detroit the front driver side wheel on my van blew. It was distressing because my sister and I were only 17 miles from home and it was really hot out. I can't really afford a new tire right now, and yet my dad managed to find one for amazingly cheap.

    The people in Detroit were very nice, they helped me out, and they even accepted my proof of travel. Something that was really annoying was they required proof of travel, either a hotel booking with my name on it or a plane ticket. I wanted to do the plane ticket, but we couldn't get one without my passport. So, in the end, I booked Tom and I an Airbnb in London, and they accepted that. What a relief. BUT they still had me fill out extra paperwork about where I'd be staying after night one. So why couldn't I just do that from the beginning? Oh well.

    Passport done, next is plane ticket and packing! Anyone have suggestions of places to visit in London, Birmingham, or England in general? Or things that I "HAVE" to do?