Girls Best Friend: Part 2

Part 1 can be found here.

Millie turned back around, pushed the stationery door open and leaned down and scooped up her crumpled notes up out of the bin, glancing down at her scrawl, she stuck out her chin, threw back her shoulders and told herself; this might just be the adventure she is looking for.

Millie opened the door to her flat, went straight to the sofa and slumped down in her favourite spot. She looked around; it was dark, cold and stark and nothing screamed out homely to her. She sighed for the millionth time that day and pulled out the screwed up piece of paper on which she had written instructions for finding the hidden diamonds. She was about to screw it back up and forget that the whole thing had happened when she felt something wet on her arm. Elvis had left his bed and was now pushing his head under her arm as if to snuggle. Millie looked down at his big brown eyes and that droopy face, ‘you know what Elvis, we can do better than this mangy flat but it means going on an adventure…do you want to go on an adventure Elvis? Wag your tail for yes and bark for no, ok?’ Elvis wagged his tail. ‘Should we go and find the diamonds?’ she asked the dog. Elvis continued wagging his tail. ‘Right, that's settled then. We shall go. I’m so glad you said that Elvis, I don't think I could do it without you!’ and Millie winked at the dog. She sat forward in the chair as if waiting to be called to speak, then slapped her thighs in unison and stood up, took off her coat and pushed up her sleeves, ‘There's work to be done.’

Firstly, she needed to put the instructions somewhere safe. She stood in the centre of the lounge slowly turning as she looked at her options for hiding places. Aha! The silver keepsake that she had been given at her christening would be ideal, she took out her birth certificate that had been rolled up inside and replaced it with the instructions. Secondly, she would need to make a list, or some lists that would make up the list, but at the least a main list of lists. Millie thought of everything she would need to do before she left, there was her ‘Work List’;

Work List

1. Hand in her notice at work.
2. Find out the details of the Marrakech office and also where Smits, Smiths & Smithson is.
3. Look smugly at Denise from Marketing as she sashays out on the last day.

It didn't seem like she had that much that she needed to do work wise and as a temp she would only need to give about a weeks notice. Finding out the addresses would be straight forward enough. Looking smugly at Denise from marketing would be even easier, and Millie had already mentally started acting out the scene in her head. She grinned and gripped the pen tighter as the excitement was starting to take hold. In just over a week she could be setting off an a bona fide only-ever-happens-in-the-movies adventure and as she started to plan, it all started to seem real and instead of feeling her usual nervous apprehensive self, she felt much more excited, confident and as though she was in control. Next up was the ‘Money List’;

Money List

1. Check savings and move enough money to main account.
2. Make sure bills are all set up to be paid when she is away.
3. Buy some Euro’s.
4. Make a budget that is easy to stick it.

Millie knew that she would have enough money for the trip but would still need a budget as she had a tendency to get carried away. Although, she thought, if all goes to plan she could be a lot richer on the way back, but she needed to think ahead in case that didn't happen. Having decided that Elvis was going to go with her, she knew that flying would be out of the question, and that meant an overland journey. This wouldn't be as easy as flying but if she planned appropriately then it would be ok. It would take her about 3 days to get there not including stopovers and then 3 days back. The thought of going completely alone still scared her and so overland it would be. The ‘Travel List’ was going to be the longest of all;

Travel List

1. Find out how to get to Marrakech from London, travelling overland with a dog.
2. Book trains in advance where possible.
3. Find passport and make sure its in date.
4. Check if need any visa’s.
5. Research possible stopovers.
6. Research accommodation that accepts dogs.

The ‘Travel List’ would still need to be broken down further into more lists of transport and accommodation but she would do that later. It was already getting late and she wanted to be up early in the morning to hand in her resignation, and she still had to take Elvis out for a walk. She quickly wrote the last two lists, ‘Dog List’ and ‘Holiday Packing List’;

Dog List

1. Does dog need a passport?
2. Does dog need vaccinations that he hasn’t already had?
3. Pack his blanket, leash, bowl, toy & some food to start us off.

&

Holiday Packing List

1. Clothes
2. Sun cream
3. Snacks

Looking at all the lists laid out on the table she was happy that she had started on her adventure, after all, the planning was half the adventure. Yawning she looked across and saw Elvis doing the same and laughed ‘Come on you, lets go!’.