Top 50 baby!

Yesterday was intense, with a capital TENSE! As I checked, refreshed and checked again on the STA World Traveller Intern homepage my heart was in my mouth, a million questions running through my mind…what if I haven’t made it? What if my video wasn’t good enough? What if all this effort and panic and fun and stress hasn’t paid off and they don’t like me enough? What if I’m not what they’re looking for?

Those 30 or so minutes when the website went down and displayed the message ‘we are currently updating our website’ was the most insane, surreal experience, with twitter going crazy, full of messages from my fellow applicants, fingers, toes and everything crossed, waiting for the very same thing I was.

Whether I win or not, this has probably been the most rewarding part of the competition, getting to know all these other traveller types, who live for the adventure and excitement of the open road, just like me. And yes, I know it is a competition, so I shouldn’t really get too friendly but the way I see it, if I did by any miracle, actually win, I could be travelling with one of them! So there’s no need to burn any bridges. As a group, we as applicants have been so supportive of each other, blogging and twittering about our experiences, helping each other out. I’m excited to meet some of them at the STA meet up next week, maybe make some friends to travel with in future? Who knows?

Anyway, back to the competition…so at about 5pm yesterday evening, when the suspense was really getting to me, I got a tweet from Paddy telling me that the results were up! With baited breath I clicked refresh and there it was…there I was. In the Top 50! Me! I couldn’t believe it. Here’s some proof…so I never forget:

I’m still in a bit of daze to be honest…and I can’t stop smiling. This might sound smug, but I’m really proud of myself for actually doing it and for giving it a go. To know that I made the effort and was successful in my attempts is just fantastic. That goes for everyone else too…congratulations to all the other 49 finalists…WE DID IT!!

So now my attentions turn to the next round…the application for the Top 20. Keen bean that I am, I’ve started answering some of the questions already.

I’m gonna make this next application form the best that STA have ever seen.

P.S. To all those who voted and campaigned for me…I love you I love you I love you. thank you. x