On the Friday, I started my period and since the temps were in the nineties again, I decided to stay in the villa because I just didn’t want to deal with the heat and cramps together. So, I’m just going to share some thoughts I had on the whole Florida experience so far.

I knew things in the US were big and widespread but I had no idea how widespread! My mum and I both had similar ideas that Florida was sort of like Las Vegas with the hotels and restaurants all down one long strip. How wrong we were! As you drive along, most of the buildings are either hotels, condos, or villa communities in various pastel colours. In fact, the whole place is just so commercialised it’s not even funny. I’m under no illusions I’ve experienced the real America because tourists are very insulated in Orlando. I never once felt unsafe the whole time I was there despite the various accounts of shootings and rapes on the news - the Orlando those take place in is so far removed from where we were.

I have to say that all the Americans we encountered, whether tourists themselves or locals, were so friendly there wasn’t anything that was too much trouble. Every shop we entered, we got a polite greeting and a thank you as we left. The waitresses made sure you had everything you needed and went out of there way to make sure you were being looked after. My mum really had this impression that Americans were arrogant before we booked our trip, mainly from television, and she couldn’t believe how wrong she was. They were all very eager to hear about where we came from, even if they still think Scotland is part of England! Grrr!

One of the biggest problems I had was over the food. Florida is not vegetarian friendly and most restaurants menus offer nothing but steaks and chicken in various guises. I also can’t believe how obsessed Americans are with eggs! I did better at the buffets than anywhere else but there were times I just had to settle for starters, pancakes, waffles or desserts. I hardly ate any vegetables and by the time we left, I was really starting to feel like crap because I wasn’t eating properly. I think I already mentioned how we would have to eat big breakfasts so they would last all day and as much as I tried, it just didn’t work for me. I need to eat at regular times or I end up with headaches. One of the best places I ate was the Olive Garden, an Italian restaurant that had so much choice. The manager even pointed out all the dishes that were suitable for me which I thought was really good of him. Hint: mark vegetarian dishes with a big, green V!

The portions you get in the US are also HUGE! I ordered a veggie burger at an Irish place and ended up with a plate so big it could’ve fed a family of four. Even the starters were so big, you had to be careful or you were too full for your main course. And they are always re-filling your drinks! I could never finish one glass, never mind two. And, you all have soft cornflakes… Ewww!!!

Another thing I couldn’t get used to was the fact that you have to drive everywhere because everything is so far away. You can’t just nip out to the corner shop if you run out of milk in a place like this. I know my mum and dad really missed going out for a walk at nights like they do on European holidays. Not being a driver, this really annoyed the hell out of me too. I had a good laugh at the fact that everyone drives trucks in the US - I’ve never seen so many in my life. Then there were all the cars that were held together with tape! No way would they be allowed on the roads in the UK!

Since, I stayed in the villa on this particular day, I decided to examine the TV hoping for a sneak preview of shows heading our way but all I found were repeats of CSI. The news channels are obsessed with celebrities and the biggest story was of course Paris Hilton going to jail - the amount of coverage was absolute nonsense. None of the news channels mention Iraq unless they are reporting on something very mundane and I find this despicable for a country at war, especially since we are bombarded with it every day in the UK. I eventually found the BBC World channel and got some real news - that’s when I found out about the little girl being abducted in Portugal while on holiday with her family.