The Start of the Story

Ok, I've decided to copy some of my notebook entries from the trip into here because I can't be bothered right now to do another blog just about the trip. (All of this will be written in smaller font.)

Day 1: Getting There
11:35am

It still feels a bit unreal to be flying to USA. I've been waiting too long for this.

We should be in Auckland soon. I tried to sleep a bit but it's too hard because I can't lean my seat back. There's some little kid behind me but fortunately he stopped poking the back of my seat.

They served breakfast of corn and ham fritters that tasted better than expected, some fruit (melon and rockmelon) and a muffin (that was quite unhealthy but tasted good). I'm just hoping my urticaria won't get out of control.

At the airport, I already got carried away with my camera and took many unnecessary photos that I'm sure I'd have to delete when I run out of memory.

There are no 'potential guys' on the plane that I can see. There goes my dream of meeting a guy on a plane and having a great story to tell the grandkids.

There are some guys my age but there's no chance to get to know them. Not surprised.

8:20am (California time)

I just noticed that a woman across from me is reading "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" and she's not embarrassed about it (since it's openly, almost purposefully, lying on her fold-out table.

I still have a bit of a headache (probably caused by lack of sleep).

8:27am

The plane smells of stinky people, some plane food and the stale cabin air.

Outside below me are beautiful fluffy clouds that look like soft marshmallows closer up (on take-off and dissesnt). I wish I could take a photo of them but no electronic equipment is allowed then.

8:38pm

I'm now at our hotel room, awake from my nap.

The first thing I noticed as our plane was descenting (other than the ball of excitement filling up inside me at rapid speeds) was how structured the layout of California was. It looked like someone measured the whole land with a ruler. Even the line between the sand of the beaches and the road running along them seemed to be too accurately parallel.

It took us forever to get our luggage once we got off the plane. It was a bit nerve-wrecking to see the bag carousel go round and round and my bag not in sight. I thought that I might not see my suitcase again. Fortunately I did. I might've smiled when I saw it. Felt a nice sense of relief.

We caught a shuttle bus to our hotel. That's when I had my first experience of not understanding the American accent. The bus driver asked, "Where to?" but all I could hear was, "One two?" After I made a few guesses as to what he meant ("There are two of us", "We have two suitcases", "We're going one-way"), I figured it out and told him the hotel name. He thought I couldn't speak English. (Isn't it weird that when people think you can't speak English they start using really bad grammar? Like the bus driver who after my wrong answers asked, "Live where?")

On our ride there, I'm quite positive the driver made more than one illegal manoeuvre and there really was no need for him to use the horn every five minutes.

After the driver got our bags and was waiting for a tip, since Lauren didn't give him one, I didn't either. The bus driver didn't take it too badly.

We got to the hotel at about 1pm (too early for check-in), put our bags in the storage and went to explore the area.

After buying our Disneyland tickets and a quick walk through Downtown Disney, we went back to the hotel to get our room.

We were given one in a little building, across from the main one, that only had stairs so we had to drag our luggage across them. Once in the room, I noticed that there was only one bed and a couch.

Although Lauren said that she didn't mind sleeping on the couch, I (not very happily) marched back to the reception desk and demanded (nicely) to be give the room we paid for (i.e. two beds) and for it to be in the main building (that had a lift).

Our newly allocated room looked exactly like from the brochure in which I found it. We also have a great view of Disneyland and the rest of Anaheim from our top floor. Lots of photos were taken to try and capture the beauty that we can see from our balcony (which also acts as the corridor to all the rooms). The architecture in this whole area feels like you're in a storybook. Each hotel's/shop's/restaurant's sign is worthy of a photo.

After we checked into our room, we went to buy some food. I found it impossible to find anything that was even relatively healthy so ended up buying the best of all the bad ones - microwavable spaghetti with meat balls and two apples (from New Zealand, of all places!)

Had fun saying we were from Australia to shop owners who asked. I'm trying to get an American accent for the duration of my trip but it hasn't been working yet.

We also got a phone card each from the little store next to us. Called my Mum and asked her to call me back from her phone card. Had a nice conversation.

Found out that internet is really expensive here so can't email my friends yet. Maybe I'll send postcards.

Really regretted not bringing my own utensils and had to borrow Lauren's plastic fork.

We were thinking of going out tonight but we're both too tired. Even after my nap, I feel a bit groggy.

We watched cable TV (which was great, for your information).

Really want to take a shower now but the bathroom doesn't look too hygienic. Maybe I'll give a try cleaning it.