16 June 2017

If there is a consistent theme in our travels, it is the first day never goes as planned despite months of planning. Today was no exception.

Our goal was admittedly ambitious – to be moved out of our house and ready by noon, relax at my brother’s place, takeoff at 7 PM, arrive in Hollywood at 1:30 AM EST / 10:30 PM PST, and sleep off the jetlag for 9 hours till 8 AM. None of that happened.

We worked in a controlled panic up to the last minute but did make it to the airport on time for our 7 PM flight. The day had not gone as well as I hoped. Collapsed over in a vinyl seat at the gate waiting to board, I took a breath to relax, looked around and thought “we made it”. We hadn’t.

The problem became weather. After we boarded, a lighting storm hit and kept us sitting on the tarmac for 3 1/2 hours; all this time American Airlines left our luggage out in the pouring rain. When we finally arrived in LAX at 3 AM EST / midnight PST, much of our luggage was soaked. After taking the wrong rental car shuttle, we eventually found ourselves standing in line at Randy’s Donuts in nearby Inglewood at 1:45 AM PST looking for our first “meal” in over 12 hours. When we finally went to bed at 6 AM EST / 3 AM PST, we had been awake for almost 24 hours. Unable to sleep late, we were up in 5 1/2 hours ready to take on Hollywood, a little hungry, damp, aggravated, and tired. We wouldn’t have it any other way, no matter how much I try.

Excitement before the storm.  What kind of parent has there kid at Randy’s at 2 AM?