My flight from Fort Lauderdale to Atlanta on Friday was delayed, and with but 20 minutes to catch my flight to Los Angeles in a different terminal, I raced across the airport, wondering if my bags on the ground could possibly keep up with me.  After finding my seat and a spot in the overhead storage to place my rather over-sized hand luggage, the overhead storage refused to close.  The air hostesses attempted to close it threatening to have to check yet another bag of mine (keeping in mind I had already paid to be able to take a second suitcase, and had paid the overweight on top of that!  So there was absolutely no way I was going to let them check yet another bag, especially if that meant paying).  Apparently I am too short to be able to reach up and force the damn carry-on into the overhead.  But with much effort and strain, I finally got the thing to shut as the people seated around that area applauded.  The flight to LA was bearable, but just.  A seemingly sweet old lady from Wichita, Kansas was seated beside me, on her way to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, via Los Angeles, via Tokyo… and I thought I had it bad!  Regardless, from the moment I sat down, she began her long line of complaints about just about everything… from the fact that the air hostess was still walking around readying the plane for take-off to how inconvenient it was that she would have to find an information booth at LAX in order to find out how to get to her hotel.  I quickly put my earphones in my ears, and absently listened to “The Housewives of Atlanta” while reading my book, and ignoring all the comments from this very restless woman.  We descended upon LA and were suddenly stung by the smoke for the fires roaring below.

In LA, I had already decided that my bags were not going to arrive and went to fill out a baggage claim form only to discover within 5 minutes that my bags had miraculously arrived!  What a relief!  Surprisingly, there was no traffic and the bus to Union Station took me about 25 mins, after which Raabia picked me up.  

Saturday was spent fairly lazily, while I attempted to get every last bit of Mexican food possible, from a breakfast quesadilla, to dinner of nachos, and yes… another quesadilla!  That afternoon, we took a long walk from the Pier to Venice beach and back.  I have to wonder if LA’ians ever cease to be amused by that walk… from the gymnasts near the pier to the outright weirdos of Venice, I must’ve had an awkward giggly smile plastered against my face for the entire walk.

A few hours later, Raabia dropped me back at the airport.  I hurried in anxious about my luggage and being charged again.  However, they took my luggage, no questions asked, and checked it all the way to Sydney.  The Fijian air hostesses were all a goegeous deep brown and had flowers in their hair as part of their uniforms.  I sit here now typing from Fiji, where I have a layover of about 4 hours.  After 7 hours of glorious sleep on the plane – I had 3 seats to myself – we descended upon this magical island as dawn was breaking. The surrounding waters with day, turned from an intense island purple, to bright turquoise, and as the plane was landing, I almost regretfully felt I should have made this a stop on the way.  But with so much luggage, I just look forward to ridding myself of the shlep, and hopefully I will be back here at some point with merely a backpack.  As we exited the plane, passengers began frantically taking pictures of the scenery, the surrounding mountains and palm trees and colours in general.

After 2 lines of utter disorganization to reprint our boarding passes (I still can’t fathom why), and having to go through more security as they checked for organic items, I finally have found myself in the departure lounge, where I will spend just under another 2 hours.  A departure lounge like that of a first world country, except that I am seated next to the music store where reggae music is blaring at 7:15 in the morning.

Ah yes, and it’s November 18th today.  Indeed, the 17th passed me by, and didn’t even stop for me to even briefly live it.  I excitedly watched the map on the plane as we crossed over the International Date Line.  In a world so foreign from all that I have previously experienced, I am still coming to terms with all the time changes.  I’m sure, however, that this will be the least of it.  But bring it on!  I am ready to get to Sydney already and begin this new chapter.

Ah yes, and it’s November 18th today.  Indeed, the 17th passed me by, and didn’t even stop for me to even briefly live it.  I excitedly watched the map on the plane as we crossed over the International Date Line.  In a world so foreign from all that I have previously experienced, I am still coming to terms with all the time changes.  I’m sure, however, that this will be the least of it.  But bring it on!  I am ready to get to Sydney already and begin this new chapter.