California King Bed — Los Angeles, CA
Where I stayed
The Westin Los Angeles Airport
The Westin Los Angeles Airport
This morning I wake up refreshed and happy. I've enjoyed my time in Denver but I'm looking forward to spending time alone in Los Angeles before heading home. I question if I'm silly for leaving the US earlier and not making the most of my trip here, it's a long way to come, but there is only so long you can be away before you miss home, family, and friends. Funnily enough, I miss my house the most. Maybe I shouldn't be admitting that, but it's the truth and it's where I spend most of my time, and it's always there when I need it.
Checking the weather in LA - it's 38 degrees today - that's 100 degrees F! Maybe I'll laze by the pool this afternoon, although... I have lots of last minute shopping to do however I could always do it Sunday...
After giving Betsy a 'thank you for having me' present, a pair of earrings I saw that she liked and I’d sneakily bought earlier in the week, we try Vegemite and she doesn't mind it! I leave the tube with her, I don't eat that much of it at home and I already have a jar in my cupboard. She's going to see if her brother likes it when he comes home for Christmas!
Hauling my bags down two flights of stairs, Betsy drops me at the airport and I can't thank her enough for having me stay and taking me on an all American road trip! As she drives off, I realise I'm alone again, not lonely, but alone. While I struggle with my two suitcases, I'm grateful I'm not lugging these to San Francisco first. I check into my SouthWest flight and head through to security.
The security line is daunting. No matter which terminal you’re going to, everyone comes through here. Luckily the line moves quickly and the guy who checks my ID and ticket is actually cheery and cracking jokes. Everyone around him has a bemused look on their face, including me. It's unusual for these serious guys to even talk to you, let alone crack jokes like 'while they're here all day, you don't have to be'. He directs us to shorter lines down the far end and so I head down there, narrowly avoiding lining up behind a gentleman wearing a baby on his back - those things take ages to unpack. As I unpack my laptop, remove my shoes and ensure everything is emptied from my pockets, the guy behind me makes a joke about making sure laptops are in a separate container and I laugh, telling him about an American talk show I saw the other day mentioning how Australian's don't have to take their shoes off, even when flying to the US. He looks surprised. As I walk through the metal detector the security officer on the other side goes "yay, you made it" when the scanner doesn't go off. It's so strange to see these guys in a good mood and cracking jokes - great last impression of people from Denver!
Once I've got the train to my terminal I find the food and coffee choices minimal, so I just line up in my boarding position. I've got A47, much better than C4 last time. I swipe an aisle seat and sit back while the rest of the passengers board. SouthWest is great if you're travelling alone, but in a group, it sucks. Most groups end up having to sit separately. I end up with a full row even though I chose to sit at the back – ah well. The flight is uneventful and soon we’re landing at LAX with 100 degree weather!!!
After collecting my ample luggage, I catch the hotel shuttle with surprising ease, tipping the driver well for hauling my 40kgs of luggage into his bus. Checking into the hotel early with no issues, I request and receive a king sized bed. Although, my room is at the end of a very long hallway. Think of the exercise – glass half full!
While I have plans to catch public buses and shop in Redondo at Galleria Shopping Center, I‘m thinking some pool time is in order. The great thing about travelling solo is that no one is going to complain if you change the plans, and so I head down to the swimming pool for a dip and a bit of a bake in the sun (yes, I know that’s bad) while I listen to the planes take off and land. I almost feel like I’m at home because sometimes I can hear the planes coming in for landing from my house too.
After my laze in the sun, and a few photos for FaceBook ;) I head back upstairs for a shower before programming into my iPhone where I want to go. Checking the directions with the concierge, they offer me a driver... hmm... tempting. After inquiring as to the cost - $70 return – I feel that the bus is a much more economical option @ approx $6 return... and so much to their disappointment (and perhaps horror that a tourist is going to catch the public bus) I walk out to the bus stop directly outside the hotel to wait in the sunshine.
I catch two public buses and part way through the 40 minute journey I notice I’m the only ‘white’ person on the bus... interesting. I don’t feel unsafe but I’m alert and try to look as if I know when I’m going. A family board the bus and I swear their daughter is Dora the Explorer... too bad the other passengers aren’t quite as cute!
Thanks to my iPhone I arrive safety at the Galleria. Strolling inside, I come across a Starbucks and decide that perhaps one last Salted Caramel Frappe is in order... then I realise I haven’t had a proper meal today. I don’t ‘feel’ like anything though, I’ll eat at the hotel when I return.
As a woman on a mission – I head straight for Lane Bryant once my drink is finished and as I comb the store and grab anything that grabs my eye, the sales girl takes multiple trips to hang my clothes for me ready for me to try on. Finally I’m done and head into the change room for about an hour while I try on different combinations. I realise, even with my vouchers, I’m going to be spending too much, so then there is the agonising choice as to which pieces I leave behind. Tough decisions are made, and I walk out of the store towing my overflowing bag along with me. I search for presents and end up buying a cute red pair of shoes from Torrid while I’m at it. The prospect of food is still doing nothing for me so I decide to catch the bus home, tummy grumbling at not having had a meal but my trail mix is getting me through.
After locating the bus stop, I’m sitting peacefully waiting for the bus on the seating provided, when I casually look over to my right. There is a teenage guy behind a light pole and as I glance over I see him holding a rifle. I’m pretty sure my life flashes before my eyes as I double back to have another look.... realising that it’s actually his bike handle bars that are partially hidden by the larger than average street lamp. As the panic subsides, tears form in my eyes as I begin breathing again. I’m pretty sure I need a change of pants... wow, for 0.8 seconds there I was completely terrified. Maybe I’m over reacting but after seeing the news here – perhaps not.
My transport arrives eventually and we barrel a half an hour north-bound to where I swap buses, I stop at the pharmacy that is conveniently placed on the corner where the bus stops are but after grabbing a basket and beginning to fill it – I realise the line is too long, there is one woman serving and if I miss the next bus I’ll be waiting another half an hour. Admitting defeat (this time around) I trudge out to the bus stop and am there in time to ride it back to the hotel.
I deposit my purchases into my room before navigating towards the ‘Daily Grill’ in-house restaurant. Perusing the menu, the waitress tells me the daily specials and a salmon dish similar to what I had yesterday at The Cheesecake Factory but without the pasta is on offer. I jump at the chance, and am also interested to see the difference in size and quality from yesterday’s dish – considering today’s is $8 more.
The dish is tasty and a decent size, although the salmon gets too rich after a while and I leave it 2/3 finished again. I pay the bill and head back up to my room. Sylvana and I are texting back and forth for a while; it’s always good to have some contact from Australia! I shower and then starfish across my huge king sized bed watching TV. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open, it’s only 10pm but I can’t fight it any longer and I drift off into a comfortable, happy sleep – knowing that this time tomorrow I’ll be on my way home!!