6 days later...
So finally getting around to talking about the rest of the trip.
It started off with me getting maybe 2 hours of sleep before leaving for the airport around 5:20am. Had my mom come inside to make sure I knew what the hell I was doing, since I'd never flown alone before. Got all checked out, x-rayed and stopped by Starbucks for latte + scone around 6-something am. (Little did I know the stop at Starbucks would become a trend...) Got really confused as to where the hell my flight was due to a gate change but got there before 7am. Waited around for twenty minutes before they started boarding...and sat in the back of the plane.
Plane ride was rather dull, annoying ear-popping kept me from enjoying my iPod that much. Took a picture of Phoenix when we got there--45 minutes earlier than planned. They didn't have a gate so we had to hang out on the plane until one opened up. Called my mom, (had promised to keep her updated) and then bought a bag of Skittles once we were able to get off the plane. Finally made it to LA at ~11:50am and ran off to make sure that I'd get a shuttle to my hotel.
Found one, had to wait a bit, put on my shirt as I did. Found out the receipt for my itinerary didn't have the address for the hotel, and there was another Best Western in the that same area. Luckily a traveler from...Alabama, i think, had a PDA-type thing and found it. Got to my hotel around 1pm. Some TVXQ fans were leaving as I was checking in. I aid Hi, they asked me to take a pic of them. I did and they thanked me and told me to get down to the bowl area because there was stuff going on pre-concert. Went up to the third floor, saw some other fans lingering around. They told me to come with so i put my stuff in my room and came with them to the Bowl area.
Concert happened. talked about that so, no big. Met up with one of the girls I'd met (and exchanged numbers with to better facilitate hanging out) and we all went back to the hotel to drop off stuff before gong out to eat. I called my mom...it was 11:30pm by then and i got all confused and thought it was 9:30 over there when really, it was 1:30am. No wonder she sounded so tired... -_-;; We all went to dinner at Johnny Rockets at Highland & Hollywood, spitting the bill and then I came back and slept.
Got up around 10am. Called Wendy. Couldn't reach her, and figure they'd gone off to Disney Lane like they'd planned. They said I could come with but after going to Disney World in Florida when I was 13 I didn't really wanna go. So I walked over to the Starbucks at a strip mall two blocks away and got a Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino. Got more cash and then went back to the hotel where the hostess and I tried to find Little Tokyo and could not. I called a cab, hoping he'd know. He didn't, and dropped me off at Rodeo Drive. I walked around staring at the cool expensive big-name stores. Did not go in any of them because A.) I don't shop and B.) I don't have that kind of money.
My mom called me and I apologized for calling her so late. Walked around randomly in the area before finding a Subway around Roxury & Wilshire. It was about 2:45pm at that point and remembner...I hadn't eaten anything other than that Frappuccino. Ate. Decided to go over to Korea Times and pick up a paper because it would look cool. I had a map with me (thanks to the hostess at the hotel) and figured I could jsut wlak myself over there.
And so began the Epic Journey. Now there were stops along the way, one to CVS Pharmacy to pick up microwavable food-stuff and another camera, one to Starbucks for another MMCF where in I attempted to call Sarah and failed miserably. Took pictures of the Le Brea Tar Pits and made it to Highland. Where in I decided that Korea Times better be on the way to my hotel because my feet were starting to hurt.
It wasn't, but I hiked up Highland anyway, making it all the way to the block before Sunset Blvd when I started getting a little queasy and fuzzy in the head. I realized I was dehydrated (no shit) and stopped at a smoothie place, Sherry Berry on Sunset, got 16oz thing of strawberry juice and 1.6 liter bottle of water. Drank both and called my mom, telling her of my insane idea and saying I'd call her when I got back to my hotel. Stopped by the strip mall to use their internet cafe. Got my flight code thing to get my e-tickets. Said hi to Sarah via meebo and then walked back to the hotel.
This is the journey when mapped out via googlemaps. It ends up being about 7 miles. I got a little sunburn, mainly strips down my arms and a semi-raccoon face but really, wasn't that bad.
Settled down with my sesame noodles and OD'd on Law&Order:CI.
Woke up at 9am. Showered, got mostly packed up, wnader over to Hollywood and Highland to tkae soem pics and went to a souvenuire place to get stuff. Got four shirts, one for my mom. A portable coffee mug (because I always get mugs, it's just a thing) and postcards for coworkers. Went back to the hotel, foudn out it was too alte to call a shuttle. Called a cab and had to stop at an ATM on teh way. THe first machine didn't ahve any cash and I momentarily panicked before ralizing the machine next to it worked. Got cash, conintued on, got wary of how much I had as we drew nearer. But made it to the airport with 10$ to spare.
Got all checked in by 12pm. Went to Burger King for a burger and...you guessed it, Starbucks for an iced mocha. called mom. Waited around an hour and a half before I could board. Flew to Denver while watching the Live!Mapquest monitor, noting the altitude changes and speed. And going o.O as we stayed at 5,000ft when we landed. Called home, talked to my sis who urged me to find the Ben & Jerry's at the Denver airport. I did, having an hour or so to spare and had a waffle cone. Got on the flight to MSP, sat next to a lady with a little doggy in a carry-on, watched the radar thing and part of House.
Got to the airport around 11:30pm. Called my dad, who'd sent my brother. Called my brother. Who ended up parking and forgot the phone when i called him wondering where he was half an hour after he'd said he was five minutes away. He sneaked up behind me, led me out to where he'd parked and I paid for the parking thing. Got home. Said hi to people and then promptly fell asleep.
And yes, I still want another Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino. The only reason why I didn't get one at LAX was because I didn't have enough cash and didn't want to use my card. Even tho I used my card for the waffle cone thing at Ben & Jerry's. -_-;; Have not broken down yet but..it beckons.
It started off with me getting maybe 2 hours of sleep before leaving for the airport around 5:20am. Had my mom come inside to make sure I knew what the hell I was doing, since I'd never flown alone before. Got all checked out, x-rayed and stopped by Starbucks for latte + scone around 6-something am. (Little did I know the stop at Starbucks would become a trend...) Got really confused as to where the hell my flight was due to a gate change but got there before 7am. Waited around for twenty minutes before they started boarding...and sat in the back of the plane.
Plane ride was rather dull, annoying ear-popping kept me from enjoying my iPod that much. Took a picture of Phoenix when we got there--45 minutes earlier than planned. They didn't have a gate so we had to hang out on the plane until one opened up. Called my mom, (had promised to keep her updated) and then bought a bag of Skittles once we were able to get off the plane. Finally made it to LA at ~11:50am and ran off to make sure that I'd get a shuttle to my hotel.
Found one, had to wait a bit, put on my shirt as I did. Found out the receipt for my itinerary didn't have the address for the hotel, and there was another Best Western in the that same area. Luckily a traveler from...Alabama, i think, had a PDA-type thing and found it. Got to my hotel around 1pm. Some TVXQ fans were leaving as I was checking in. I aid Hi, they asked me to take a pic of them. I did and they thanked me and told me to get down to the bowl area because there was stuff going on pre-concert. Went up to the third floor, saw some other fans lingering around. They told me to come with so i put my stuff in my room and came with them to the Bowl area.
Concert happened. talked about that so, no big. Met up with one of the girls I'd met (and exchanged numbers with to better facilitate hanging out) and we all went back to the hotel to drop off stuff before gong out to eat. I called my mom...it was 11:30pm by then and i got all confused and thought it was 9:30 over there when really, it was 1:30am. No wonder she sounded so tired... -_-;; We all went to dinner at Johnny Rockets at Highland & Hollywood, spitting the bill and then I came back and slept.
Got up around 10am. Called Wendy. Couldn't reach her, and figure they'd gone off to Disney Lane like they'd planned. They said I could come with but after going to Disney World in Florida when I was 13 I didn't really wanna go. So I walked over to the Starbucks at a strip mall two blocks away and got a Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino. Got more cash and then went back to the hotel where the hostess and I tried to find Little Tokyo and could not. I called a cab, hoping he'd know. He didn't, and dropped me off at Rodeo Drive. I walked around staring at the cool expensive big-name stores. Did not go in any of them because A.) I don't shop and B.) I don't have that kind of money.
My mom called me and I apologized for calling her so late. Walked around randomly in the area before finding a Subway around Roxury & Wilshire. It was about 2:45pm at that point and remembner...I hadn't eaten anything other than that Frappuccino. Ate. Decided to go over to Korea Times and pick up a paper because it would look cool. I had a map with me (thanks to the hostess at the hotel) and figured I could jsut wlak myself over there.
And so began the Epic Journey. Now there were stops along the way, one to CVS Pharmacy to pick up microwavable food-stuff and another camera, one to Starbucks for another MMCF where in I attempted to call Sarah and failed miserably. Took pictures of the Le Brea Tar Pits and made it to Highland. Where in I decided that Korea Times better be on the way to my hotel because my feet were starting to hurt.
It wasn't, but I hiked up Highland anyway, making it all the way to the block before Sunset Blvd when I started getting a little queasy and fuzzy in the head. I realized I was dehydrated (no shit) and stopped at a smoothie place, Sherry Berry on Sunset, got 16oz thing of strawberry juice and 1.6 liter bottle of water. Drank both and called my mom, telling her of my insane idea and saying I'd call her when I got back to my hotel. Stopped by the strip mall to use their internet cafe. Got my flight code thing to get my e-tickets. Said hi to Sarah via meebo and then walked back to the hotel.
This is the journey when mapped out via googlemaps. It ends up being about 7 miles. I got a little sunburn, mainly strips down my arms and a semi-raccoon face but really, wasn't that bad.
Settled down with my sesame noodles and OD'd on Law&Order:CI.
Woke up at 9am. Showered, got mostly packed up, wnader over to Hollywood and Highland to tkae soem pics and went to a souvenuire place to get stuff. Got four shirts, one for my mom. A portable coffee mug (because I always get mugs, it's just a thing) and postcards for coworkers. Went back to the hotel, foudn out it was too alte to call a shuttle. Called a cab and had to stop at an ATM on teh way. THe first machine didn't ahve any cash and I momentarily panicked before ralizing the machine next to it worked. Got cash, conintued on, got wary of how much I had as we drew nearer. But made it to the airport with 10$ to spare.
Got all checked in by 12pm. Went to Burger King for a burger and...you guessed it, Starbucks for an iced mocha. called mom. Waited around an hour and a half before I could board. Flew to Denver while watching the Live!Mapquest monitor, noting the altitude changes and speed. And going o.O as we stayed at 5,000ft when we landed. Called home, talked to my sis who urged me to find the Ben & Jerry's at the Denver airport. I did, having an hour or so to spare and had a waffle cone. Got on the flight to MSP, sat next to a lady with a little doggy in a carry-on, watched the radar thing and part of House.
Got to the airport around 11:30pm. Called my dad, who'd sent my brother. Called my brother. Who ended up parking and forgot the phone when i called him wondering where he was half an hour after he'd said he was five minutes away. He sneaked up behind me, led me out to where he'd parked and I paid for the parking thing. Got home. Said hi to people and then promptly fell asleep.
And yes, I still want another Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino. The only reason why I didn't get one at LAX was because I didn't have enough cash and didn't want to use my card. Even tho I used my card for the waffle cone thing at Ben & Jerry's. -_-;; Have not broken down yet but..it beckons.