US trip 0
I am writing this while I am sitting in a hotel lobby (not mine), waiting for my 11pm flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane, listening to some American’s talk to a tv screen – obviously some sort of sport is playing…
I have spent a week away from home, just a week after we moved into Kuraby! Nearly all of the boxes have been unpacked and the place had become familiar enough so that I could find my way in the dark (add or minus a few boxes lying around the place). *mini rant*… what is it with furniture places that provide a delivery time of a few weeks and then claim that they only receive said item or deliver said item at the very end of the delivery date, if not beyond? What day and age is this?!*/end mini rant* It’s great to be back on the south side of town again (sorry Nath), cause I know where the good asian food places are. Ok, there are other reasons but I believe I have been sleep deprived for this past week so I can’t think of them right now.
Sleep deprivation has occurred not due to jet lag (although the first 24 hours was a shocker due to me not being able to sleep on the flight – 5 movies later…) but due to late nights out entertaining my clients and socialising with colleagues. It may sound like fun, but for someone that likes to be home and reading in bed by midnight or so, this has been a little difficult for me. I was attending a conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. SLC had some beautiful mountains, some of them snow-capped, and best of all – books are CHEAP in America!!!! I ended up buying 17 books in both SLC and LA over the course of a week. At least we now have some new bookshelves so there should be some room. If not, there are plenty of bare walls that we can eventually fill!
I must say, my perception of America has changed during this trip. I did not come across any loud, obnoxious people, no scores of RV’s and caravans, and I was not offered to upsize any meals. Then again, we did eat mostly in the hotel!
Anyway, it will be good to be home again, even if I do lose a day by flying over the dateline. We spent today doing a beach and shopping tour through LA. We went to Venice Beach, Santa Monica, Rodeo Drive and some shopping centre, the highlight of which was finding the Body Shop and buying some stuff which they dont have in Australia. Yes, I think I have a shopping problem! Let’s just hope that I can bring my stuff back home 