Tryphoon's Lair

Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles

We have arrived in California!

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What a day!!!

We are in California, finally, totally exhausted, but safe!

It has been a long and emotional day. Actually, the best way to describe it is rather traumatic than simply emotional!

This morning (London time) started with a surprise when Jef shown up at our door, wishing us goodbye. I couldn't help it but knew he would do it, but this was so great of him. Tears were in every eyes and parting from my buddy was really difficult (I still can't read the Goodbye note written on a 606 program).

We then rushed to the airport and managed to move our 2 trolleys of luggage to the check in desk. Everything went in and we did not reach the maximum allowance. Lucky us.

We both then decided to call our respective mums and this proved to be another difficult moment. Re-tears.

Take off and Thia can't help it but plays "Little Einstein" and taps-taps-taps-taps until take off (Blast Off!)

Flight... well, long... Thia luckily (and with the help of medicine) slept for 5 hours in my arms and spent the rest of the flight being a little angel. Let's admit it, we were pretty lucky.

After 10 1/2 hours of flight, we land in LAX and rush to immigration, filling the white immigration form for the first time and get out without problem. We even managed to go through customs with a couple of cakes and my mum's chocolates that we totally forgot about. Our bags came out first (courtesy of United and mainly due to the amount of them. 12!) and within minutes we were in our car in the direction of Burbank and our temporary house.

This new place is lovely, right at the back of the studios, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dining room, living room, sitting room, office, kitchen, garage, garden at the back and we can't help but feel at home. Thia loves it and runs in circles.

The next step proved to be difficult. collecting the rental car. As Sarah wasn't sure about driving straight after the flight (can't blame her, I am not sure I could have done it even if I knew how to drive), we managed to get our car booked from the Burbank airport, 15 minutes away from "home". We then hoped on a cab and went to pick the vehicle. We hoped. We then faced the first glitch of the day. A grumpy, helpless, dumbass guy at the car rental desk, doubled by the fact that A: the rental was booked for the following day B: I don't drive and the car was in my name C: a total failure of his computer system. We then had to try to rebook the car (twice) in front of him, while the guy was passing information via walkie-talkie to "Vlad" his manager. This took only an hour, while Thia (still not asleep and coping like a queen) was screaming for food. Sarah was close to poke the guy in the eye and I had images of hanging him at the first palm tree and let him rot for a couple of months...

Finally, we got the car (A nice Buick) and we went for our first shopping at the local "Ralphs", totally jet lagged, exhausted, etc. No need to say that the cart was filled with non matching items and that we'll have to go back to fill our fridge!

9pm, we finally made it back home, fed Thia and simply collapsed in bed, shattered, full of mixed emotions.

Tomorrow will be once again another day and see the beginning of our relocation program.