From One Jungle to the Next

Currently:

Listening to the woman behind me reminisce on the double cheeseburger she ate at 5 Guys earlier.

A more detailed currently:

Sitting in the LA Airport checking to make sure my passport is still in my bag every other minute and eating a $4 bag of Chex Mix.  And of course, blogging. 

Given the title of this post, let’s talk about these “jungles.”  

Since I flew out of JFK, which is about 6 hours from home for me, my parents and I drove down to the area a few days early.  So I got to spend my last full day in the States in the big and beautiful NEW YORK CITY! Well, it sure is big, and about 2% of it is actually beautiful.  I also dislike cities so don’t let me discourage you from visiting yourself. 

Despite my distaste for cities, I couldn’t have asked for a better last day in the US of A (you didn’t know I can make poetry too?!)!

Some highlights of the day include:

1. Purchasing a bag of 1.5 ft long Twizzlers
2.  Proceeding to feed a Twizzler to a homeless guy asking me for money
3. Having an (N/A) beverage at MY FAVORITE PLACE IN THE WORLD the Hard Rock Café (if you read the About Emily page you’d know classic rock is my thing)
4. Making new friends
5. 
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
6. Seeing/saying farewell to one of my best friends, Miss Lauren Muldoon, who is studying/interning in NYC this semester (check out her blog here)
7. And of course, the quality family time I got to spend with these two cuties

   

   Meet Tom & Esther

I really cannot thank these two enough for everything they’ve done for me; especially for the support they’ve given me in taking this big adventure! I am probably one of the more stubborn, moody, and annoying 20-year olds to have around for a parent, so I give major props to these two for dealing with me for as long as they have. 

So having the opportunity to explore a cool place with them while having some childish fun on my last day here was everything I could have asked for.  I mean, how many kids can say they’ve witnessed their mom skip through the Times Square Toys R Us (after a few drinks at the Hard Rock might I add) or help their dad scavenge his last $6 to buy a humungous bag of Twizzlers?  Yea I’m pretty lucky. 

The 6-hour flight from New York to LA was nothing too special besides some sponsored videos I got to watch about Quantum Physics and the Universe. 

BUT I DID locate the Hollywood sign as we were landing, which I mildly “fangirled” about for 15 seconds.  I desperately tried to capture a photo for the purpose of this blog (probably to the displeasure of the two businesswoman native to LA I was sitting in between) but unfortunately it didn’t come out too well. I hope you can enjoy the other Kodak moment I captured instead.   

SO in summary, I have

2 hours and 56 minutes until I depart for Sydney

A 15-hour plane ride

A 2-hour layover, and

One last 3-hour plane ride

and then humble abode Christchurch!

YES THIS FEELS MARVINCREDENMONOUS!

Marvincredenomouns (marvehn-inkred-uh-ee-num-en-es)

adjective

1. Marvelous, incredible, phenomenal and other good feelings I can’t really describe.

SEE YOU SOON NEW ZEALAND!!!!!!!

Keep Happy,

Em