**the 44 hour trip to LAX and back**
the story begins on a friday…
4:41 am eyes open in bed and roll over to see that the cell phone has not rung at 3:45 as planned! omg-i have 5 minutes to meet david ko at the airport! thank goodness that i can take a super quick shower, throw some clothes on, forget temporarily about the make-up and wake my brother up in time to rush! rush! rush!
5:10 am arrive at san francisco airport completely flustered, but extremely happy to see dko whom i haven't seen for 2 years (the travelling boy who made adventures in chicago and toronto only now to return to our most beloved city)
6:14 am after passing through major security checks and pat downs, my ever so efficiently packed backpack is now lopsided and nicely folded clothes doomed for wrinkledom but we are on the plane and feeling that it is still the night before yet see glimpses of the sunrise...yucky and weird feeling seeing the sunrise (sunrise reminds me of those many all-nighters from a past life)
7:30 am arrive at LAX international, attempt to go see the iconic equinox restaurant...but lo and behold at 7:30 in the morning, the bar is closed- go figure...we have no choice but to wake up our beloved friends (john & erik) and get picked up for breakfast at swingers...
10:30 am coffee time at "the bean" where i noticed that everyone who walked in the door was directly drawn to our random conversations....could it be john and his animated-ness? or was it merely the magical aura that appears when old friends come together and the happiness of sharing experiences and stories flows so comfortably once more?
11:00 am third street stroll, removal of ourselves from the archi-bookstore due to our pursuant and ever-increasing-in-decibel conversation, tour of pugh-scarpa solar housing
2:00 pm time to eat again, this time at philippe's for a double dip sandwhich (yummy!)
4:00 pm stinky erik so-lame had to stop had his home for shower time and get himself party ready + we met the remaining additions of our road trip to san diego crew (new eric and jeremy or as julissa later entitled mr. billabong)
5:30 pm we be outta LAX and san diego bound. 2 car loads (john, eric a, and dko in one car) & (erik so-lame, new eric, mr. billabong, and me in the other). after 2 hours of drama-talk, the little circle of confessions had to come to an end. therapy session was interrupted with a "uhhh....have we gone to far?? we are about to cross the border in tijuana...uh-oh"
7:30 pm a few wrong turns and the careful navigation of 4 heads put together, we arrive at sarah's...the party is about to begin---introductions, a stop at the liquer store, a champagne run, and more mingle time follow arrival
11:45 pm prep for midnite celebration....we move the party to the street for a hopeful yet essentially hopeless view of the fireworks
12:30 am um...i think we missed the countdown...oh well, champagne bottles are popped and the celebration continues. phone call galore as we all call EVERYONE we know and are happy!!! EVERYONE is happy and playing musical chairs with the cell phones....
2:00 am new year's holiday festivies continues...dancing, a little closer mingling, camera flashes galore, everyone so happy!
4:00 am and now the craziness begins...everyone getting tired and sobering up. now for the long and torturous drive back to LAX. erik s doing well while everyone sleeps in car...but i wake up and catch him drifiting a bit. i ensue in asking him question afeter stupid question to keep him talking and his mind pre-occupied. worriment creeps into my mind as i think of john and his car load of peoples. so i try cell #1 - no answer. ok cell #2 - no answer. try again. try again. um....what if my friends just all crashed an died, i think! ack! no!!!! try again! yes! a voice - they are alive!
6:30 am soooooo so so so so tired. 5 lifeless bodies creep up the stairs into an apartment full of already passed out peoples. oh wait there is one boy awake looking at me and saying "is that a chick! yeah! erik, is she single?" in complete oblivion, we all creep to any empty corner of the remaining couches - trying desperately to fall asleep. but loud-boy keeps asking more questions...finally new eric does a "shush!" which is then followed by a "i'll be quiet once the asian chick comes over here!!!" a few seconds of laughter then everyone falls into complete oblivion.
10:00 am why is it so bright! oh yes...daylight...oh yes, now i remember, when we got here the sun was just coming up. ugh---painful waking up. eric with glasses’ stomach growling was the alarm clock waking me up with a "time for breakfast" call. snug harbor fed us and finally the smiles of contentment began to creep across our faces. remember the plump little birdies on the fountain, oh-so-chirpie and playful....
12:30 pm good-bye new friends..."nice to meet you's" and hugs abound.
2:00 pm an afternoon roaming the streets of l.a. - architecture nerd style, of course. bradbury building, gehry concert hall with seams popping apart and the alabaster softness of rafael moneo's cathedral. (pics to be posted soon...)
5:00 pm time to go to the airport...dko and i wait our turn as standby passengers...one plane go bye-bye without us, two plane go bye-bye without us...ok, time to think of other alternatives...think, think, think.
12:30 am flew to sacramento, as no other options presented themselves worthy. the coolest brother in the world drives all that way to come pick us up. and then we somehow through the rain were welcomed back into the city with glittering lights and nightime dance beats...safe and sound at home...but oh-so-very-tired from the whirlwind that was the weekend. i'm still beaming from the glow.
4:41 am eyes open in bed and roll over to see that the cell phone has not rung at 3:45 as planned! omg-i have 5 minutes to meet david ko at the airport! thank goodness that i can take a super quick shower, throw some clothes on, forget temporarily about the make-up and wake my brother up in time to rush! rush! rush!
5:10 am arrive at san francisco airport completely flustered, but extremely happy to see dko whom i haven't seen for 2 years (the travelling boy who made adventures in chicago and toronto only now to return to our most beloved city)
6:14 am after passing through major security checks and pat downs, my ever so efficiently packed backpack is now lopsided and nicely folded clothes doomed for wrinkledom but we are on the plane and feeling that it is still the night before yet see glimpses of the sunrise...yucky and weird feeling seeing the sunrise (sunrise reminds me of those many all-nighters from a past life)
7:30 am arrive at LAX international, attempt to go see the iconic equinox restaurant...but lo and behold at 7:30 in the morning, the bar is closed- go figure...we have no choice but to wake up our beloved friends (john & erik) and get picked up for breakfast at swingers...
10:30 am coffee time at "the bean" where i noticed that everyone who walked in the door was directly drawn to our random conversations....could it be john and his animated-ness? or was it merely the magical aura that appears when old friends come together and the happiness of sharing experiences and stories flows so comfortably once more?
11:00 am third street stroll, removal of ourselves from the archi-bookstore due to our pursuant and ever-increasing-in-decibel conversation, tour of pugh-scarpa solar housing
2:00 pm time to eat again, this time at philippe's for a double dip sandwhich (yummy!)
4:00 pm stinky erik so-lame had to stop had his home for shower time and get himself party ready + we met the remaining additions of our road trip to san diego crew (new eric and jeremy or as julissa later entitled mr. billabong)
5:30 pm we be outta LAX and san diego bound. 2 car loads (john, eric a, and dko in one car) & (erik so-lame, new eric, mr. billabong, and me in the other). after 2 hours of drama-talk, the little circle of confessions had to come to an end. therapy session was interrupted with a "uhhh....have we gone to far?? we are about to cross the border in tijuana...uh-oh"
7:30 pm a few wrong turns and the careful navigation of 4 heads put together, we arrive at sarah's...the party is about to begin---introductions, a stop at the liquer store, a champagne run, and more mingle time follow arrival
11:45 pm prep for midnite celebration....we move the party to the street for a hopeful yet essentially hopeless view of the fireworks
12:30 am um...i think we missed the countdown...oh well, champagne bottles are popped and the celebration continues. phone call galore as we all call EVERYONE we know and are happy!!! EVERYONE is happy and playing musical chairs with the cell phones....
2:00 am new year's holiday festivies continues...dancing, a little closer mingling, camera flashes galore, everyone so happy!
4:00 am and now the craziness begins...everyone getting tired and sobering up. now for the long and torturous drive back to LAX. erik s doing well while everyone sleeps in car...but i wake up and catch him drifiting a bit. i ensue in asking him question afeter stupid question to keep him talking and his mind pre-occupied. worriment creeps into my mind as i think of john and his car load of peoples. so i try cell #1 - no answer. ok cell #2 - no answer. try again. try again. um....what if my friends just all crashed an died, i think! ack! no!!!! try again! yes! a voice - they are alive!
6:30 am soooooo so so so so tired. 5 lifeless bodies creep up the stairs into an apartment full of already passed out peoples. oh wait there is one boy awake looking at me and saying "is that a chick! yeah! erik, is she single?" in complete oblivion, we all creep to any empty corner of the remaining couches - trying desperately to fall asleep. but loud-boy keeps asking more questions...finally new eric does a "shush!" which is then followed by a "i'll be quiet once the asian chick comes over here!!!" a few seconds of laughter then everyone falls into complete oblivion.
10:00 am why is it so bright! oh yes...daylight...oh yes, now i remember, when we got here the sun was just coming up. ugh---painful waking up. eric with glasses’ stomach growling was the alarm clock waking me up with a "time for breakfast" call. snug harbor fed us and finally the smiles of contentment began to creep across our faces. remember the plump little birdies on the fountain, oh-so-chirpie and playful....
12:30 pm good-bye new friends..."nice to meet you's" and hugs abound.
2:00 pm an afternoon roaming the streets of l.a. - architecture nerd style, of course. bradbury building, gehry concert hall with seams popping apart and the alabaster softness of rafael moneo's cathedral. (pics to be posted soon...)
5:00 pm time to go to the airport...dko and i wait our turn as standby passengers...one plane go bye-bye without us, two plane go bye-bye without us...ok, time to think of other alternatives...think, think, think.
12:30 am flew to sacramento, as no other options presented themselves worthy. the coolest brother in the world drives all that way to come pick us up. and then we somehow through the rain were welcomed back into the city with glittering lights and nightime dance beats...safe and sound at home...but oh-so-very-tired from the whirlwind that was the weekend. i'm still beaming from the glow.