Day 1 - London to Los Angeles

I made it!!*

Lots of love,
Natalie

* Ok, so  "I made it!" seems a tad self-congratulatory given that it's only Day 1 but these are a few of the things I made it through:

- An 11 hour flight (plus the delight of US Customs)
- Spending an hour of that flight listening to an elderly Chinese lady describe to me in broken English the entire contents of her suitcase so I could advise her on how best to complete her Customs form ("I have cookies - cookies is food?")
- Fighting five burly guys over the rental car I wanted (no fists, just a couple of hard hitting stares)
- Realising I didn't really know how to drive the car I'd fought to have so waiting for the five burly guys to drive off in their rather cramped car before practicing not driving into walls
- Finding that the reception of my hostel smelled of dogs and then being relieved it was only a small dog, the kind you could kick if things got hairy
- Living down the hostel manager's stare having explained (this time out loud) that I didn't mind her dog as it was only small, the kind you could kick if things got hairy
- Learning the hard way that in California you can turn right at a red traffic light - NOT left onto four lanes of oncomig traffic

Also a few other things but I've just woken up with a yelp and a keyboard print on my forehead from where I've dozed off typing... I think I frightened my Slovakian dormmates.