For the first time in my flying alone career, I flew out of The Garden State on time, perhaps because a certain Midwestern airport hellhole was not involved. It was 20 degrees and I was wearing layers, so as to not keel over upon my arrival in California and stripped down once I got to the terminal, shoving excess coats into the outer pockets of my suitcase.
Of course, before any of this even took place I had to complete my English final. I had three hours to complete it and I had three hours between receiving it and the train I had to take to the airport. I made it, of course, but my last half hour was hectic and I very much expected arriving in California underwear-less, or without and toiletries, or missing my swimsuit. Au contraire, mon frère. I was so organized during finals that it carried over to my packing and my flight and my helping to calm Mom (who had been on standby four times while I was blissfully winging my way over the entire country; who knew it would take the same amount of time as a trip to England would ordinarily?) upon my arrival.
We had quite an experience with our car rental as well, but of the anecdotal variety, not the frustrating kind. We were using Rent-A-Wreck, but since we were arriving later than planned, we had to take a shuttle to a valet parking lot where a car was waiting for us to drive to the Rent-A-Wreck office and get our own car.
The initial car, the one we drove through the night following the cryptic directions given to us by the valet parking people, had a window that would not roll down, seats that had crumbled and an engine that made a popcorn noise whenever we went faster than thirty miles an hour.
The car we were given upon arrival was much, much better. I was added to the list of drivers so that I can drive out and visit Subcontinent on Thursday when she has the fewest classes.
So far, after settling in here with Mom in her I-Am-Awesome-And-Was-Given-This-Apartment-For-Two-Months-For-Being-Awesome Apartment which was preceded by visits to the Grand Ps and uncles and aunts and cousins of varying names and locations, we have seen Sweeney Todd (really good) and There Will Be Blood (excellent!) in theaters, and I have officially ended my coming of age by seeing Ferris Bueller's Day Off on TV.
But it's been raining. Which, needless to say, is not exactly what I packed for. So I've been drinking a lot of tea and actively not checking my grades online (waiting to do that until I'm back in The Armpit of the Nation).
Hall of the Revels will doubtless have more updates now that finals are over and I have recovered from a) them b) the same-country jet lag, which I used to mock people for c) the stye in my eye that randomly appeared a few days ago with lots of pain and swelling and is now starting to fade. I sort of looked like Igor for a while, which was my one consolation. In LA, one must look like someone from a movie.