Los Angeles 0 Bristol 1

Hmmm… interesting.  Have checked my bag at Los Angeles Airport and gone through security.  After a lovely ‘bonus’ day in Santa Barbara which saw Tracy and Matthew, and their good friends Dan and Diane (visiting from Seattle) swoop down in their big ol’ Toyota Landcruiser and whisk me off away from the ‘Mexican’ motel and on to a farmer’s market (incredible yellow cala lilies!), followed by lunch in Ojai (pronounced ‘Oh Hi’) up in the Santa Ynez mountain range and an interesting bus ride to LAX (so many evocative names on road signs – Ventura, Santa Monica, Malibu Canyon, San Fernando Valley, Sunset Boulevard!), I am now feeling a bit stressed.  Not sure why… no guarantee of an emergency exit seat for my long legs and frankly shockingly inadequate departure lounge, which is about the size and quality of Bristol’s!  I have changed money (nice woman who liked me because we share the same birthday), given a disgusted ‘tut’ at the ridiculously expensive ‘duty free’ cigarettes (“give up!” I hear you cry), and consoled myself by purchasing ‘breath mints’ (long flight), neck pillow (long flight), dark chocolate M&Ms (eaten) and a Starbuck’s coffee.  Just under three hours until the plane boards… honestly, I was expecting Heathrow Airport standard of air-side services, or Gatwick at least.  This is appalling – who should I complain to?  It’s definitely not preparing me for the forthcoming 13 hour flight to Auckland.  Also, unlike British and mainland European airports, there are no, repeat NO facilities at all on check-in side, just the desks.  And a pavement outside.  I mean, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Phoenix were better than this!  Makes me want to go have a ‘cahktail’… hmm, that’s an idea! 

It’s been a delight to visit and reconnect with Tracy and Matthew and I am grateful for their boundless hospitality and friendship.  Winding our way up through the mountain from the coast, all of us hoping Dan wouldn’t succumb to car sickness, it was fun to natter about movies and books, US vs. European tv, wine, dogs, home lives and home towns.  Ojai is a quaint little town nestling between tow ranges and the air was fresh and sparkling like breathable spring water.  Lunch in a Mexican restaurant, Tracy and I bucking the trend and ordering alcoholic ‘beverages’ (well, it is wine country – the film ‘Sideways’ was filmed fairly close by) and further discussions about the shortcomings of chardonnay.  Apparently, a new generation of chardonnay is gathering speed (the new chard’s!), which are fermented in stainless steel rather than oak casks.  These may be interesting. 

Everyone fascinated by my ‘project’, and I may have a couple of new ‘blog followers’.  Talking of which, I suspect part of my mild irritation has its roots in the plain and simple fact that, Maryland notwithstanding, my US trip has been an effortless, easy and relaxed stretch of time, but now the real ‘work’ begins, both in terms of contracting and meeting the many Aussie marathoniers on my list, and in terms of self-reliance and initiative.  From hereon in, it’s up to me to get from A to B, broker personal telecommunications, feed and water myself, entertain and occupy myself etc.  Yes there will be a few friends along the way (Kim, Halimah, perhaps Muchsin) but for the most part I am flying solo and how much I achieve is completely on my shoulders.  Daunting yes, but also invigorating.  And of course, I have a beloved partner who has such unconditional faith in me, and that is more than enough for me to take Australia by the gum-nuts and ‘go play with cars’!  

So, repeat after me… “you don’t need a cigarette, you don’t need a cigarette, you don’t need…”.

Right, better go put on my support stockings!