New Zealand Trip. Pt.1 - LA

I had been planning this trip for YEARS.. I love rugby, always wanted to go to NZ, so it was kind of a perfect fit. It started out as a bunch of us going, and then people started bailing, it was too much money, they couldn't get the time off, ect. In the end, it was just myself and KT. Which, actually turned out for the best I think...

We made a friend at the Calgary terminal... actually I made a few friends, I got bored and started playing Gin with a couple of old ladies... they were supposed to be in LA for a filming of Dr. Phil. And we met this guy named Conor, he was heading to NZ too for the World Cup, what a coincidence! Four hour flight to LA... 8 hour lay over... So, we had two choices- 1. We stay at the airport, bored outta our skulls, OR 2. We go wander around...
This trip was marked by the wandering. Wandering rocks. I was fully aware that LAX was huge... this didn't really sink in till we tried to leave. We go outside, and start walking... like we are going to walk to the beach, or the city... we see buildings in the distance, we decide on a direction and go. We walk past a USO, Hello Military Men... so we are walking and a group of them totally have the same idea and start walking behind us eventually they pass us. Both of our little groups realize that this is fruitless cause is all airport and stuff as far as the eye can see, so we we start back, and the military boys end up walking behind us again. Which is when airport security rolls up, and asks them what they are doing, making it very clear that they are to stop following 'the ladies' around. Lol. Silly guard... They are just lost little boys. We thought this was hilarious.

We ended up getting a cab, and going down to Venice Beach. It was kind of a bad weather day... as much bad weather as LA gets... it was still like 20 degrees. No wind. So we walked up the pier, then along the beach where we found this giant piece of sea weed... WTF. That is my FOOT. This justified Kt's previously irrational fear of seaweed... This seaweed with eat your children. Fear -rational.

Anyway, we started walking up the boardwalk, which was kind of a rip off, cause there were no board... I EXPECTED boards of some kind... disappointment. Street performers, shops, things... Every other "Shop" there was a "Licenced Medicinal Marijuana Distributor" Or a doctor's office that specializes in prescribing such things, or a tattoo parlour... All the things i've ever heard about Los Angeles are true.

Oh, and famous people just walk around too. Or, I guess, skateboard? around. Ok, so we are walking, then Kt starts hitting me, apparently excited about something, but unable to express verbally what she wanted me too see... then I see him. Puck from Glee. Just skateboarding. And we all know from past experiences that Kt doesn't do well with famous people... Remember the Idaho/Gold Motel incident? She's like a little puppy. Anyway, we defs made some prolonged eye contact. Hot...I didn't get a picture or autograph or anything because I had one major problem... I have NO idea what his real name is. And I wasnt about to be calling him Puck... "Hey, Puck...Guy from Glee... Person...who sings...man... umm... Can we get a picture?!!?" Yeah. No.

Also, apparently there is no dress code there. See you have the LA sherpas... If you ever get lost, just follow one. On second thought, don't follow guys that look like this... OR You can just walk around this girl. Not wearing any pants... or... underwear..? I don't care what you say, that is NOT a dress, it's barely a shirt. AND.. I'm pretty sure she was goin commando... but i felt inappropriate trying to really figure it out.

Anyway, we walked down to Santa Monica, just to say that we did, then we walked back, and funny thing about venice, they legit try to be VENICE. They have canals. Which, granted, are cool, but very poser-ish.


YOU ARE IN CALIFORNIA, Stop trying so hard POSER. ...

Ok, fine, I would totes sell out and live here. Shut it.

When we got back to the airport we met up with Conor again, and while we were standing there and chit-chatting, I spot a suit, Kt sees him too... Mormon Missionary. All by his lonesome. Looks green. You know what that means!! HAZE HIM. So Kt and I discuss our plan of action- we see him sit down in an empty row of chairs, we were gonna go sit right beside him and start asking questions, and you know, haze the new guy. Brilliant plan. So we go sit pretty much on top of him, we have him surrounded, and I start some small talk, then Kt blows it and starts talking about her brother on a mission... Good Job Kt. Now he knows we're LDS... Rookie mistake.

The flight wasn't so bad. Actually it was pretty good, night flight so I slept for a fair bit, we had tv heardrests and we could watch pretty much anything we wanted, it also has tetris- with the remote control. Sweet as. But the best part of the flight? The safety video. Now, if you've never been on a plane, or you need a reminder of how boring and horrible these videos are click HERE. Also, I hate listening to it in English, and then again in French...

But here is one of the reasons I LOVE New Zealand-
Umm, plane full of All Blacks? Yes please. When it says life jackets for infants- its a shot of a Wallaby fan. LOL. And to top it all off- Grandma streaking. AWESOME!

Conor took a different plane, left about an hour ahead of us, so we met back up with him, talked about the flight, and we mentioned our safety video... he didn't see the one we saw... He got this gem-

Yup, Kiwis are Awesome. Great start to a FANTASTIC TRIP... We were now in Auckland, New Zealand, 6am September 22nd...