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Published: December 27th 2006
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Saying goodbye
Craig, Molly, Kez and myself waiting in line at LAX. Adios kids! So my last week overseas!!
After getting back to LA from Vegas, we quickly went by UCLA to check out the softball facilities where Kayla plays. It was amazing!!! College sport is big here, I really wish we had the same thing in Australia!! They all have their own lockers and a lounge room and offices it was amazing, why can't MUCC have this???? They even had a few Australian players play there and their photos were up on the walls, as were some of the best softball players in history.
Got back to the flat and caught up with Kezza and Lisa, as Molly and Craig are away for the week in Tahoe, so unfortunately I didn't get to hang with them for the week. After that I crashed out and slept soundly until he following afternoon!
I managed to get the keys to Molly's car and took it for a spin a few times. Driving on the other side of the road is interesting and I did a fairly good job, forgetting only a few times. I cruised down to Hollywood getting on the 101 was interesting, and down Hollywood Blvd, and then to Beverly Hills
before getting out at Rodeo Drive to walk into the shops. Put on the sunnies and made out I was important and could afford all items, I asked questions in a mix of Aussie/English accent to make me sound posh, I don't think it worked though! Also went for a drive through Beverley Hills and Bel Air. As I had been through this area last year, I let my memory take-over and just drove around trying to remember where I was. It worked a charm (although I did skirt through a red light at one stage!), I got around pretty easily and saw some famous houses once more, including finding the Playboy Mansion!
Got lost on the way back and spent a few hours driving around trying to find something that looked familiar, before finally getting off Ventura Blvd and seeing Notre Dame High School where Molly's mum works. So I got back eventually!
I also went out with Kevin and a few of his friends. Met up with Taryn who I met last year with her cousin, Janine ... seriously some crazy girls! We had a few margaritas at Los Toros and got inebriated very quickly!! Don't
Jack
King of Hollywood remember much of the night, but a good time was had and ended up at some weird club/bar. I also managed to somehow lose US$120!!!! Not the best result!
Spent a bit of time Christmas shopping. Always hard buying stuff for people I find, but somehow I managed to get through the ordeal that is shopping. Just fun to go off and drive around really. Inisde the apartment block where the guys live, also houses two Playboy bunnies, who we saw getting out of their Mercedes. I also forgot to mention last week, that when myself and Craig played golf last week, we missed out on playing with Craig's new best mate (well golfing mate!). Its the guy who was in 'My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance' or now he plays 'Joe the Barman' in Grey's Anatomy and the two are constantly chatting to each other on the phone! Better watch out Mol!
I also made it out to Hollywood Blvd for a walk along the strip. Walking over the stars of many famous names, and some I had never heard of! All the way to Grauman's Chinese Theatre where they have the hand and footprints of many famous
Rodeo Drive
The corner where a side street becomes Via Rodeo people, from John Wayne, Darth Vader, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe and the like. Then walked through to the Kodak Theatre (the home of the Oscars) and around the precinct before getting back to hang out with Lisa and Kezza. Where we no doubt watched more and more episodes of the American version of "The Office" ... not quite the same as the great original, but pretty good now.
Went out to one of Kerrie and Molly's friends for dinner and drinks on my final night. Kristen and Shaun's place and just hung out there in a relaxed environment before this one guy there who spoke too loudly and obnoviously wanted to argue about the athletic prowess of AFL and Gridiron players. Needless to say I just let him burst out his weird opinion before stating that I never said what he claimed I had said. All in all a good night though.
My last day was spent sleeping and packing, before going to Kerrie's parents place for lunch and then off to the airport. Molly and Craig were supposed to come back by 6:30 and say goodbye, however their plane was delayed, but somehow they managed to get
Via Rodeo
Looked like cheap stuff! on another flight to get back just in time to say goodbye. After checking into Qantas, I was informed I had been upgraded to BUSINESS CLASS!!!! Fantastic! However the line to put your bags through a security check took well over 2 hours, and the plan to have dinner and a few drinks with Molly, Craig and Kerrie had to be cancelled as they stood in line with me. Thanks guys!!!!
After saying goodbye to those kids (...they now how I feel about them!) and to the strains of Elton John's song, Daniel, I went through customs and all that to sit at the boarding gate. As I sat there I realised sitting across from me was that Aussie girl from the tv show 'Lost'! Putting 2 and 2 together I didn't feel as comfortable boarding that plane travelling across the Pacific Ocean from LA to Australia!
All in all it was fine and we set out at about midnight, with the planned arrival at about 10:00 am on Christmas morning!
So it was the final leg in my travels around the world. I sat there sipping some champagne thinking about some of the places, sights, experiences,
The Beverly Hills Hotel
Probably the most famous hotel in LA people I had met and all in all the amazing times I have had since April last year and sat there with a smile.
It is rather hard to leave that behind, but at the same time I am ready to settle down with many things in life and head home. I would love to live the life I have had over the last two years forever, but its unilikely to happen. But I followed a dream I have had since I was young, and I have done and experienced much more than I would ever of dreamt of!
I could continue writing about all this sort of sentimental stuff and list all the things I have done, but I am sure it would become a bit tiresome. Needless to say after travelling around the world twice, I visited 5 continents, 29 countries, travelled thousands of miles on planes, trains, buses, cars etc. met some amazing people, had some no so great times, been as childish as possible, been as free as possible and had so much fun!!!!!
These have been the GREATEST days of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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