Toronto to Auckland

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• At YYZ airport at 8am and was randomly selected to have my first body scan through to US security. Met up with Rachel (my fellow Contiki staff traveler), and the panic started as she was told to pick up her luggage at SFO airport but I was told mine was going all the way through to Auckland. First leg of the journey: YYZ-SFO on AC. It’s now 12:15pm and we are leaving on our 5 hr & 45 min flight.
• Once we got to SFO, Rachel went to get her bag but they wouldn’t let her check back in yet so she had to wait outside the terminal area. We have a six hour layover and our flight doesn’t leave until 9pm (which would be midnight at home). I was tired but couldn’t nap in the airport chairs so I splurged and went to a place called Spa Express and got a massage of the head, face, neck, shoulders, arms and hands, so that killed 25 minutes plus they left me in the massage chair for an extra 30 minutes since I wasn’t in a hurry anywhere. I really think we need one of these in Toronto, better yet, I think every airport should have these places. It was worth every penny. After that, I walked the entire domestic and international terminals. I could tell you all the meal and shopping options at SFO airport now. I finally met up with Rachel when the counter opened to let her through security. We ate dinner at Gordon Biersch and had 2 pints and chatted about our past travelling experiences.
• We finally got on the plane at 9pm and I was a little disappointed. I kept comparing it to my first experience to Australia when I flew Qantas; but this particular Air New Zealand plane just wasn’t as good. The plane itself wasn’t as big as the Qantas plane I last flew. This was a 747. Seats weren’t that big or comfy. We didn’t get the welcome care kit or anything extra special. It was basically the same as flying on the last AC flight so I was a little nervous I wouldn’t be able to sleep as well as I had hoped. I did have the window plus and empty seat next to me so I couldn’t complain. Got hooked into watching Glee for my first time, then ate dinner and went to sleep.

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