Touchdown

I am finally here in Californ-I-A! All that hype and preparation has pinnacled and I am now doing this travel blog entry (that many ppl tend to do whilst traveling) for the first time. On the morning of Wednesday the 3rd of January, my Air Tahiti Nui jet, after stopping over at humid Tahiti, landed safely on the much anticipated soil that is none other than America.

Touching down at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), I had a delay at the port of entry before stepping out into the sea of local American faces and culture. One of the first things that caught my eye were the number of calories on the items of the cafe menu...shown like warning signs. Awkwardly shuffling through the same coloured notes was a memorable moment too. Catching a shuttle at LAX was a mission in itself, and at the end of it, I was overeager in my first tipping ever...giving the friendly driver 33% of the fare (the standard is 10-15%). I guess I'll eventually catch on, as I acclimatize with the culture here (just as long as I keep my NZ accent 100% genuine). It was an amazing feeling though, seeing the green signs of "Santa Monica Beach" and "Long Beach" as we drove down the freeway (the equivalent of the NZ "motorway"). At the Greyhound bus station, I boarded the bus that took me to San Diego, which is 2-3 hrs south of LA. I was picked up by my host family parent: conversational, helpful, and the possessor of the most noticeable laugh possible. The house that I stayed in had an elevated deck, flaunting the beautiful scenery of La Jolla.

The University of California, San Diego is located in La Jolla, which is an affluent neighbourhood of San Diego. Pronounced "La-Hoya", it is translated to "the Jewel" in Spanish. La Jolla is a seaside community north of downtown, and shows off some of the most expensive real estate of the USA. Commonly referred to as "America's finest city", clouds are seldom seen here in San Diego. The 2nd largest city in California (8th largest in the USA) is home to the largest naval military base in the world, so it is not uncommon to see and hear military jets flying overhead sending out white plumes into the clear blue skies. And guess what...the city of San Diego has the most PhDs per capita in the USA. There are honestly too many world-leading research institutions to name. With breathtaking oceanside views, parks and endless attractions, where I am now (in a nutshell) is smart, beautiful and rich (one might say that the only attribute it needs now is a good personality? I guess we'll have to find out...). I have officially fallen in love with this place...and it's only been a day!