-Getting There-

*Big Sigh*
I AM HERE. Hard to believe, but I'm actually doing the thing I've been dreaming of since I was 12.
(Possibly even harder to believe, I am starting a blog in honour of this occasion. Wish me luck. And I wish you luck wading through all these details - if you don't want to know them, skim read.)

About an hour before leaving for the airport, it hit me - I was leaving all I'd known for the past 19 years and waltzing straight into the unknown. Yes, I'm aware, people do this all the time, but not ME people. And so I started the waterworks, (an outlet for the anxiety that was suddenly shooting out my fingertips) beginning with wishing Avery good-bye, since she opted drum lessons over going to the airport to see me off.
-- you've been the best sister anyone could ask for, and I wish you were here with me so we could stress about college together! --
The rest of the family came all the way to customs with me... my baggage was almost all up to the max - one suitcase was a half pound to heavy but they let it slide. Maybe I looked as forlorn as I felt and they took pity on me. Anyway, dragging 150 lbs of luggage around an airport is no fun, take it from me. And everytime I let go of it to fish passports etc out of my pockets, it would all fall over. Passers-by seemed to find this a funny sight, and my subsequent frustration even funnier.
But, I got onto the plane with little other mishap. I was in the very back, window seat, and the middle seat of the bench was empty, which was cool since I got lots of room to curl up or stretch or whatever the heck I wanted to do. The lady in the aisle seat basically ignored me (all good with me... I'm not really a fan of the "make pleasant and constant conversation with strangers" type). The take-off was cool, I haven't flown enough that the thrill's worn off yet. Ate some over-priced food, watched pointless movie (Fractured - don't rent it.), listened to iPod, fiddled around trying to figure out new camera and taking pictures out the window. High point: sunset from above the clouds - stunning. They turned into a sea of rose and gold. Okay, I'll shut up about that before I start going poet on you. We landed in LA at around 11:15 pm our time (8:15 in California), and I, being in the back, was the last bloody person off the plane. I didn't even get out of my seat in the whole 5 1/2 hours I was on that plane (I have some weird complex about using the washroom while airborn). Anyway, talk about leg cramps!
Made my way to the baggage check, collected baggage off a carousel moving at warped speed, and injured hand in the process. Then sat for about 1/2 an hour until everyone else was long gone waiting for my granddaddy... who was unbeknownst to me waiting at the end of the ramp and we had somehow missed seeing each other. Asked random group of airport guys who were lounging around nearby if any of them had change since I only had american bills and needed to use the payphone (I realized how dependant I am on my cellphone - hope you're enjoying it Aves! Now I have to learn how to use the new one. Woot.)... and one of them gave me his cell phone on which I made two long distance calls and he wouldn't let me pay him, but insisted on getting a cart for my luggage which was once more tumbling all over the place whenever I released my grip on it for a moment.
Well, finally Granddaddy and Aunt Nicky (she baked cookies for me, bless her soul!) found me and brought me to my new home where I was warmly greeted by all... I think. It was all rather dazed due to late hours.

I slept in until 11 our time this morning, but it was 8 a.m. here when I got up, so I had pretty much a long day to unpack in. I started off with a lovely swim in the pool, unpacked a little in my cute new room, went out to lunch with grandmommy to Panera Bread (where I got the most absolutely delicious sandwhich ever) and shopped for a few little things I still needed... and OMG I am so tired it is 1:47 a.m. right now in Canada. *steels self for further acclimatization*
... and returned for more swimming, tanning, unpacking, putting up posters and pictures (I've got little things to remind me of everyone stickie-tacked all over my walls!)... and I'm pretty much exhausted by now!
I go to the school tomorrow afternoon for some sort of laptop set up and I'll be there all day on Saturday too. Forgive me the overkill of details here I'm not so good with the "saying things and them coming out... good thing".
It's pretty much hot here and the air is really dry there's no humidity or anything which makes me constantly thirsty, I think I've drunk (dranken? drinked?) about half a dozen bottles of water today. No joke.

I've taken quite a few pictures already but I can't figure out how to get them onto the computer... that is, I imported them but now I can't find them anywhere in this blasted machine. Technology always did treat me with nasty contempt. So I'll get them posted somewhere as soon as I can.
Speaking of pictures, if anyone has good-bye party pics, please email them to me!

Love you all muchly but so excited to be here!
xox and go get tim horten's for me.