Monday, January 9th, 2006 was, quite literally, the longest day of my life. It was also one of the best days of my life thus far. You see, it was on that day that my dream of going to the United States to study and live for a semester came into fruition.

I had been saving for about 18 months for the opportunity to do this. I was just about sick of University after 5 years, and decided that I wanted to finish the last four courses that I needed to do for my law degree on an exchange programme. My law school in Christchurch, New Zealand, had exchanges with the University of Sheffield in England, or the University of Cincinnati in the USA. I had always wanted to go to the USA, and so the choice was obvious. And besides, Cincinnati has a better barbershop chorus!

So having gone through the rigmarole of applying for a student visa, and applying for accommodation, and trying to find a cheap ticket from LAX to CVG (impossible!), it was finally time to get everything packed and go!

Monday morning started early -- I was awoken at 6.15am by the sound of a van outside, and the gate being opened and closed. This was a very good sign -- it meant that the pack I had ordered on Trade Me had arrived via courier. I had one big suitcase, but needed another, and this was a decent tramping/travel pack that I thought would do the trick -- but it was cutting it a little fine, for it to arrive the day I was leaving! But arrive it did, and that meant I could get the rest of my stuff packed.

Also that morning, I had to return my uniform to work and pick up my final pay, print out and hand in the final draft of my honours project for law, go and deliver a late Christmas present to my step brother, buy some US currency, and call in on my Grandma to say goodbye. All of this without a car, which I had sold before Christmas in order to get some extra spending money for the trip!

But come 2pm, everything was in order, and my Mum arrived to take me to Christchurch airport. At this stage, I was feeling a little nervous, yet very excited about the adventure I was about to embark upon. I had only once been overseas -- a 10 day trip to Australia in 2005. So this was going to be my first long haul experience, and my first time in a 747. All of this was making me hungry. I have no idea why, but the emotions were such that I just felt hungry all day.

I checked in at the domestic terminal desks for people making international connections. This took a while, as you have to give them an address where you would be staying in the US, and there was a bit of confusion as to my seat selection. I had booked 65B, which is the first row of 2 seats at the back of a 747, ie it's actually a window seat. But I was given 57B. Turns out this is the same seat, but our plane had not been upgraded yet -- it was ZK-NBU, in the old formation. So I was a little disappointed about that, but there you go.

I said goodbye to my Mum and brothers, and instructed them when to wave at me, given what side of the plane I was on, and went through security to await boarding.



One of the new Air Nelson Dash 8s at Christchurch Airport, as I was waiting to board.



CHC-AKL
Flight: NZ532
Boeing 737-300, ZK-SJC
Seat: 15A
STD: 4.30pm
ATD: Can't remember -- I think we were on time.
STA: 5.50pm
ATA: About that.



My trusty steed to AKL - ZK-SJC

This was an ex-Freedom Air aircraft, with shiny new NZ paint scheme, but fairly uncomfortable seats. We took-off on runway 2. The flight was fairly full, with lots of people making connections to international flights, as far as I could tell. The guy beside me was on the same flight as me to LAX. We got the usual Air New Zealand tea or coffee, 100ml mineral water, and biscuit. It was a beautiful day, and I got some great views of the Southern Alps, Golden Bay, and quite appropriately, Farewell Spit. Mount Taranaki was peaking through the clouds too, so that was good. I always like it when you get to see both Farewell Spit and Mount Taranaki on this journey -- in my experience it tends to be one or the other!



Farewell Spit



Maount Taranaki

We landed on runway 23L, and taxied to the gate. I decided to walk to the International terminal -- it's really not a very long walk at all, and it was a nice day. I went upstairs to the observation deck at the international terminal and watched lots of heavies arrive and depart. It was right at the time of day that the three EK flights leave for Australia, and our flight left at about the same time as the QF LAX flight, so there were plenty of people about!

I then cleared security and passport control and headed for the gate, which was right at the end of the pier. Just getting to the gate is a bit of a mission in AKL, compared to my later experience at EWR with continental (see my first trip report here: End of Exams Getaway: CVG-EWR-BRS, PIK-SNN-EWR-CVG) -- you have to go through a checkpoint where they check your passport and that you've paid the $25 departure tax, and take your departure card. Then before you're allowed into the gate area, they have to check your passport and boarding card again -- two people were sitting at a desk at the top of the escalator checking you off the passenger list. No idea why they had to do this, but added a few minutes to the walk to the gate.

AKL-LAX
Flight: NZ6
Boeing 747-400, ZK-NBU
Seat: 57B
STD: 7.30pm
ATD: 7.30pm
STA: 10.25am
ATA: 10.05am

This flight was about 11 and a half hours long. Which is quite a while to be sitting on an airplane! Especially one in the old configuration, without PTVs. But it actually wasn't too bad. The meal service was good -- I was still feeling hungry at this time! I don't really remember what it was, but it was OK. The best bit was the New Zealand wines that you didn't have to pay extra for -- I had a couple of glasses of the Sauvignon Blanc, which was very nice! There were four movies on the flight: The World's Fastest Indian (very good film staring Anthony Hopkins as a Kiwi motorcycle enthusiast on his adventure to the Utah Salt Flats in an attempt to set a world speed record on his Indian motorcycle); Wallace and Grommit -- the Curse of the Ware Rabbit; some chick flick about two sisters who learn about understanding each other or some such rubbish, and Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (a story about a little girl -- Dakota Fanning -- who inspires her Dad to get back into the horse racing business. Kinda cheesy, but wasn't too bad. I watched it during breakfast -- French toast with peaches. Yummy!)

I really tried to sleep during the flight, but I probably only got an hour at most. I just found it really uncomfortable to sleep while sitting, no matter how I positioned myself. I spent most of the time listening to one of the music channels, rather than watching the movies, as I didn't want to be wearing my glasses. The music channel lasted about 2 hours, then replayed from the start. As you can imagine, we got through quite a few repetitions! So I got quite good at predicting when the songs I liked would be on, and was able to make sure I was on the channel at the right time. The one I remember most is "Lay Your Hands" by Simon Webbe. Brilliant song, that. I'll always associate it with this flight!



Our lovely view over the pacific as breakfast was being served...



Los Angeles! And a rather large engine...



Someone tell me what this airport is



Theme building at LAX; sitting at the gate at Terminal 2.

We arrived at LAX on runway 25L, having flown over part of the city to the South of the airport, and turned to the left to line up with the runway. We landed just after 10 in the morning, nine and a half hours before we left. If you know what I mean! Customs was easy, although seeing as I was in the back of the plane, I was consequently in the back of the queue! But they opened up the lines for US residents after they had all gone through, meaning the rest of us Kiwis got though relatively quickly. The immigration officer I had checked all my documents and gave me the appropriate stamps. He spelt Cincinnati wrong on my I-94 card, but that's an easy mistake to make!

I collected my luggage and got a trolley, thinking it could be a long walk out to the curb, given this was one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. Well, that just showed that I'd never been in Terminal 2 at LAX before! You turn the corner out of the baggage claim area, and there's the curb! I waited for the Disneyland express bus, and was on my way to the hotel where I would spend the night. The next day I went to Disneyland (I may be 23, but inside of me is that little kid who always dreamed of going to Disneyland!), and then headed back to the airport for my red-eye flight to Chicago.



LA Freeways!



The Dapper Dans of Disneyland! Had to have a photo of these guys!



Entrance to Disneyland.



Theme building by night.

LAX-ORD
Flight: US6624 (operated by United, UA126)
Boeing 757-200, didn't get the registration. Old colours.
Seat: 17E
STD: 11.20pm
ATD: 12.15am
STA: 5.11am
ATA: 6.15am

After checking out the theme building at LAX, clearing security (with a really nice person at the ID check who saw I was looking confused and explained to me what I needed to keep out of my bag and what could be put away etc -- a bit confusing for a person who's never experienced the US security procedures before!), I headed to the gate area, which was right at the end of Terminal 7 -- gate 76. There was a United 747 boarding at the gate next door, heading to Sydney. I took this REALLY bad photo:



Our flight ended up being delayed quite significantly due to a late inbound aircraft. I spent the time snoozing and people watching, but it was really boring. The 11.59pm flight to ORD boarded before we did, which was a little depressing. But we finally got on board. I had a middle seat, on this almost fully booked flight. But I didn't really mind -- there was nothing to see out the window anyway on this overnight flight. But I did discover the wonders of Channel 9! That's so cool. I didn't really understand all that was going on, but it was cool listening to all the traffic as we approached Chicago.

We landed on what I think was 14R, although it could have been 9R. I'd never been to the airport, and it was dark, so I can't be entirely sure. We were about an hour late pulling into the gate at Terminal 1 in ORD. The gate area was full of hassled looking people heading to Boston, who were not happy that their flight had been delayed! I wandered around for a bit, marveling at the size of the biggest airport terminal I had ever been to!



I got breakfast at McDonalds, and experienced more of the cultural differences I was noticing all the time. McGriddles -- awesome! But I asked for a white coffee, as you do in NZ, and was given a blank look, and a black coffee! Next time I'd remember to ask for a coffee with cream! (And then the next time go back to black coffee, rather than that artificial creamer stuff they seem to like over here. What's wrong with milk?)

The sun started to come up, and I was able to spot some of the aircraft that you never see in NZ. MD80s and regional jets everywhere!

ORD-DAY
Flight: US7748 (operated by United Express/Trans States, UA8056)
ERJ-145, didn't get the registration. Old colours.
Seat: 3C
STD: 8.00am
ATD: About that
STA: 10.00am
ATA: About that

Boarding was called, and we made our way across the tarmac to the plane. These are really tiny little jets, which I had never been on before -- we don't have regional jets in New Zealand. I had 3C, which is the bulkhead row window seat. We taxied to runway 22L, and took of after about three others in line. The flight to Dayton was reasonably cloudy so I didn't take many pics.




There was a drink service with a snack mix bag, which was nice. I wasn't really expecting anything on this short leg. I was flying to Dayton rather than Cincinnati, as there was about $400 difference in the price of a one-way ticket! But it did make it slightly more difficult upon arrival, as I had to take a shuttle into the city ($35 -- rip off), and then catch a Greyhound to Cincinnati. Let me tell you, waiting 2 hours in the Dayton Ohio Greyhound terminal in mid winter after enduring a red-eye flight with no sleep and still trying to adjust to the US time zones is not particularly fun! But you do these things when you're a poor student!

So my trip was finally over -- I had arrived in Cincinnati for the start of 5 months of a new law school, and then 2 months of singing and holidays (which is what I'm doing now!), before I return home in August. Watch out for the return report, if I ever get around to doing one (you'll notice that this one is about five and a half months late -- I've been busy!).

Hope you've enjoyed my second trip report (which actually occurred before my first one -- consequently that one is better with more pics. Sorry about the lack of pics and sketchy details in this one!).