Adventures in the USA: Rachel's Travel Diary

After a year of planning and preparation, I finally flew out to Los Angeles to visit Chris on 2nd February! I was up at 5.00am to finish the last bits of packing and get my 29kg suitcase down 2 flights of stairs in time for a 6.00am taxi, but everything went smoothly, arriving at Heathrow Terminal 5 just before bag drop opened. I had plenty of time to enjoy a final breakfast on British soil, featuring a Wetherspoon sausage sandwich and hash browns.

It was an enjoyable flight – I’d managed to get a window seat so had great views for the whole journey – starting with de-icing the plane at Heathrow where a strange crane-like vehicle rolled up and sprayed bright orange chemicals all over the wing as I felt a sudden pang of loss in my stomach as I realised this was one of the last things I’d see in the UK for a while. As I enjoyed a lunch of tomato and red pepper gnocchi, I could see the icebergs of Greenland, before several hours of snow-covered fields in Canada. As we moved further south, I even had a first glimpse of Las Vegas! A visit is definitely on the list for the coming months. There was a great selection of films on the in-flight entertainment so I watched some old favourites and a new release with Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield called We Live in Time. I would highly recommend, but get the tissues ready!

Fog had descended as we came in to land (I must have brought the British weather with me, as Chris assured me he hadn’t seen weather like it since he arrived in November) which led to a slightly surreal first trip to Venice beach, with palm trees looming out of the fog with no view of the beach beyond.

After a walk around Venice, we went to the Original Farmers Market for a couple of slices of pizza for dinner. There are so many stalls and cuisines represented in the market and I’m really looking to exploring it. It’s about a 40 minute walk, or 10 minute drive from the apartment so I’m sure it will become a regular destination!

I’ve spent my first morning (3rd February) wandering around the local streets. I had a coffee and croissant for breakfast at Alfreds on Melrose Place which was recommended by one of Chris’s colleagues who used to live out here, watched dog walkers being dragged towards a dog park in West Hollywood by their over-excited charges, and had my first shopping experience at Target. First impressions are that it’s a slower pace of life than London, and I’m looking forward to exploring on foot, not feeling like I have to rush from task to task as I would in ordinary life. I’ve also signed up to a book club that meets locally, and I’m excited to try out some new hobbies and find new routines over the next few weeks. 

Whilst I write this sitting on the balcony of our apartment with the Hollywood hills standing tall in the distance, the sounds of the children at playtime at a nearby elementary school is a cheerful reminder of home, where we also live next door to a primary school, but for now I’ll be hearing them whilst sipping on a coffee and watching the world go by, rather than apologising to my colleagues for the screams they can hear in the background of Teams calls.

This first week will be a simple one of adjustment and mixed emotions – sadness at leaving friends and family, apprehension at being in a new and unfamiliar city, excitement at the opportunities I have over the months stretching ahead of me. But the butterflies of anticipation I’ve felt in my stomach over the last week are starting to settle and I’m already feeling a sense of peace. I’ll keep you all updated as the adventures unfold. Oh, and my new Guide Teddy (a gift from one of my Guide Leaders in London) will be keeping me company along the way. Teddy is yet to have a name but I’ve asked my Guides to come up with some ideas, so name coming shortly!

Signing off now from across the pond,
Rachel