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I will start with the flights. Going to Atlanta from TUS was less complicated than I thought. sweatdrop LAX airport was more bustling and confusing, with long lines in security checkpoints and crowds of rushed people. In TUS, there was hardly anybody (surprising, seeing as it is an international airport) and it was easy to find everything. The flight itself took three hours less because of the time change, so I sat there for only four hours or so. Flights always seem less time than it really is. I only had to go through 1 1/2 magazines my Mom bought me and I watched a movie (Bride Wars) and Everybody Hates Chris. There was a few moments of turbulence, and it wasn't so reassuring to have the lights and electricity in the cabin to go out a few times. sweatdrop Overall it was okay, the landing smooth and everything. It was a full ride; a 757 Boeing and I had an aisle seat. I sat next to two college girls. They were nice; I was hoping I didn't have to sit next to a weirdo. rofl . It was funny because as I was waiting for the flight, there were a few military guys. A friend from school once told me, "If you ever feel uncomfortable, sit next to a marine. NOBODY messes with a marine." So I sat near one. rofl . But as I approached the terminal gate one of the stuardists asked him if he would be able to assist in an emergency. I smiled thinking she wasn't serious. He thought it was a joke and nodded, and she said, "Answer 'yes' or 'no'." He then said "yes" more seriously. Then that made me think about all of the things that COULD go wrong, and yeah. I was nervous as the plane hauled a$$ down the runway. lol I didn't eat anything on the plane. I ate a HUGE sandwhich before I went on ($8.75) and I bought two bags of candy ($7.00). sweatdrop I didn't go to the restroom either. I was afraid I would trip or something when the plane was in turbulence.
When the 757 Boeing reached Atlanta, it was a beautiful rainy evening. I left the terminal gate and used the restroom. As I walked around, I realized that I was in the A terminals, and that I needed to go to B01. I looked at the map: no B terminals. I had a mini panic and thought of what COULD happen. I asked somebody that worked there, and he gave me crap. rofl He was joking around but I had to work to get an answer. He finally told me to walk all the way down, make a left, go down the stairs, and take a train. When I walked, 4 things about Atlanta were apparent. Firstly, Georgians love coffee. I saw two Starbucks, and one Seattle Coffee place just in the A terminals. Next, they love zoos. There were at least two zoo-themed stores. And Atlantans love pandas; a whole store was dedicated to them. Which is obvious because of Zoo Atlanta. rofl And finally, Georgians love to joke around, which was obvious when I attempted to order a frappucino from Seattle Coffee (this time in the B terminals. sweatdrop ). When I took the train, I couldn't help but notice that the poles you held onto suspiciously looked like stripping poles. rofl . When I got there, of course my terminal was on the other side, so I walked there and waited. I had another mini panic because on my boarding pass the terminal was different, and on the screen it said the next flight was to Florida. I wanted to ask someone to make sure but they really weren't the nicest people around. neutral . And so I boarded the plane, this time a smaller one, but something didn't seem right at first. I am not a mathematician or anything, but the left side of the plane had two rows of seats, and the right three. I figured that the cargo haul was more on my side or something, to distribute the weight evenly. I switched seats with a gentleman (original seat was an aisle seat again; 23C) and I finally got a window seat. Noone sat next to me.
It is especially beautiful to see a city sprawled out at night; it is as if confetti was spilled by some clumsy deity. I toyed with the idea, wondering if someday she would reclaim them. Or, even that the darkness surrounding the lights was a dark sea and that the lights were fluorescent algae floating along. When I saw the long trails of cars, the red lights reminded me of blood vessels, supplying the heart of Atlanta with plenty of healthy nutrients and oxygen.
So that is how I spent my time next to the window. When I wasn't watching the ground I was doing sudoku puzzles. I completed about five or so. lol Then, I reached RIC. 4laugh whee I was so excited. I thought about Monday especially, and if Laline grew taller. lol I rushed out; it was about 11:30 ish. The airport was deserted. All the shops were closed and it reminded me of a skeleton. I ran. When I saw Laline, at first I made sure it was her before rushing to hug her. 4laugh She remarked that I lost a lot of weight and that my teeth looked straighter. rofl I thought it was typical of her to say that. heart . I was and still am really happy to be here. whee I saw Ruby and hugged her; she hasn't changed much, and I met Joseph. He was a lot less intimidating then I imagined him to be. sweatdrop . We picked up my luggage. It was funny because we saw a pair of random rogue socks. rofl . Then we got to the car and drove home. I didn't feel so tired; I was really excited. It was dark outside, so all of the trees were just massive, looming shadows on either side of the highway. I didn't think much of it yet. We chatted about the flight and plans for the weekend. I was smiling inside and outside the whole time. whee
When we got home I didn't bother showering; I did so in the morning. I just washed my face and brushed my teeth and put on some pajamas. However, we didn't go to sleep until 2 or so in the morning. sweatdrop lol I don't really remember what I did actually. sweatdrop Although I passed out the desert candy I bought as souvenirs and the little typical keychain thing and stuff like that. 3nodding .
The next morning I woke up and looked outside the window. The green was so brilliant! I am only used to the dry greenery of starving cacti and the brown sand and dead grass. sweatdrop . But the greenery is so vibrant and lovely. heart . When I visualize life, it is green. Therefore, there is so much life here. heart . I told Laline that I wanted to run outside and hug every tree. whee . I don't mean to bash the desert...it has its own rugged beauty, I am just used to being near trees. That is part of the reason I want to go to NAU is because of their pine forests. 3nodding .
After we woke up and everything, we ate breakfast (in which Ruby tells me to eat more lol) and then we go to some shopping areas. We went to Michaels and planned what we could buy. We bought a pail and shovel for the beach, for a dollar. We especially looked at the scrapbook materials. After I saw a cute crochet book, I resolved to learn. Afterwards we went to a Chinese Buffet. 3nodding . I was still satiated from the breakfast sweatdrop , but I made room for the potstickers, sushi, and lo mein. gonk heart . It was really good. Some of Laline's family came and I got to meet them. They seemed nice. 3nodding I tried to pay for my part of the lunch, but they refused. Joseph said I was like his daughter; it was so sweet. gonk Although I think I angered him a little when I attempted to pay for my Busch garden ticket and food. sweatdrop . Ruby also said to stop saying "thank you" so much and to stop washing dishes. lol . I just feel guilty for the timing of the trip, now that Matt isn't going to basic training. gonk But they still welcomed me and everything. I just have to help Laline study for the SATs Juen 06th. 3nodding . After lunch we went to the mall. I bought some VA souvenirs, a keychain, deck of cards, and postcards (which I got in the habit of collecting lol). I learned VA's catchphrase: "Virginia is for lovers." How appropriate, no? heart
So, on Sunday we went to Busch gardens! whee . I took many pictures that I hope to enclose in this journal soon. 3nodding The drive was nice, I mostly looked out the window again. I began to wonder that the road is in "their" territory, "their" being the trees. The line that is established along the roads seem to separate two worlds. When I saw the telephone poles near the trees and the grass, moss and ivy clung tenaciously to them, swallowing it. That must have not been allowed across the line. As we were driving something weird happened. I began to hear a flute-like sound. It sounded like it was coming from the trees. Being that it is my imagination, I thought that that is how the trees communicate. rofl Then I figured noone else must have thought about that before. rofl
Soon, I saw the metal serpents rise out of the forest sea and we were parked. The one I saw was Apollo's Chariot. whee The first ride we went on was Loch Ness Monster. Bien didn't want to go, so Laline and I did. It was really fun. 4laugh I wasn't scared to go on that one. We went to the Irish section after and tried to go on a ride there, but the line was so long and it was on hold, so we ditched it for the Griffon. We detoured to the Wolf place and I saw a beautiful owl. heart . I then saw bald eagles bathing heart , and wolves prowling around heart . I wish I could have stayed longer, but Laline was eager to go on the Griffon. I was hesitant; it looked very intimidating. We stopped by the aviary. I petted some birds but someone advised me not to. A bird almost climbed on my arm. I think it was disatisfactory to it or something; he nibbled on my arm then left. rofl We continued on our way, but found that the Griffon was doing some test runs and unavailable at the moment. We bought a funnel cake with chocolate!!! gonk heart heart SO GOOD. gonk . We drank a lemonade slushie thing also. Then, with a pounding heart, we waited in line for the Griffon. We got the second row. eek Before the Griffon the most extreme coaster I had been on was Batman from Six Flags in Anaheim. Not to mention that this coaster had a near 90 degree drop! surprised . So the whole time I was asking Laline why I was there. At the start of the drop the coaster stopped momentarily, adding suspense. My feet dangled helplessly as we began the descent, gaining velocity that propelled us into a loop over the place where we ate funnel cake. lol I was screaming and laughing at this point. I was enjoying myself on the ride; I was surprised. xd . I grew confident. After we left to go on the Alpengeist. Bien refused to go on it. sweatdrop . We got second row again, I believe. 3nodding . This one was my favorite. But it was funny because there was a flag there with an eagle; in his left claw was a sickle, and in his right claw a hammer. Is it just me, or is that a subliminal message? Because the sickle and hammer are the emblems of Communism[/color]. rofl After the Alpengeist, we proceeded to the Oktoberfest. 3nodding . We all went, with the exception of Joseph, to the Curse of Darkastle. 3nodding It was an okay right; interesting 4D experience. lol . After we went to the Das Festhaus where we ate and watched a cute German dance. rofl I imagined what Matt would look like as a "german." lol We had pizza, fries, and a ginormous cake. We managed to finish it all between the three of us. rofl . Then, we walked all the way to Italy where we rode the Da Vinci's Cradle (which was surprisingly fun and intense!), and then the Flying Machine, which was a giant ship. I hoped it would go all the way around, but it didn't. lol . After that I believe we were really hot, so we on the Le Scoot Log Flume after changing into our swimsuits and spare clothes. I sat in the front of the log, and we didn't get too wet. After, I think we went on Escape from Pompeii, then Roman Rapids. The Rapids we got soaked and we had to change. rofl Poor Bien got the waterfall part, and I got the tail end of a rapid. rofl . After that we went on the Trade Winds (really fast; Laline was nearly flying lol. I had to hold on to her rofl !), and then teacups. We waited in line for Apollo's Chariot, in which it was temporarily closed due to a malfunction of some sort. We must have waited for about 45 minutes or so! But at the end they gave us a coupon for a free picture. 3nodding Laline bought a tea shirt. The ride must have been really popular, seeing as it is long and without crazy loops. I think it was worth it. This was the one that I saw from the parking lot. We rose above the trees, and then rushed into them. xd . There were many drops. However, my head hurt after. sweatdrop . I figured my brain must have been moving around lol. Then, we went on the Big Bad Wolf. mrgreen . It was 25 years old! surprised It was similar in style to Batman. This one went over the water and through trees, which were alarmingly close. Lol. After that ride we bought ice cream and I bought a cute stuffed wolf that laughs and a necklace. 3nodding . We went on the Rhine River Cruise, which was really relaxing. Our day drew to a close as we laboriously walked up the hill, and being thoroughly tired, waited a long time for a skyride to England lol. We could have easily walked twice the distance in the time we waited, but we were just so tired haha. I took many pictures. I was afraid to move around too much; the rope looked thin to me lol. We shopped around a little bit. I tried to find something to buy Matt, but I figured he wouldn't be able to use anything I bought him. I was thinking of buying a toy ax as a joke, but I wasn't going to break 100 for a ten dollar toy lol. I figure I would look for something at the beach the next day. Then, we wen to the candy shop! I adore candy shops. heart heart heart . We bought a case of fudge: mint, two rocky road flavors, one M&M, and plain chocolate. I took some pictures of the food they had. <333 It started to rain, and we waited inside until the worse part left. It is funny, because Bien and Laline told me that last time the same thing happened. rofl . Then, we left the park and slept on the way home.
Monday, Memorial Day, we went to VA Beach! It was the first time on the Atlantic Coast that I went to the beach. Firstly the drive there took a long time; about 3 hours. We went to Joseph's sister's house, where things all started for the Fajardo family in America. 3nodding She was really sweet and made a delicious lunch! Shrimp, soup, rice, etc. 3nodding We all squished inside and drove there. I could smell and feel the beach in the air. When we arrived it was a perfect beach day. Not too sunny, not too hot or too cold. The boardwalk was lovely; not much going on like in CA but more relaxed and enjoyable. The stores were a lot cheaper too. 3nodding The beach itself was very enjoyable!! The sand was finely grained it seemed, and there were many shells. We collected a lot of them. I plan to find a glass bottle and fill it with them. The water was cold, but not too cold to where you couldn't adjust. We did what Laline called "wave training" and it was especially hard to resist the waves. xd . It was also hard to grab the seashells. The waves changed dramatically and became bigger. The beach was also heavily populated, but that is probably due to Memorial Day. 3nodding We changed in the DQ restrooms and went shopping a little bit. I bought a cute dress, a t-shirt, and a bracelet or two. 3nodding
We drove to Ara's house and I met her and Ian. We ate dinner. I had a hot dog, chips, a soda, and some strawberries. We watched Night at the Museum, the first part anyway. 3nodding Aralee was very nice. She gave me a speed lesson on the violin! It only makes me want to learn more lol. She went a little bit into music theory and lost me haha. But the violin is simple in concept and do-able. 3nodding .
We dropped off Laline's Aunt at Bingo after her parents ate and after we looked at some more albums. A beautiful rainbow appeared too! heart . We all made a wish. whee . We got home around 8:45. We rushed showers and slept.
Then, I woke up today around 6 to see Laline off. I suppressed laughter when Ruby wondered where Matt was, and concluded that he was scared of me. rofl
Maybellah Community Member 
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