Boston, MA
So we're here! *points outside* Out there is Boson, MA (because in here is Anna-house which is technically not part of Boston, but rather part of the life o' internet people.
The flights were...awful? The first one from Manchester to Paris was ok - a little cramped but I had a window seat and so that made it a little better. The 7 hour flight from Paris to Boston was kind of a little like hell. The plane was too. Damn. Hot. And we had the inner-aisle seats (i.e in the middle of the boiling hot plane) Also the girl in front of Jac liked her chair pushed right back. All the time. In fact she even pushed it back while Jac was still eating and she ended up with a tray in the knee. It wouldn't have been so bad if the girl had at least been nice about wanting her seat back (because, I mean, it's her prerogative) but if Jac even jiggled the folding tray she got huffs and even glared at. All of this? Would have been fine if Jac hadn't also been having to spend 7-8 hours without a cigarette...
But we landed on time despite having taken off an hour late (the whole hour of which was spent sitting on he plane.) And we got to the whole border protection thing pretty quickly. All seemed to be going well until we were about 5 people from the front of the queue when the women directing people to the various lanes decided that the poor people in the US citizens queue (which was shorter than ours!!) shouldn't have to wait so long and began directing them into our lanes. Bastards! So there we stood - at the point in the queue where we should have been through within about 5-10 mins - while the US queue was completely emptied. About 20-30 mins. Jac by this point? Ready to commit murder - I shit you not. I somewhat dissuaded her because I'm fairly certain that killing someone at the border protection point would definitely end up with you being denied entry. Just a gut feeling I had.
The silver lining to this was that by the time we got to baggage collection our cases were merrily riding around on the collecty thing. A quick (read: liberal) spray of deodorant later (damn hot plane) and we were out through customs in a flash! (Evidently we don't look the sort to be sneaking stuff in - something to possibly make use of at a later date.)
Then we were through to the outside world and Anna! She bounded up to us and we hugged proper airport-style in front of waiting people (who were making cute noises - it was fun!) It was fantastic! Anna-ness! Jac then wasn't seen for dust as she literally ran outside to get a nicotine fix. Anna rang Liz on the way out to let her know we were there and put me on the phone. Liz squealed and I joy-laughed and all was good!
We got a taxi to Anna's house and I got my first look at Boston which I have to tell you I love at first look. It's so pretty! I love the way it looks. It actually reminds me a little of both Leeds and Bristol in its architecture. I haven't spent too much time here yet, but so far the look is amazing. The taxi driver totally failed to realise that Jac and I were British, dispite our glaringly obvious British accents, which was amusing, and I can't tell you how quickly the conversation ended up on gay sex. Put slashers together in a Boston cab and what do you get? Us laughing like hyenas and no doubt a vaguely disturbed taxi driver.
So we arrived at Anna's apartment - (all wooden-floored and beautiful) - and within about 15 mins Liz arrived! She ran into the room and we hug-clinged for about 5 minutes. She honestly wouldn't let go! Which was fine with me because, you know, Liz! Jac and Liz also then met for the first time and some bonding over Callum-love was had (there was actual clapping for Callum's parents for having such good genes. I shit you not.) We all hung out and talked about, well, everything, had chinese food (Liz enchanted a small child in the restaurant), talked more...until Liz had to head home. I then had a shower and Anna's shower? Not a shower - an event! I felt vaguely bruised, but in a good, massagey kinda way.
Anyway - Jac crashed about 9pm (2am for us!) and I made it until about 10pm (3am - which meant that because I'd been up at 4am to begin traveling that I made it 23 hours - go me!) Woke up at 4am this morning because to my body it was 9am and I haven't slept past 9am in what must be about 3 years (I love getting up early - it's a thing). I made myself sleep more because I don't want to spend my holiday going to bed early, you know? I made it until 7am before my body was screaming "it's midday! What are you dooooing?" Jac's still asleep and Anna's told me that she'd love to be woken by a me at early o'clock (I said I would jump on her bed) but somehow I think she may have been being polite - heh. So what do I do with my time? Make huuuuuge LJ posts about my day. And I'll give Anna another half an hour ;)
The flights were...awful? The first one from Manchester to Paris was ok - a little cramped but I had a window seat and so that made it a little better. The 7 hour flight from Paris to Boston was kind of a little like hell. The plane was too. Damn. Hot. And we had the inner-aisle seats (i.e in the middle of the boiling hot plane) Also the girl in front of Jac liked her chair pushed right back. All the time. In fact she even pushed it back while Jac was still eating and she ended up with a tray in the knee. It wouldn't have been so bad if the girl had at least been nice about wanting her seat back (because, I mean, it's her prerogative) but if Jac even jiggled the folding tray she got huffs and even glared at. All of this? Would have been fine if Jac hadn't also been having to spend 7-8 hours without a cigarette...
But we landed on time despite having taken off an hour late (the whole hour of which was spent sitting on he plane.) And we got to the whole border protection thing pretty quickly. All seemed to be going well until we were about 5 people from the front of the queue when the women directing people to the various lanes decided that the poor people in the US citizens queue (which was shorter than ours!!) shouldn't have to wait so long and began directing them into our lanes. Bastards! So there we stood - at the point in the queue where we should have been through within about 5-10 mins - while the US queue was completely emptied. About 20-30 mins. Jac by this point? Ready to commit murder - I shit you not. I somewhat dissuaded her because I'm fairly certain that killing someone at the border protection point would definitely end up with you being denied entry. Just a gut feeling I had.
The silver lining to this was that by the time we got to baggage collection our cases were merrily riding around on the collecty thing. A quick (read: liberal) spray of deodorant later (damn hot plane) and we were out through customs in a flash! (Evidently we don't look the sort to be sneaking stuff in - something to possibly make use of at a later date.)
Then we were through to the outside world and Anna! She bounded up to us and we hugged proper airport-style in front of waiting people (who were making cute noises - it was fun!) It was fantastic! Anna-ness! Jac then wasn't seen for dust as she literally ran outside to get a nicotine fix. Anna rang Liz on the way out to let her know we were there and put me on the phone. Liz squealed and I joy-laughed and all was good!
We got a taxi to Anna's house and I got my first look at Boston which I have to tell you I love at first look. It's so pretty! I love the way it looks. It actually reminds me a little of both Leeds and Bristol in its architecture. I haven't spent too much time here yet, but so far the look is amazing. The taxi driver totally failed to realise that Jac and I were British, dispite our glaringly obvious British accents, which was amusing, and I can't tell you how quickly the conversation ended up on gay sex. Put slashers together in a Boston cab and what do you get? Us laughing like hyenas and no doubt a vaguely disturbed taxi driver.
So we arrived at Anna's apartment - (all wooden-floored and beautiful) - and within about 15 mins Liz arrived! She ran into the room and we hug-clinged for about 5 minutes. She honestly wouldn't let go! Which was fine with me because, you know, Liz! Jac and Liz also then met for the first time and some bonding over Callum-love was had (there was actual clapping for Callum's parents for having such good genes. I shit you not.) We all hung out and talked about, well, everything, had chinese food (Liz enchanted a small child in the restaurant), talked more...until Liz had to head home. I then had a shower and Anna's shower? Not a shower - an event! I felt vaguely bruised, but in a good, massagey kinda way.
Anyway - Jac crashed about 9pm (2am for us!) and I made it until about 10pm (3am - which meant that because I'd been up at 4am to begin traveling that I made it 23 hours - go me!) Woke up at 4am this morning because to my body it was 9am and I haven't slept past 9am in what must be about 3 years (I love getting up early - it's a thing). I made myself sleep more because I don't want to spend my holiday going to bed early, you know? I made it until 7am before my body was screaming "it's midday! What are you dooooing?" Jac's still asleep and Anna's told me that she'd love to be woken by a me at early o'clock (I said I would jump on her bed) but somehow I think she may have been being polite - heh. So what do I do with my time? Make huuuuuge LJ posts about my day. And I'll give Anna another half an hour ;)