California Dreamin': Part 1
You asked, I promised, so here it is! My VERY FIRST trip to California. But the firsts don't just stop there, this was the first time I was ever going outside the east coast and my very first time flying! "What? You've never flown before?" Heck no! My family drives LITERALLY everywhere! We once were in the car for over 18 hours driving to New Hampshire because the New Jersey Turnpike was closed because a dumpster flipped! Try riding in the car with 5 people and 2 dogs for that long! I think NOT! Anyways, back to the moral of the story. I had never flown before because I have never had a reason to. So when the time came for me to finally get on a plane I was a nervous wreck. I did not sleep, I could not eat. Just the overwhelming sense of not being on the ground gave me so much anxiety
I didn't know the first thing about flying! Or evening packing to fly! I had never been to California so I not only had no idea WHAT to pack but I had no idea HOW to pack! I am a planner when it comes to outfits and packing (and the queen of overpacking) so for someone to tell me I can't take everything AND the kitchen sink was unsettling to me. Like I have to pack 10 extra pairs of underwear in case I decide I am going to pee in all 10...have I ever? no, but just in case you have to be prepared. Y'all don't even get me started on airport security! GIRL! when they told me I had to take EVERYTHING out of my bag I thought they had lost their dang mind! I had just spent 3 hours playing Tetris with my carry on and my purse to make sure I didn't miss anything and now you're telling me I have to take ALL of it out?! No, ma'am, I think not!!!! We compromised though and I took everything out of my bag...
My friend going with me was such a sweetheart the entire time making sure I got food (she knows I gotta have mah snacks) and water and anything I needed to make sure I didn't cause a scene when we got on the plane ;) nobody asked but in case you wanted to know clearly I am a rare species and get SUPER hot on planes like I was baking like a rotisserie chicken. Now, granted, I did have my face out the window all the way from the Charlotte Douglas Airport to the Dallas Fort Worth Airport...I burnt my forehead in the process... and for those of you cocking your heads, I DIDN'T THINK YOU COULD GET SUNBURNT ON A PLANE!
But let me tell you if you don't already know, being up in the air is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. it's a whole other world up there. Or more so just one beautiful world that we get to live on and see through a different view. Here are some of my favorite shots including the Arizona desert and a look at Charlotte from the sky.
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Charlotte, NC
Cabazon, CA
Concho, AZ
So I am going to give you a bit of a timeline real quick, I woke up 8 AM on June 9th, went to a BEAUTIFUL wedding that evening (love you Emily and Jaison!), took a car from Charleston to Matthews (4 hours) to drop off luggage, THEN drove to the airport at 7:30 (thanks mom and dad) for my 9 AM flight June 10th, Flew on 2 planes to arrive in Anaheim, California at 3 ish (Cali time so 6 PM-ish in Charlotte). So in case you're not counting, I have been up for roughly a total of 34 hours...girl. At this point, I am READY to go to the hotel and SLEEP. But, the day was so far from being done.
We get to Disney's BEAUTIFUL Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, which is by far the MOST stunning hotel I have ever been to. I felt like I was in the lap of luxury guys like I had never stayed at anything even close to being this nice...I started crying, no joke. The hotel was not only amazing but it was magical (get ready for that word to be WAY overused), because, hello! It's Disney! The decor was a cottage, woodland-inspired theme based around Chip N' Dale and woodland creatures from Bambi. It was nothing short of Spectacular.
Everyone gets freshened up and looking a little less like jet lag and death and we head to our dinner location, dinner and a show I might add. We ate at Medieval Times in Buena Park. A 3-hour show, putting us back at our hotel fat and happy at 7:30.
We all trudges upstairs to find the cutest little treats in our rooms. Of course, we are all freaking out because at this point everyone is delusional and now hyped up on sweets.
Although everyone is completely and utterly exhausted. some head off to explore Disney's Main Street while others (like myself) choose to go exploring in the hotel. After snooping long enough we heard that there were supposed to be a place to watch fireworks. In the midst of trying to find that place, we stumbled upon a magical patio overlooking Disneys Adventure Park! Upon waiting for the fireworks to start we ended up sitting watching the Electric Parade and giggling over our favorite Disney characters. All while sitting criss-cross applesauce (yeah I said it, WHAT?) with our heads practically smooshed between the bars trying to get a better look.
We missed the fireworks lol.
Bedtime. 1 AM... The total number of hours awake? 41 hours of nonstop movement and adrenaline.
I slept like a rock.
That is it for part one of my two-part series, California Dreamin'. Some of you may already know or may have guessed it, but for those still wondering why the heck I am all the way in California, well, I will be posting part two this coming Friday so stay tuned on Instagram and Facebook for the announcement!
I hope you guys enjoyed this because I really enjoyed writing this post. Thank you to everyone who responded to my Instagram story poll and for reaching out via direct messaging, your opinion matters greatly to me!
Later Taters, Megan