The First Leg of The Trip- Reno

Well I’m currently on the road, driving to San Francisco. Actually I’m not driving but, I’m in the car. Reno was amazing, I’ll be back there Saturday afternoon, but right now all I can think of is California, IN-N-OUT, Shopping, and getting some sun. Getting to Reno though is a completely different story. I flew out of Birmingham, Alabama; just so that I could fly out on a cheaper flight on Southwest airlines. When we (my parents and I) got to Birmingham it was a 45 minute wait just to check my luggage. When it was finally my turn I was first told that all flights would be delayed because of weather in Houston, which would mean I would end up missing my connecting flight in Phoenix to Reno. After switching some flight plans I was scheduled to fly into Phoenix and then take the last flight out to Oakland, CA and then fly out of Oakland in the morning to Reno. After finally figuring out my new itinerary, but before receiving my boarding pass, I was told that my name was on the HIGH SECURITY list. Apparently my birthday or name has been blacklisted so now airports have become even more of a nightmare. Three hours later we boarded the plane that was Phoenix bound. I was literally in Phoenix for 6 minutes, enough time to run to another gate and board. I walked, what seemed like miles, to the back of the plane after receiving disgusted looks from nearly every passenger. I was shocked to find the whole back bench of the plane completely empty, but soon I realized why that was the case when I smelt the nasty stench of bologna vomit and butcher shop. The flight was rather short but somehow two other people managed to fill well over five more barf bags. When I arrived in Oakland (around midnight), I texted one of my old Young Women leaders. She moved to Danville, CA about two years ago after living in Georgia for three years. A short while later she phoned and said, “There is NO WAY you are sleeping in the Oakland airport!” 30 minutes later she was there to pick me up. We got home quickly and headed to bed. Around 6:00am her husband woke me up to take me back to the Oakland airport. I waited over an hour outside for the curbside check-in line just to be told that I should have been on the inside line because of the HIGH SECURITY problem. I told him that my scheduled flight to Reno would be leaving in 30 minutes so the man somehow weaseled me in to the front of the indoor line. Finally I was called to a desk just to be told that I couldn’t be helped. When tears slowly filled my eyes the women told me she miraculously did know what to do. Funny how that works… there was no way I would be making the 7:40 flight to Reno, so she put me on the 9:30. When my bags were finally checked all I had to worry about were my carry-ons and making it through security. Being considered a terrorist, or something like that, really is a drag. I was frisked and completely searched, my ipod was taken out of the case and dusted and then my SANDALS were scanned and inspected. Besides all the disastrous events that took place getting to Reno, Reno itself has been AWESOME. The weather has been great and so have the sites. Laramee (My friend that lives in Reno) and I were able to go up to Lake Tahoe to have breakfast on the lake. We took a large paddle boat around the lake as a tour guide gave us interesting facts of the lake… Did you know that all the water in Lake Tahoe would cover the state of California with 13 inches of water? Or cover Texas with 8 inches. Cool eh? Laramee also took me to the Reno strip. It seemed busy and huge to me, but then again I went to Las Vegas when I was only two. Besides random sites here and there we’ve spent a lot of time hanging out in Laramee’s backyard in the pool and on the trampoline. We’re now in San Francisco and I’ll finally post this Blog. I know it’s EXTREMELLY long but that’s what happens after a few days I suppose. Tomorrow we’ve got lots of site seeing to do so I guess we’re heading to bed. So until then… enjoy the pictures!

Birmingham, Alabama- Showing Southwest Airlines some LOVE

Laramee and I showing the camera some LOVE.

Soaking up some rays on the tramp

The Biggest Little City In The World

Laramee and I downtown

Breakfast on Lake Tahoe

Chillaxin' on the bed

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA

Finally in San Francisco