One Year Ago: California Here I Come!
It's really hard for me to believe that it's been one year now since my big exciting trip out to California, to visit my aunt, uncle, and cousins. As I started this blog shortly after the trip, I'd like to take the opportunity to, over the next week, write blog posts of my CA trip adventures, one year to the day later!
***
My alarm woke me up at 4am. I had spent a wonderful ten days with my family on my first visit home since starting grad school, and honestly, the time flew by a lot faster than I had anticipated. Prior to my time in Tennessee, I thought that the only big exciting happy thing for me would be going to California, but I guess absence makes the heart fonder...it was so fun to spend time with my family in my old stomping grounds, for Christmas no less! Alas, a great time but it was time to go. I was SO EXCITED to see my relatives in California but also sad to leave my family in Tennessee!
I remembered the day prior, my uncle and I had texted back and forth:
Me: "Hey Uncle Doug, I was thinking, I'd really like to come out to California. By any chance do you have any free rooms in your house?"
Doug: "Actually I do. When would you like to come out?"
Me: "How about tomorrow, for a week?"
Doug: "Sure! I'll pick you up from the airport!" ;)
I was dressed in my yellow Southern hoodie and blue Cades Cove hat. Still quite sleepy that morning, I turned on my video camera and gushed out as enthused as possible:
"Guys! I'm so excited! Today I'm gonna board a plane in Chattanooga and fly out to Sacramento to see my aunt, uncle, and cousins. California here I come!
Soon after I hopped in the car with my dad, as I needed to be at the airport by 5:15am. I shot a few shots of the airport exterior...
***
"Something inside of me..."
***
...then it was time to say goodbye to one brother and say hello to another. The security lines were short (per usual, one of my favorite things about flying out of CHA) and soon I was eating my apple-and-peanut-butter sandwich while waiting for my 7:15am flight to Atlanta. I noticed that the Christmas tree was still up, despite it being three days past the holiday. I didn't mind. The small terminal was horseshoe-shaped. Gate agents were busily double checking everything while the pilots and support personal were readying our metallic, new-fangled species of bird. Today it would be a CRJ900. Passengers huddled in small groups: the solo travelers, the young families, and the business travelers all having their varied habits.
***
"...Knows there is surely more than this / Echoes of eternity all around us..."
***
I was one of the first down the jet bridge. It really felt like I was beginning to leave town. After what seemed forever, everyone was loaded and luggage secured. It was a grey day outside, but I couldn't have been more excited. My excitement really grew palpable when our plane turned over all those white stripes and began accelerating.
***
"Something inside of me
Knows there is surely more than this
Echoes of eternity all around us
There's music within my soul
I'm more than these flesh and bones I know
Whispers of a destiny deep inside us..."
***
We quickly ascended above the clouds, into the clear, blue air of early morning. I was treated to a beautiful sunrise. Soon we landed in Atlanta, taxing past that famous hotel, "Fly Delta Jets" sign, and iconic control tower. My Sacramento flight was clear across the airport at the end of a completely different concourse, so I definitely got the "full experience" of riding the tram, up and down escalators and navigating through tons and tons of people. But let me tell you, finally sighting the sign for the flight to "Sacramento, CA" and knowing that I would be on that flight, was so so very exciting!!
I was pleasantly surprised that the captain, prior to takeoff, came down the aisle and greeted all of us. I was also excited, I believe I was on a 737, anyways, it was big enough to have the screens in the back of the chair in front of you and I was super excited to follow our flight path! It had all sorts of other interesting information, like time elapsed, elevation, speed, and time until arrival (my favorite metric!).
We once again crossed those amazing white stripes. The engines roared to life. Up, up, and away we went, leaving Atlanta, the southeast, and indeed the entire East behind. It was a long flight, 5.5 hours. There were all sorts of scratches on my window, so I ended up getting better photos (my phone did not autofocus on the scratches) than video (my video camera did focus on the scratches!). Oh well. Still got some pretty epic footage of the takeoff. Tracked the plane on my screen all across America. It was pretty clouded in America that day, but west of Texas things really cleared up. I greatly enjoyed seeing the red rock country of Utah and Nevada. At long last, the snowy Sierra Nevadas appeared, and not long after that we were preparing for arrival. HALLELUJAH!
Landing in the middle of the Central Valley was amazing, being in the middle of all the farmland after so much desert and then the brief mountains. Plus we were getting closer and lower to the ground. When we landed, I honestly couldn't believe I was in California! We docked at the same gate that I've always come into Sacramento at, and right away I saw the beloved Sacramento "River" that is carved into the floor. And yes, just like a kid I walked in the "river"! (sorry not sorry couldn't help it! ;) )
I once again turned on the video camera, "Guys! I made it here to Sacramento! I'm so excited, let's go have fun!" Took a few pictures, then headed out of security. Was about to take a few pictures of the ceiling decorations and text my uncle, when all at once I glimpsed my uncle at the bottom of the stairs. Who cares, all ideas of more photos went out the window!! I raced down that escalator with a grin as wide as the state of Texas on my face...
It was so fun chatting together on the ride from the airport to my uncle's house, and even more so once I was able to reacquaint myself with my aunt and cousins. One thing I noticed right away was how different the trees are in California as opposed to Michigan or Tennessee. Anyways, we had a great supper and in general, had a ball catching up. Enjoyed touring a local park, the flowers and pioneer statue there, and finding the first geocache of the trip. The other main thing we did that evening was plan out our time together for the week that I was there. At the end of the week, there was just one conclusion: it was going to be an EPIC week!!
See you tomorrow...
I was pleasantly surprised that the captain, prior to takeoff, came down the aisle and greeted all of us. I was also excited, I believe I was on a 737, anyways, it was big enough to have the screens in the back of the chair in front of you and I was super excited to follow our flight path! It had all sorts of other interesting information, like time elapsed, elevation, speed, and time until arrival (my favorite metric!).
***
"This beating heart
I was made I was made for You
My God evermore evermore
My soul, my soul sings for You"
***
We once again crossed those amazing white stripes. The engines roared to life. Up, up, and away we went, leaving Atlanta, the southeast, and indeed the entire East behind. It was a long flight, 5.5 hours. There were all sorts of scratches on my window, so I ended up getting better photos (my phone did not autofocus on the scratches) than video (my video camera did focus on the scratches!). Oh well. Still got some pretty epic footage of the takeoff. Tracked the plane on my screen all across America. It was pretty clouded in America that day, but west of Texas things really cleared up. I greatly enjoyed seeing the red rock country of Utah and Nevada. At long last, the snowy Sierra Nevadas appeared, and not long after that we were preparing for arrival. HALLELUJAH!
Landing in the middle of the Central Valley was amazing, being in the middle of all the farmland after so much desert and then the brief mountains. Plus we were getting closer and lower to the ground. When we landed, I honestly couldn't believe I was in California! We docked at the same gate that I've always come into Sacramento at, and right away I saw the beloved Sacramento "River" that is carved into the floor. And yes, just like a kid I walked in the "river"! (sorry not sorry couldn't help it! ;) )
***
"My life be on Your altar God
My every breath exalting You
My life be on Your altar God
This heart like a drum beating strong for You
Oh, this beating heart! This beating heart!
This beating heart
Like a drum, it will beat for You
Like a drum, it will beat
My God evermore evermore
My soul, my soul sings for You"
***
I once again turned on the video camera, "Guys! I made it here to Sacramento! I'm so excited, let's go have fun!" Took a few pictures, then headed out of security. Was about to take a few pictures of the ceiling decorations and text my uncle, when all at once I glimpsed my uncle at the bottom of the stairs. Who cares, all ideas of more photos went out the window!! I raced down that escalator with a grin as wide as the state of Texas on my face...
***
"My soul sings to You
My soul
My soul sings to You!"
***
It was so fun chatting together on the ride from the airport to my uncle's house, and even more so once I was able to reacquaint myself with my aunt and cousins. One thing I noticed right away was how different the trees are in California as opposed to Michigan or Tennessee. Anyways, we had a great supper and in general, had a ball catching up. Enjoyed touring a local park, the flowers and pioneer statue there, and finding the first geocache of the trip. The other main thing we did that evening was plan out our time together for the week that I was there. At the end of the week, there was just one conclusion: it was going to be an EPIC week!!
See you tomorrow...
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