United States of America (and my trip there)

Yay! Today I came home after spending 12 great days in Arizona, where I stayed with my host family. It was so cool to see them all again, after 8 months of absence. The house, the neighborhood, the school, my friends there, and most of all my host family; It was all just amazingly great to see it all again. I was there from February 18 to March 2, with one day of traveling on each side of the stay.

I left cold Oslo on Feb. 17, and arrived in London. I took the Tube (yay, I remember what that crappy excuse for a subway is called) into central London, the place called Piccadilly Circus, and went straight to my hotel, Regent Palace, which was the most sad, run-down hotel I've ever been to. Actually, it shouldn't be called a hotel, the standard of the room and the hotel in general was actually worse than most motels I've been to. Even though it was around 01.00 am, did I walk across Piccadilly Circus to find something to eat. I was starving. I never did find anything to eat seeing as all the food vendors (McD, Burger King, etc) were closed, but I did manage to get both stalked by a seemingly threatening gang of scary looking guys (although everything might seem threatening in the middle of the night in a metropolis), and also offered drugs right in the freakin' middle of the square called Piccadilly Circus (the guy who did was a foreign guy shouting after me before he caught up to me "Hey white man! White man!" Then he offered me to buy some very cheap drugs, multiple times, before he took my "No, no thank you" seriously and walked away).

After spending about 6 hours in my room watching a previously unseen episode of "6 feet under" and sleeping, I woke up and headed for the airport after a big joke of a Continental breakfast and the hotel staff forgetting to give me my wake up call, but nevertheless arrived there in time. My plane for Phoenix took off at 12.35, and I landed there 16.25 local time. The flight took 10 and a half hours.

The Lybberts greeted me at the airport, everyone except for Tim who had to work, and that after a long wait seeing as immigration wanted to fingerprint me digitally and all before I could get my suitcase. We stopped in Payson, at a Chinese buffet, and drove on to Lakeside after that. It was actually raining, a trait you rarely get to see in AZ outside of the rain season, so I was amazed. Still, it was quite warm in Phoenix, and not quite so warm higher up towards Lakeside, but I didn't mind all that much. It would pass soon enough.

That Saturday we went bowling, the whole family, which was so much fun. Stunningly Nathan (7) beat me three of the four sets, and the last time I only won by 2 points! The little guy could bowl (not that I'm a champion myself, but he beat everyone else too...) We also went to see a movie that weekend, "Hitch", which was so much fun. I really liked it, and it was really funny. And for those who've seen it, I'm now practicing the "Q-tip" dance ("...and throw it away").

It was weird how everything in the family, all the relationships, all the dynamic between all of us, had somehow frozen and stayed the same for the 8 months I was gone. I mean, from the moment I met them again it felt like I was living with them again, and that was great. They always make me feel like such a part of the family, and I feel like I fit in perfectly. That's just truly great.

The Monday was Presidents' Day, and then we just stayed home and I think that's when we went to El Cupido's (my favorite Mexican restaurant in the whoooole world) for the first time. Sadly enough, the two main El Cupido's restaurants have been closed due to fire regulations and stuff, and that was what I thought was the case still when I came to AZ again. But; I'd been tricked! What they'd not told me, was that there was a last, little El Cupido's outlet inside of a Chevron in Snowflake! I was thrilled when I discovered our little drive to Snowflake wasn't to look at real estate at all, but to visit El Cupido's (their special ground beef chimichanga with red sauce is yummy)!

The Tuesday was a snow day, which is basically that when there's an inch of snow on the ground, school is cancelled for the day. Sad, but yes. And the rest of the week I was alone in the house until 3, doing laundry (not a lot, but some) and watching TV. Relaxing. On the Saturday we went to a movie again, this time only me and Tim, and the chosen on was "The Boogeyman". Intriguing movie, really, I'd recommend it. And the movie theatre nachos with cheese are great!

Monday was the day of Lakeside departure. Ren, Kim and I went down to Phoenix after me saying goodbye to everyone, and after stopping in Snowflake for one last, delicious El Cupido lunch, we checked into the Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport. And the weather was OUTSTANDING! 74 degrees, sunny, light breeze (warm, of course), and a pool right there next to the hotel. Great. And that made me want to go back even less than before. That night went and saw the AZ Temple, and saw the "Testament" movie playing at the visitor's center. It was truly a great experience. Then we went and ate at Applebee's.

That Tuesday, March 2nd, we went to the best Italian place in the world: Olive Garden, for lunch. And that was so delicious, my gorgonzola steak on linguini. And then we went to a LDS bookstore, Seagulls, and then we headed for the airport. It was so sad to say goodbye in the airport, but I had to. And then I got on the plane. This time it was packed FULL! I was squeezed between a nice American and a posh, witchy, drunk English woman, and didn't get to sleep at all on the flight to London. After 4 and a half hour in London, including a delay due to Norwegian weather, I flew home to Oslo. I missed the Lybberts already.

And get this: Greeting me at the Oslo airport was 6 degrees farenheit (-15 degrees celcius)and a foot of snow! Grrrr! Brrrrr! That's almost a 70 degrees drop from that great day in Phoenix!

That was my winter break in Arizona.

posted by CK @ 14:43