Days 25 to 28: Back to LA, Universal Studios… back home
OK, so when I wrote in the last post that I would finish this diary back on UK soil, I had no idea it would be some 4 months later. I remember back in September 2009 when I was tidying my desk on my last day at work for a whole month, it actually felt like it was my last day at work ever. When people were saying things to me like “god, a whole month off work, you lucky so and so”, “wow, you’re gonna have the best time ever”, and “I hope you’ve put your timesheets in”, it really felt like I was never going to see any of them again.
But now, in mid February 2010, it almost feels like it never actually happened. The last 4 months have flown by, and the month in California itself could’ve been more like a couple of days than a month.
The last few days were a little strange, as I think is always the case near the end of a holiday, because part of us was really sad that we were coming home soon, whereas another part of us was really happy we were coming home. We hadn’t argued at all, had had great experiences, and we’d barely stopped the entire time, but yes I really was looking forward to seeing white road markings, pound signs, rain, and being trusted to pay for petrol after putting it in your car.
After spending some time in the San Diego old town, eating my last chicken chimchanga of the trip, we headed back to LA. Our last full day was spent at Universal Studios, where we went on the Simpsons ride (pretty good if not for a family sharing our car who would not shut up, and the disappointment of Sideshow Bob’s voice being done by Hank Azaria and not Kelsey Grammar. A pretty good impression though!), saw Waterworld, and various other (slightly lame) shows including Backdraft where they seemed to just turn on some flames, a special effects show that was quite funny, a Shrek 3D show and a general tour around the park where we saw a water tank and a ‘European’ street which had both been used in several films.
And that’s it. We flew back to Heathrow, got the X26 bus back to Croydon, getting home about mid morning UK time, and went to bed. Before long it was almost like we’d never been away. Work became busier than ever, there were friends to see and bore to death about our holiday, gigs to go to, band stuff, xmas stuff, New Year, you know what I’m talking about.
I loved California. Since being back some people have said all I did in this holiday blog was moan, but I never intended it to come across that way. We both definitely want to go back to America soon, but back to California, back to New York, or somewhere new? To Chicago to freeload off my cousin who lives there? If I decide I’ll let you know.