Across Land and Sea

There's something to be said about airport customs and how different it can be across the world. For me it takes probably three minutes to get through in England and Australia, but what feels like five hundred years in America. 

For being a western world power, the United States is surprisingly very backward in a lot of things. Of course, they don't think they are. 

I'm at leg two of my trip this year and whilst excited to be hitting up Hollywood again, I'm a little tired and grumpy waiting around LAX for ages and stressed by a work issue. But this is neither the time and place and dwelling will only make me bitch slap some unfortunate TSA worker, or throw the Stars and Stripes to the floor in protest. Because grumpy Sam is nobody's best friend.

But despite being a tired and irritable grump, I am happy to be back in LA. C'mon, it's Hollywood! Years ago before my first visit, I used to have 'walk of fan' on my list things to so before I die, and I loved it so much that I went back twice. Oddly though on my third visit, this will be the first time that I attempt to venture into downtown LA rather than just hanging out in Hollywood. Admittedly, this will also be the longest time I've spent in LA, and that doesn't include the two days I've booked in Disneyland right at the end of my trip.

London, my first leg, was amazing as usual. We all know how much it is my home and how much I could live there, but being back was magical. There's little use in ever leaving it seems sometimes. 

But since I was there last year I decided to try and do some different things, and I did. This time I went shopping in Old Spitalfields, went to the Jane Austen centre in Bath and finally got to do my Whitechapel and ripper tour. Whitechapel is not at all like I thought it would be, and I'm almost sad to say that almost none of the locations the ripper victims were found are in their original context (thanks, Hitler, you dick). I even got to spend hours in the natural history and British museums this time. And of course I spent so much time in the west end that I practically lived there, thoughtless I only saw four shows in the whole ten days (this is a small amount for me). 

I saw Charlie and the chocolate factory, Dirty Dancing, In the Next Room, and the Book of Mormon. I definately recommend all of them since they were so much fun! The Book of Mormon in particular was pretty amazing, and in true South Park style pretty inappropriate. 

When it comes to London, the only thing that disappoints me is missing a show I wanted to see (Richard II with David Tenant) and that I have to leave at all. Even to come to America. 

But not that I'm here, let's get this party started.

Sam xox