The first day of my year-long adventure started off with some good omens.
First, when I woke up Northwest Airlines was still in business and operating which is definitely not a gimme these days. They seem to be day-to-day at this point, but it looked like I would at least make it to the West Coast. Coming back might be another issue with a potential mechanic, flight attendant or pilot strike looming...take your pick.
The second omen took place in the security line. I was oblivious to it until I noticed the x-ray screener look up from his screen to say something to the guy behind me. I took a peek at the man once I'd gathered my belongings. Turns out it was none other than Jim McMahon, QB of my 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears - THE greatest team ever to win the Super Bowl. I'm certainly not one to be starstruck, but seeing a childhood sports hero in the city where he played (and I rooted for him) just as I'm about to set out on this adventure has to be a good sign.
The final good omen came as we landed in Los Angeles. What had evidently begun as a fairly cloudy, foggy day turned into perfect day of sunshine as we landed, welcoming me to my first stop.
Despite all the good omens, there was one mild snag on my first day. Completely my own fault, I'd scheduled my return flight out of Phoenix but kept my rental return as LAX. After telling me that there would be a $150 charge (over budget already), the friendly Budget rental agent helped me find a solution within my budget that I could return in Phoenix. Crisis #1 averted. I'm hoping crisis #2 waits a few more weeks to pop up. Let me get my feet under me.
Some people don't like LA and I can never really fathom why. It's got sun, surf, skiing, mountains, a great lifestyle...what's not to love? Guess I'm biased from spending a good portion of my formative years growing up here. Anyway, I always love to come back (maybe one day permanently) so this seemed like a great place to kick things off. I'm looking forward to spending the weekend here hanging out with friends, getting over to the ocean and exploring a bit.
