Day one in the big brutha owse...

Well, all very eventful so far...it all started with some big news...more on that another time.

In true Julie style, despite having the entire bag laid out for over a week. It was only packed at midnight last night. So, the hundreds of blogs and travel guidance websites I've read over the last 12 weeks advised packing approx 3 shorts, 3 t-shirts, 2 dresses, a pair of thongs (flip flops for the non-aussies) and a pair of walking shoes...'remember, you have to carry it about with you'. 'aaaaaaaahahaha!! Said the flashpacker. 11 pairs of shorts, 20 tops, 9 pairs of shoes, 4 jackets, 2.5 kilos of cosmetics (not including the make up which went into hand luggage) and a partriii-iidge in a pear tree later...boom! 23kg, was the limit not twenty though?? Right, start again...up for the sacrificial chop...2 shorts and a vest top! Oh well, we'll blag the rest.

The next four hours were spent doing the last 'little' things. Like reprogramming and sync-ing my iTunes. A girl can't live without a bit of Dolly Parton you know. 4amzzzzzz.

6amriiiiiiinnnggg already?? So off to the shower I go. Plane takes off at 10.05 from Edinburgh. Rat-a-tat-tat...'Julie, it's 7.05am are you nearly finished in the shower' 'ooookkaaayyy!!!'. Lah-dee-dah, paint my toe nails, Rat-a-tat-tat...'julie is your bag ready to go into the car' 'WHAT IS THE GODDAM RUSH, WE'RE LEAVING AT QUARTER TO SEVE...' oh hech! It's 7.20, no clothes on, no make up on, hair wet! I've got completely confused with timings and am an hour behind!

Well, I'm not sure if we'd had a Porsche we would have been any quicker...rush hour through Perth...so long as we get through the 40's at the bridge by quarter to nine...phew! Dunfermline...'FORTH ROAD BRIDGE CLOSED'...'you gotta a s***tin me?'... They thought it was all over...it is now! There were tears, nausea, 'this is fate, I'm not meant to go'. But we followed everyone else and got over the bridge, contrary to the radio and signage...bloody Roads Department! ;)

The Edinburgh flight was uneventful, I had a window seat and there was a guy on the aisle seat. I offered him a sweetie for take off but he declined, so he got rubbered the rest of the flight.

Heathrow terminal 5 was full of Prada, caviar, Gucci and dolce & gabanna. Who shops in these type of stores in an airport? Surely those who can afford it have private jets and don't bother with hanging around terminals??? Anyway, I had a wee cheese, ham and pickle sandwich and caught the train to one of the other terminal 5 buildings for my departure gate. God knows where terminal 1, 2, 3 and 4 are???? Ireland??

So sitting one row back from club class on my second BA flight of the day in between Liz, a Californian management consultant who lives in London but travels so much she's a gold BA member and they seem to have removed the seat in front for her! And a Scottish girl who grew up between Edinburgh and Glasgow but lives in London. She's a scientist and is going to SF for the fourth time since May for a conference. Small fish...big pond!

I'm away to feed my face on the BA tortiglione 'late lunch', mmmmmm I love aeroplane food, and then zzzzzz.

Hope you gave me a wave Scotland, because, despite the fact I flew from there this morning, my inflight map from the entertainments system is telling me I flew back over it this afternoon!! :S

So, caught the BART train to Powell St station in SF for $8.25, it's 6pm here but my body's telling me it's 3am. I'm tired not sure how I'll last til bedtime.

Things I'm learning...always check which stop is before yours on the train, so when you're at it you know the next stop's yours, in case they don't announce the stops or the are in audible, there are usually signs at every stop. On that note, always head to the front of the train because when it pulls through a station you'll pass most of the platform (amf signs) before it stops. If you're at the back, you'll be at the beginning of the platform and, if there are no signs, you'll not know which platform you're at until the train pulls away...too late then if it's your platform!

Always keep your train ticket, sometimes you need it to get out of the barriers at the other end!

San Francisco is cloudy (well, sea har) I'm embarrassed, I've just realised I don't know how to spell har, really should know that in my line of work! Sorry Arbroath harbour master!