First Email from America!

Well, it's finally happened, I'm in America. I only have an hour to do all my net stuff, so I'll just describe how it went:)

The trip here went without a flaw. I shed a tear as we took off from Australian soil, but it was shortlived, I was just too excited!!! I watched Saved!, The Notebook and A Shark's Tale, read my Bible, listened to my iPod (With the Angel's by Michelle Tumes and Lift Up Your Eyes were my favourites for looking at the clouds), wrote in my journal, had 45 minutes of very uncomfortable sleep and watched our flight journey on the screen like an eagle - it took so long!!!. God certainly has blessed me. I got a nice lady to sit next to (blonde, personal trainer who assists in breast implanting, needless to say, I inherited some of her food and her magazines during the flight!!!), no trouble at customs (they didn't even ask to see my cadbury!!! I should've packed one suitcase full of it!) and later, a ride from the airport to my hostel.

Flying in to LA was amazing. I've never seen real mountains with snow on them, and they were just sittin there, peeking out above the clouds! As we got closer I could see those typical palm trees AND people driving on the wrong side of the road!!! I was so exciting and wish I had someone with me to jump around with.

The airport is massive, but kinda old. It was cold in LA too, and I was wondering whether my havianas were a good idea! Most exciting part of the airport; seeing and being interrogated (in a nice way) by a negro at customs! My first African American encounter!!! ('Oh my lucky stars! A negro! - quote from Blast from the Past). Asked a Spanish guy (my gosh, every second person is Spanish!) where to find a phone, asked the same guy where to change dollar bills for cash - dollar bills, very annoying...have like 15 of them...he laughed at me because he knows I have no idea. Saw the actress who plays Judge Amy's mum at a DFS! Hello Hollywood.

LA to Miami was also fascinating - I wish I'd had a window seat. I just couldn't believe how big the cities were. We flew mostly at night (though I got to see awesome sunsets on both flights) and these cities were sprawled for miles (as they say here) - lights everywhere, weaving between the mountains. Miami from the sky is MASSIVE. My gosh...I thought Sydney was big. Lights as far as the eye can see in either direction of the plane...

After the airport a lovely guy called Mike (he's just like you, Jared!!!) came and picked my up with his girlfriend Ale (pronounced Ollie). They were so nice and had a fancy Audi - again on the wrong side...I was so excited to be in their car and on their roads that I took a photo inside the car. They thought I was funny. I asked all sorts of annoying questions - mainly my childhood phrase 'wasat'? as we drove past massive cars, convertible trucks, Kosher shops and Burger King. They had questions too, like when I mentioned a fortnight, Mike goes 'I've been using that phrase for months! What does it mean?!' hahaha...and I had to explain 'daggy'.

They have no idea about Australia, but I don't think they care either. It's kind of easy to explain the Gold Coast though, Miami is basically our sister city (well, if you add crime and drugs and jews) and Florida our twin state. Florida is called the Sunshine State!

So the hostel is cosy...I dragged my two cases up two flights of stairs, hauled them into the dorm only to find a body asleep in my bed. Took the bed below, drowsy body woke; 'You can turn the light on if you want', turned it on to see a largish African American girl with plaits - cool, turned it off to save her sleep and did some unpacking by phone light. For some reason was singing 'Six White Boomers' as I unpacked? Had a shower, cleaned out exploded Cleanser from toiletries bag, hid my valuables, crawled into bed at 12.15am and fell asleep. The other two girls in the dorm must've come home while I was sleeping, but goodness knows I was dead to the world. Woke up at 7.15 to girls waking up, couldn't get my eyes to open. Body says: SLEEP!!! KEEP SLEEPING!!! Go back to sleep, think I sleep talk, say hello to girls whilst sleeping, not conscious enough to ascertain where they are from or whether we'll get along (still haven't spoken to them). Die to the world. Wake up at 11.15 and decide I can't sleep all day or I'll stuff my internal clock up...Look at watch, 2:15am your time...no wonder I want to sleep.

Drag myself out of bed, get dressed, rustle through suitcase etc for about an hour trying to find everything (see Anisia, even with my meticulous planning, things went astray!!!) aim to find batteries for clock and a sim card. They don't do prepaid sims here (and they certainly don't sell credit in 7-11's etc) so that was a hassle, and the guy had no idea what I was talking about. Buy a sim card, discover that there's a man in the street down with guns, theatening to kill his mother...police surrounding the building, Ellie decides to head back to the hostel to exchange her backpack for something less touristy (already had an african american lady take advantage of me: 'Hi there, would you be kind enough to lend me some change to catch a bus? My friend's car got towed and I'm stranded' Ellie: 'Sorry, I'm poor.' Lady scornfully 'It doesn't cost much for a bus'...left feeling very unChristian but in reflection feel that I was being taken advantage of because of my backpack and dazed and confused wandering, so felt justified. Besides, I AM poor!!! The dollar here sucks and I get sucked in because everything LOOKS cheap, but it's the USD...). Some guy at a shop noticed my accent (it must stand out something chronic, even I feel like it's wrong!) asked me if I was from New York...he had no idea. I told him Australia, he's like 'Oh, then you know New Zealand!!!' I said I didn't but it was apparently very beautiful. He reckons if he lived in Australia he'd definitely go see see New Zealand and Japan...I think he has no idea. Asked if I was from Sydney, no idea where the Gold Coast is either.

So Miami is weird but very cool to watch, lots of Spanish people, everyone J Walks, the streets are concrete, the street signs are suspended above the street, along with the traffic lights, and the cars are very nice and MASSIVE. Palm trees are everywhere, and not in a Gold Coast way, where they chuck 'em everywhere to make it look Beachy. It really is beachy. I'm yet to actually see the beach yet - it's a bit cold and doesn't excite me because it doesn't compare to the Gold Coast, but I'm definitely headed there next (now that I have a tinier bag...too scared to take camera out though...anything touristy makes me feel like a target for freaks - have had homeless men greeting me on the street. I don't say anything so they don't know I'm Australian.)

I will definitely not be going out of my dorm tonight, though I'm yet to figure out what I'm going to do - most people sit outside and talk with the internationals...dont' know if I'm keen. There is a Sushi place down the road (or 'block' if you live here) and whilst they don't do Chicken Sushi here, they do do Chicken Teriyaki in a bowl and (wait for it, Mama...) Tempura Banana with icecream and topping!!! So I'm treating myself tonight.

Oh dear...I just heard someone in the cafe say the guy one street down (the one with the guns) committed suicide about an hour ago...don't worry, Mama and Dad, I know which street it is and I'm headed in the other direction. I don't talk to strangers and stay away from any street with less than a million people (not police cars) on it. I'll be happy to leave Miami, I think it's best to do with someone else. In which case, it would be kind of fun. Sitting in here (behind some safe glass) is fun, watching people and cars through the window and listening to the many accents. So diverse. So American. It's probably not actually that scary, but I'm being super safe, so suspecting everyone...

The Americans are generally nice. They are loud and to me it sounds like those people who talk to loud on their mobiles - a little unnecessary- but I don't think they realise so I forgive them.

I don't yet know how I'm going to waste time tomorrow, I might head to Downtown Miami (where I am is 'Miami Beach) and check out the shopping there (remembering the USD). Then Wednesday I'll head to the bus as early as possible to get up to Naples (up about half way on the West Coast of Florida - near Tampa). I am really looking forward to meeting Paige and hanging with a local. Not locking my stuff up and hiding things around the room will be nice too. I'm paranoid about people stealing.

I know Miami sounds crap, but I'm sure it's fine. I'm yet to wander without my backpack, so now I'm going to go test my skills as an actor and play the part of confident, won't-take-any-crap 'local'. I'll try not to talk too much, because I can't exactly fake an American accent here.

I hope you are all well and that the wake went well (Tyson, Rach, Jordan, Anisia etc). Wishing you were here - for serious...but I am having stacks of fun wandering around at my own pace, checking out what I want to.

Well, I only have 15 minutes left and I really should check my other emails and email Paige. I hope this finds you well and gearing up for a massive New Years!!!

Love you all lots,

Ellie in Miami!