First stop - San Francisco

Hey bloggers,

Well, I've made it out of Europe - this is the first posting created on foreign soils. I was escorted to Manchester airport by my Dad, Mum, Sister and Step-Dad. Some of them were a little teary looking at the point at which I left them. I was fine and was dying to get on the plane and get this trip started ............but then a few minutes after leaving them I turned around in the duty free shop to show one of them something and realised that I was alone - and would be for some time!
I had the usual transatlantic experience involving a missed connection and a sprint through a very large airport (Chicago in this case). Not the easiest thing to do these days when there is so much tight security - I had to run to make the flight to San Fran. Managed to do it and not get gunned down.

I am currently staying at my friend Jo's Mum's house in La Honda, CA. There are about 12 others also staying here and I'd say on average another 6 pass through each day - so, there's a constant party. The majority of us here are Yorkshire folk so its all very familiar! Today is actually an official party, a pyjama party no less! I was given some pyjamas for Xmas which have the union jack on the top. All the girls staying in the house have them - we look a bit like the pink ladies (only British). There are lots of people expected to come to the house today, mainly ex-pats but some local "dudes" too.

Jo's Mum has recently got in to tap dancing and she has not had the tap shoes off for about the last three days. She has been tapping from dawn until dusk all around the kitchen. Very entertaining. As was Jo's five hour dancing session in the kitchen the other night. She did a good job of forcing every passing male to dance with her for at least two songs each.

Its beautiful here. The house is in the middle of nowhere and its just like being a fairy at the bottom of some super sized garden. Everything is oversized - redwood trees just make everything else look pathetic. We took the dogs and kids down the beach for a walk the other morning. It was so beautiful - miles and miles of fantastic beach with massive surf waves crashing down. Puts Whitby Bay in its place anyway!

No doubt I will collapse into bed sometime in the early hours (again) and then get woken up at about 8am (again) by either a child screaming out that its xmas or by Jo's Mum tap dancing in the kitchen (she can even manage to tap in tune to Eminem!). I am not complaining though - none stop fun is what I signed up for the next six months and I am glad to be starting as I mean to go on!

I hope you all had a good Christmas and that you all ate and drank too much. I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Lots of love

Sarah xx