After twenty-eight hours

I'M HERE!!!!! (Technically I've been here for a week now, but I'm still catching up with my entries...)

Some bullet points about my trip, and photos:

• Chose not to sleep the night before I left because I'm afraid I might miss my flight and that would really break my heart since it's been my dream to visit the States again
• Wore my Victory Performing Arts Team shirt (not part of it, I just bought it) and Ateneo Batch 2012 jacket for good luck
• Happy Independence Day, Philippines...and me
• Was just so happy that my sisters got to send me off, that Kara traded her tri-band and wi-fi-enabled phone with my crappy but nice-looking one, and that most airports are wi-fi-ready #simplejoys
• On my first flight (MNL-HKG), sat next to a Finnish man who talked about his son, his country, and his hate for the Catholic church
• While I really wanted to get some shut eye, he quizzed me in world geography in which I failed miserably
• My first time in Hong Kong, it is unfortunate that I didn't have the chance or the guts to get out of the airport, and that I still opted to go with a McDonald's meal on this supposed milestone
• Hooray for online check-in, window seats, pwede na in-flight meals!
• Never knew how much I loved orange juice until this trip
• On my HKG-ORD flight (fourteen hours long!!!), spent half of the time complaining about my broken personal television until I decided to move to another seat
• Sadly got so tired of reading my books or writing in my journal
• In my new seat with my perfectly working television set, I made and listened to two playlists (of pop songs and of Glee songs), watched Crazy, Stupid Love and three episodes of Planet Cake, and listened to half a chapter of an audiobook (Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number)
• The moment I got past Immigrations (didn't even get any hard question), the excitement finally kicked in. I MADE IT, I MADE IT!
• Couldn't sleep through my third and last flight (ORD-DCA) because the clouds were just too beautiful I can't miss watching them
• The whole family (Tito Chris, Tita Inday, Joey, and Remy) fetched me from the airport in DC and welcomed me to the US. Hello Maryland, it's a pleasure to finally meet you.
• And I don't think I ever want to see an airplane or an airport again...