4 min read
I'm not exactly fresh off the plane since I took a 3 hour nap after being on a plane for 6 hours and running on only 3 hours of sleep. I somehow managed to find my way to Silicon Valley -- the place I've wanted to visit for years.
Getting up at 5 am, I was as groggy as ever as I got ready to take the subway and then the AirTrain to JFK. It didn't exactly work out that way. I made it to Penn Station and got on the E train going in what I hoped was the right direction. I had remembered that I was supposed to get off at Jamaica Center and then walk 2 minutes to the AirTrain close by. Jamaica Center was the last stop so I did my best to stare at the floor and not look around too much as a crazy person on the subway was trying to say something to me -- still not a clue as to what that was.
Eventually it reached the last stop and I got off the subway and tried to reach the surface. Unfortunately I was lost and didn't see the monorail anywhere nearby, gave up, and just used Uber to get to JFK. It was my first time using Uber but I'm glad I did that as I got to chat with a friendly driver in a comfy car instead of dealing with another form of public transportation.
She dropped me off at the terminal and I ventured into JFK and ended up asking one of the staff for help on what I was supposed to do since I hadn't flown in 6 years. Eventually I got my ticket printed, went through security with no issues, and walked for a long time with a heavy backpack and laptop to get to my gate.
By this time I was REALLY hungry as I was too nervous to eat breakfast earlier before leaving, so 20 minutes before boaboarding I got in line for food at the closest place. It took a long time just to make a cheeseburger so I had to stand in the boarding line devouring it and didn't get to use the bathroom before getting onboard.
Racing another Delta plane to the takeoff zone.
It was a crowded flight but thankfully I sat next to the window with two friendly guys on my right. After a decent wait, the plane was rocketing down the runway and we were off into the skies. The flight itself was 5.5 hours thanks to a change in the jetstream but it didn't feel that long to me. The only issue was that the airplane water wasn't working so I just soaped up my hands and dried them whenever I had to use the bathroom. Although my seat was right on the wing so it was blocking part of my view, I got some cool shots over the course of the flight (more than pictured here).
The Rockies right before crossing into California
Some Bay Area town on descent
After a while we started to descend upon California, landing at SFO which was a little scary since the plane went really close to the water. As we grabbed our belongings, the guy on my right wished me luck at my internship and I was on my way to the outside to catch another Uber to my hotel. Looking around on the ride, I saw palm trees and other plants which I haven't seen since my trip to Florida 6 years ago.
My hotel is nicer than I expected, my room is right outside a small patio and a decent-sized pool. It even has a restaurant inside so I don't have to venture out for food. I sat outside for a bit but took a nap right after to try to gain back a little energy after this long day.
Chilling by the pool
The view from my patio
My room with more beds than I know what to do with
I can't believe I finally made it to California. And what's more is that I get to check out Googleplex tomorrow (and possibly learn how to ride a bike).