Day 1: Flight to China
Here we go: Wake up at 6:00am to begin packing and line up the day’s affairs. First: I grab my newly cloned laptop from the valley. Upon returning, immediately called a cab and took one last good look at the backyard on Monte Mar to soak in the California morning. 30 minutes later I’ve checked my bags and am going through security at the Tom Bradley International terminal at LAX, and after a few goodbye phone calls I board a plane bound for Seoul, South Korea. The 13 hour flight passes slowly, my time spent between attempts at sleep and entertaining myself with the media machine in the seat in front of me. The plane is kept very dark, only one passenger continuously opening and shutting their window shade, pissing off everyone else in the vicinity with ease. After watching three movies and roaming about the cabin, I resign myself to the fact that this flight will never end and build a personal fort of blankets and my hoodie to zone out properly. At long last we touch down at a misty and grey Incheon Airport. It’s remarkable what a monopoly Korean Air has in its own country, with easily 75% of all the planes wearing the same powder blue metal hide, their homogeny only increasing their resemblance to toys. The airport is extremely clean and western, the first business I spot is a Dunkin’ Donuts of all things. A few emails later and I’m finally boarding a plane bound for Shanghai. It’s now around 3am at home, the flight is almost at its destination but apparently my night hasn’t even started yet.
