West Coast Trip!!

From Saturday, February 13th to Friday, February 19th 2010, YFU Founders District had their West Coast Trip and I was participating!
This might be a long post, because I'll try to remember everything we did.

First of all, to gonna-be-exchange-students, go on these trips! It was the most amazing, most fun thing ever. I don't think I've laughed so much before and had so much fun at one time.

DAY 1.
My flight to California was incredible! It made me realize what an amazing country the U.S. really is! I mean, I knew it was cool to be here, but I mean the nature.
The last.. 20 minutes of the flight was beautiful. I went from desert to the fantastic Grand Canyon to L.A. and the City here!
I arrived in Los Angeles and went to the hotel with this little shuttle that drives from the airport around to different hotels. I checked in with out guides and got told my room wasn't ready yet, so me, Lea and a Swedish girl went to Burger King, since that was the only thing around out hotel other than hotels and offices. Lea and I already ate, so we were just talking.
When we walked back to the hotel, more of the Indiana students I knew had arrived and I went and talked to them. Me, Laura, Frida and a Japanese girl which I don't know how to spells name (pronounced: I-you-me) went to Burger King again.
We walked around the hotel and the others got their rooms. I got mine later, when it was finally ready. Room 407. I shared it with 3 Swedish girls that already knew each other. They spoke Swedish sometimes and it was kinda annoying, but I wasn't really in the room other than to sleep, shower, and change clothes, so it was all okay.
That night we went to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (Bubba from Forrest Gump) - it was funny. Then we walked around on the Santa Monica Beach and the pier. We walked around in town and looked at the shops before going back to the hotel.

DAY 2.
Today was our big "explore L.A. day."
We started out going to the beach. The beach you always see in movies, with runners, surfers, and sunshine. It was sooo nice to walk in the edge of the water and feel the sun :)
Then we drove to a Mexican part, which is where L.A. started. From here we drove to Lunch and then to Hollywood! Around down-town on out way.
I thought Hollywood was disappointing.
I don't know what I expected, most of all the Hollywood sign, but as I understood the hill it is on was sold and now somebody wanna move it. Therefore somebody covered the "Hollywood" with the words "Save the Peak." I guess I just thought it would be more glamorous, but it's really just a normal city street with shops and people, of course except the starts in the sidewalk.
We drove past Beverly Hills and I saw some of the glam. I'd been missing.
We all got some cash to buy dinner and walked around this little market thing. Me, Rumi (Japan), Frida (Sweden), Laura (Germany) and Janine (Switzerland) walked around together on most of the trip. We're all from Indiana so we kinda knew who each other was, at least a bit, but we got soooo good and close friends now. Anyways. We sat down and ate French food and we never got up and looked more around 'cause we talked so much :)
At last we went to an observatory where we could look over the whole city by night. LIGHTS!

DAY 3.
Universal Studios!
Today we had until 6pm in Universal Studios, Hollywood. We started out with a Studio Tour where we came behind the scenes to different TV Shows and movies and then we just walked around. We went to the Simpson's Ride which was amazing. We had no idea what was going to happen! We sat down in the coach and thought these doors would open up for a crazy roller coaster, but instead it took us up to a room with "tv screams" on all the walls, so it felt like we were on a roller coaster and in the show.
We also went to Jurassic Park. I think that ride was a waste of time. We were in line for like an hour and it said everywhere we'd get wet and we really didn't. Only the last hill we "sailed" down was a little fun. BUT we went to The Mummy and that was so scary, but also so funny. Halfway through we started going backwards :P
We saw a water show, went out and ate lunch and went into the Hunted House. We started walking around, and didn't really see the scary part. There was scary music and weird pictures on the wall, but it wasn't scary until dressed up people started jumping out from EVERY corner. We ran and screamed the whole way through and we were all shaking when we came out :)
We ate dinner at the Hard Rock Caffee and got a little more shopping time.

DAY 4.
LAS VEGAS.
Today we drove in the bus almost all day. We got about 1½ break to eat lunch at an outlet mall (shopping) and then kept going.
At night we went to a Vegas show. It was like being in a movie. Seeing girls getting cut in halves or quarts and a Tiger coming out from nowhere. It was good magic tricks, but the show was set together kinda boring. :)

DAY 5.
Today we went to Grand Canyon.
It thought it would be pretty of course, but then kinda boring, but it was AMAZING!
It was a long drive though.
I don't know how to describe it.. Check out the pictures on Facebook! YFU paid our lunch today, but we bought out dinner ourselves at a mall in Vegas. Then we went to this taaaaall tower that has rides on the top. One ride that shoots you further up in the air and we that swings you out over the edge. I didn't go :) I was fine just looking at the view from up there.
Me and Frida got drawn a picture, where the artist made fun of us. Me and Laura took crazy pictures in a photo booth and we definitely had a lot of fun!

DAY 6.
Today we got free time in Vegas from maybe 10.30am 'till 6pm. We walked around in Vegas and looked at hotels, casinos (of course couldn't play) and shops!
We went on a roller coaster on the top of "New York - New York" and it was SO much fun! Says the girl that used to be scared of roller coasters (:
We went out to eat Brazilian and went to a show with 4 Australian dudes singing and dancing Motown songs. I only knew like 4 of the songs, and it was definitely a lot more fun when you knew the songs.
We went a little in to town again until about 11.30.

Then we went back to the Hotel and packed, showered, and talked the last to out room mates. I had to leave the Hotel at 3am and I got about 10 minutes of sleep, so now I'm back in COLD Indiana and I'm REALLY tired :) My voice is dead, but I am filled up with the best memories from the best week of my life!

Sleep tight and have a good winter!
Happy Birthday to my brother, Mads on Monday!
AND.. TAKE CARE!!
Love and hugs, Mette