The Johnson's arrive in California

This is just a short note to say we have all survived our long and arduous 30 hour journey across the atlantic.

We had a scare at the border where they sent us to section B - which was a waiting room where people are interrogated and scrutinized - it was the dark side of America where you feel like an enemy on the state - there is no water - even when you sit there with screaming jet lagged children, the staff act as though you don't exist - Guantanamo Bay came to mind as I sat there with Samuel and Luke moaning that they were thirsty and realizing that we would miss our connecting flight.

In the end it was a computer glitch and the doors of the USA swung open with us and our 4 trolleys of SA paraphernalia charging through to see if we can still make our flight. This was not to be and we had to wait 5 hours in Washington DC to make a connecting flight to LA through Las Vegas. When we eventually got to LA it was 30 hours in planes and airports. I then fetched a truly American style Ford F350 van at Avis to pile in our goods - driving this monster on the wrong side of the road while jet-lagged was insane. We then made a 2 and a half hour drive to Santa Barbara in LA rush hour traffic at night - with Star bucks coffee pumped in my system to keep the eye-lids open.

We stayed over that night in a B&B and after a long rest, the sun bleached californian coast greeted us and a we arrived at our apartment in Goleta (the suburb next to Santa Barbara). The people here are amazingly friendly and helpful (ok the kids are going crazy ... so part 2 will continue shortly) .....