The route we ended up taking has been taken by many before us. Arriving in Los Angeles, we drove directly to Long Beach. Came very late, and had we known, we could have just slept in a hotel near LAX instead before we drove off to Williams, Arizona. But it was nice to see Long Beach too.

Williams, a small city just an hour from Grand Canyon. With only 3000 or so people living there, it’s mostly tourists who crowds the one-way street. It lies on the historic Route 66, so we got a little bit of that old American style. (not to forget the all american food we got served there!) We loved it there. It could be our best experience in our entire stay in the US, that and Grand Canyon.

You’ve seen the pictures, perhaps you’ve even seen Grand Canyon on TV, but the moment you step out from the street, and the trees which are blocking the view from the great Canyon, and when the orange mountains comes upon you, it leaves you speechless. We were in Grand Canyon South Rim, near the villages. We took tree or four stops along the Canyon, before we parked our car and took a short bus ride to Mohave, where you can see the Colorado river paving its way through the Canyon. There are lots of things to do there, and most things should have been booked six months in advance, but the view itself is worth the visit. We even had a chicken salad just inches away from the non-secured edge in Mohave over the Great Grand Canyon!

We planned it so that we would arrive in Las Vegas when it was dark. All of the lights! We stayed at Stratosphere hotel. although it was a great hotel, it was too far away from where the real action was, By that I mean, where the real PRETTY hotels was. It does blow your mind when you see all those hotels with its different styles and themes. Las Vegas was great. Two nights. We should have stayed longer. We are SO going back!

Extra Terrestrial Highway. Area 51 and Rachel Nevada – Little ALEINN. Yes. Yes. Yes. Just do it.

Yosemite National Park. We found a very nice place to stay by luck. Tioga Lodge, right across Mono Lake. In fact, Mark Twain wrote about Mono Lake calling it “lifeless, treeless, hideous desert… the loneliest place on earth.” lol, I guess so when it’s all salty! The park itself was beautiful. High mountains. Waterfalls. Animals. Breathtaking :)

San Francisco. Hello fog city and hello wind. We thought that we should only have 90 + F for three weeks, so when we arrived in San Francisco, we froze our butt off! I guess when you come from the desert where it’s like a 100 F and then you find yourself in a climate where it’s suddenly 69 F, it feels like you’re about to turn to ice. Apart from that shocking cold, Pier 39 was a place I loved. Shopping, food, adorable seals and a great atmosphere. The highlights of our trip was the helicopter ride we had gotten as a wedding gift from some friends. We flew UNDER The Golden Gate Bridge. Twice! We got a complete view over San Francisco. A very beautiful city. Romantic.

Highway 1. Take that road when you’re driving from San Francisco and south. The coast. A bit like Norway where my husband comes from (Vesterålen) but more exotic-looking. Lots of cute places to stop.

Lompoc was the place we decided to stay for a night while on our way to San Diego. I didn’t know that it was just a 20 or so minute drive from Lompoc to Neverland until a friend of mine told me when I talked about where we were going. (Neverland was Michael Jackson’s home for many years) So before we drove off to San Diego we visited Solvang (the Danish city) and had a Danish breakfast (hehe) and drove to find Neverland. (Finding Neverland, get it? lol) I of course knew exactly what I was looking for. The wooden fences. Peaceful. Beautiful and a thought that I finally was in front of those gates, but I kinda came too late, for those of you who’ reading this knows what I mean. But it WAS beautiful.

We arrived late in San Diego, so when we came to our hotel we jumped into the sheets and watched TV. (They have so many TV channels in the US, OMGOSH!!!!) We loved San Diego a lot. Decided to stay for one more day. We went to the beach almost everyday. Mission Beach and Pacific Beach. (Which is the same right?!?) We ate a lot of great food. Went to the beautiful Balboa park. Space museum. (woot woot) The US Hangar ship. (which was cooler than I thought) and watched some airplanes. (my husband loves airplanes!)

Our last stop was Los Angeles. We decided to stay at The Dixie Hollywood in Hollywood Boulevard. Loved the hotel immediately since it got a pool (LA was heated when we were there!) and cool palm trees with lights! and fun artworks on the wall from different movies. It was like we lived in a small studio, hihi :)

Disneyland. DONALD DUCK! Magic Mountain Six Flags SUPERMAN which my husband loved!! Walk of Fame. Museums. Friends ♥. Forest Lawn on the 29th (I actually managed to drive to the wrong Lawn at first… it’s interesting to have to stop twice at the wrong Lawn and ask where Michael Jackson was…burried.) Hollywood and that poor Tarzan guy who never seemed to get a fan, but the muscle dude seemed lucky enough! And not to forget all those shops were you can buy lots and lots of junk you don’t need! I love it!! And the food. Pancakes everyday. Bacon. Bacon everyday. With pancakes. Maple Syrup. Lots. And drink Corona (everyday) without the feeling of getting ruined!

British Airways was kind enough to give us 1300$, each, a night at Radisson hotel which included lunch, dinner and breakfast due to the fact that they had overbooked. We got one extra day in Los Angeles. We love the US :) ♥ (and the British Airways)

PS: More honeymoons for my husband and myself to come ^^,

A little review on both shows:

Tuesday August 2:

He opened up with Purple Rain. Beautiful. You wonder how many times he must have sung that song, but he sings it with the same passion as always (at least that is what I feel) – D.M.S.R - Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful – Pop Life – Musicology Musicology is the album that made me become a serious listener to his music back in 2004. (okay, and his good looks. blacksweatvideo) It was that album that made me buy more of his albums and not only the Hits. My first Musicology last night! Rocked it! - Prince and the Band – Feel Better, Feel Good, Feel Wonderful – Shhh – Mountains – Everyday People – Come Together – The Look of Love – Crimson and Clover I was so happy for that song!! Never heard Crimson and Clover live either. I have blogged about this song here I think. I got my first Crimson and Clover on Tuesday! Happy. - Take Me With U – Rasberry Beret – Cream - Cool – Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough *mj4ever* – If I Was Your Girlfriend – Kiss – The Bird – Jungle Love – A Love Bizarre – A NEW FAVORITE. WOW!! Hooked! – When Doves Cry first verse! My first When Doves Cry verse live. HOORAY lol ♥ - Hot Thing – Sign ‘O’ the Times beautiful!!! – Nasty Girl – Darling Nikki a few seconds only! GRRRRRR – I Would Die 4 U ♥♥ – Make You Feel My Love – Gold …speechless beyond the stars! MY FIRST GOLD!! Thank you thank you thank U!! One of my (if not the one) favorite Prince songs. Purple Rain part 2. Can’t believe he left us with Gold. Stars in our eyes and having the opportunity to be front row!! It couldn’t be anything more we were hoping for. So happy. My first Gold ♥

I’ve read he doesn’t like these type of things, however, I don’t believe everything I read, so I did blow him a couple of kisses and shouted I Love You during Gold. A girl got to do what a girl gots to do.

We then went to a Prince after party at Rockefeller. I admit I DID have a small hope he would come, but he didn’t, but it was cool to listen to Prince through the mighty speakers at Rockefeller and dance the night away with good friends ♥

Wednesday August 3:

I wasn’t supposed to go to this show, but waking up on Wednesday, and knowing that Prince will perform again the same day, of course you’re going if you have the chance. So it was Golden Circle ticket again! I wasn’t alone though. Met some other friends, and made plans for meeting up after the concert. The sweetest thing that happened when I got inside the Arena, was that I got the same spot as I had on Tuesday. Front row! And, I got to “befriend” two fans from France who also was standing on the same spot as they had done before. “nice to see you again.” :) One of them had been to 85 !!!?!!! Prince concerts…! They were pro, so I felt pretty privileged to hang with them before Prince got on stage ^^

Piano Intro (with Cassandra O’Neal) – Lets Go Crazy – Delirious – 1999 – Little Red Corvette – Nothing Compares To You (with Shelby J.) she sang that song exactly the way it is supposed to be sung. She brought the song up on it’s highest level. Beautiful! ♥♥ – Love is a Loosing Game (instrumental) – People Get Ready (with Shelby J.) – Crimson and Clover (instrumental) – Waiting in Vain (with Andy Allo) – Rasberry Beret - Anotherloverholenyohead – Peach (instrumental) – Johnny B. Goode – Alphabet St. He said we should call someone we loved. I called my friend who love this song. My first Alphabets St. - Purple Rain – Let’s Work – U Got The Look I love when he does that song. For me that song is starting to become a very do you know what time it is type of song, hihih! – Controversy perfect!! – Sometimes it Snows in April - Hot Thing TEASING. GRR - Kiss – When Doves Cry makes people so happy and excited :D Only first verse this time too – Sign ‘O’ the Times – Forever in My Life – Darling Nikki just the intro, I know that now, lol (grr) – Single Ladies (Instrumental) – Nasty Girl (instrumental) – Mr. Goodnight – A Love bizarre – Play That Funky Music.

Alan Rickman for extraordinary, amazingly, fun, mysterious, dark and the man who saves the day (all 8 Harry Potter movies) for his acting upon a fictional character. The best and foremost fantastic actor this year (or all time, hehe)

Yes! Severus Snape. Goodness. I have never said I’m a movie freak. I have always known and told people that I hardly knows anything when it comes to movies (expect for blockbusters, but “everyone” has seen those movies) So, not someone who knows certain details in the movie genre at all.

Little did I know that Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) is in fact the same guy who plays the ridiculously silly Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves from 1991. Robin Hood is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it’s because of that one comment he did: “I’m going to cut your heart out with a spoon.”

He have starred in a lot of movies looking at his Wikipedia page. I haven’t seen half of them of course, but some. And it strikes me that I prefer him the most when he put on a wig (or color his hair) black as the night. He pulls off that look just extraordinary.

I know in music, they have all these amazingly (and sometimes silly) awards. Millenium award, Diamond Award, Platinum Award, Decade Award, Gold, Bronze and Silver Award. It is a long list. From what I gather, it’s time he won an award for all Harry Potter movies combined. They better give him something. I have a feeling that if it’s going to rain tomorrow, it will be Robin Hood and two or tree movies starring Mr. Rickman. I do not hope for rain, but, it would be ok of it did rain a bit too. Robin Hood ♥

Alan Rickman in Robin Hood. Brilliant!

Had to get me the Harry Potter 3D glasses.

So we went to see it yesterday. Popcorn, coke and candy and the final Harry Potter. We were supposed to go this weekend, but I  just couldn’t wait until Friday. I HAD TO go yesterday. And glad I did. It was spectacular. I loved every second of it. But I don’t think I’m alone when I say I want more? It’s one of those movies you want to last and last, and you don’t want your characters to get any older. You want at least ten more movies, without Harry and his gang not became a day older than what we left them at yesterday.

We need a magic spell to stop the aging!

Memorable parts:

• The dragon part. Sigh! Yes, of course, I did get a little misty. Beautiful.
• Voldermort. That whole face makes me just laugh. Can he look any dumber? I guess all bad people look dumb.
• Professor Severus Snape. My favorite. From the moment he gave Harry that look in the first movie, I knew that he was going to have a major part in Harry’s life. Last night it was just, well, beautiful! I’m going to miss this character for the rest of my movie-life! (he’s that dark, tall, mysterious man us girls can love.)
• Professor Minerva McGonagall, when she brought down those soldiers… classy!
• Hermine was just gorgeous as always.
• Ron Weasley looked good with a  beard and some curls!

I could go on and on about memorable scenes; there were many. I think this movie made the Harry Potter fans proud. It was beautiful.

Last week we went for a walk in our beautiful neighborhood which is like a small town. I love it here so much that if we are going to move away from here one day, I think I’ll try to chain myself to a bench or something, like a last desperate effort to make me stay! I fall in love with places easily…

We walked by the many parks. Sunny weather and early evening, and I as usual was craving for something. Popcorn. Popcorn and coke while watching a movie. Lets go see a movie! Now I know Steven Spielberg’s Super 8 won’t be in the theaters here until early August (I also know it hasn’t gotten the best of reviews) but that’s a movie I’m looking forward to see. That, and to my surprise, the last and final Harry Potter.

I never read the books, never paid any attention to the movies, but I do love popcorn and I do like to go to the movies (if there is a movie I DO want to see) and with the premiere only a week away, there was nothing left to do than to have a Harry Potter marathon!

It took us four days to see them all. Last night we saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. We’re ready. I’m ready for Part 2. I’m actually looking forward to it so much, that I regretted for not getting tickets for the premiere (even though I kinda think that was done for anyways since I would probably not stand in a ticket line for hours just to see Harry Potter.)

It is kind of sad to see it end. Understandably for the young adults who have grown up with Harry Potter, it must be strange to see “it all ends now.” Some parts of the world the final movie have already premiered, at midnight today it will be Oslo’s turn. I won’t be there of course (wasn’t a Potter fan when the tickets went on sale) but I will for sure be seeing this movie by the end of this week!

I’ll bring my husband, I’ll get the biggest bucket of popcorn there is, coke and do as millions of people, watch the last adventure of the boy with the magic wand! I think I might cry.

It wasn’t always so easy knowing what it all meant though. ASL for example. I tripped and fell. I never asked what it meant. I think I was so sure that I had gotten it right, that when people asked me ASL, I answered 16, female, green eyes, blond hair… Funniest was that some of the people I chatted with asked me straight after Where are you from? (and btw, I think my eyes are blue, but green just sounded more exotic back then…)

I never understood that the L stood for Location after a long while. I guess most sixteen year olds thinks people really want to know the color of our hair more than where we live in the world?

I wish I had a timeline to show, but being a Michael Jackson fan and noticing that there are webpages with other Michael Jackson fans on it, was like a dream! There were many websites all about MJ. Chatrooms both unofficial and official. I spent hours in those chatrooms, talking about the King of Pop and once a week someone went in and pretended it was MJ himself who was chatting with us. Exciting times for a blossoming internet addict. This was in 96/98. (of course I believed I talked to MJ a couple of times, duh!)

I moved away from home in 1998 with a friend. I didn’t have a computer, nor did my friend, but that was OK during that time. We didn’t really miss it. Besides, I could always use the internet when visiting my parents.

It wasn’t until 2001 that I knew I had to have my own computer. 2001 changed everything when it comes to the use of Internet for me. half-asleep on the couch after work, and with the TV on, I heard the news reporter talking about someone having a concert in Madison Square Garden, and I didn’t even know about it.

It was after that I knew I had to go back to find those chatrooms and those websites.

I have had a couple of nicknames on here. I do remember them all, but I can only find one of them. I spent a few hours trying to search them up last week. I wanted to know how far back I could be traced. I also had a blog or a diary early on, but when I learned how Google worked (name+) I went and deleted my little diary from way back. Was happy I did it then, regrets it now. How fun wouldn’t it be to  read now what I wrote back then? LOL! Hilarious.

There was a time I deleted a lot of stuff online. It was the time when we learned to be more careful and with Google on board, on search, they could find out everything! I spent a day deleting and unsigning many things then. *sighs*

But I did find something. January 2002. It looks like a fallback site. But here’s my earliest, traceable footprints of my online life by using Google as a search-engine:

I do remember commenting on this site. (I didn’t know I had the Y for You back then, lol) The girl I’m writing to had these wonderful MJ cartoons. I was in awe, as many other people were at the time. I’m sure some of my readers remember it very well too.

I also found these two. I loved those ↓

So my oldest traceable www-life was found on a comment section for Michael Jackson cartoons. I guess it figures ♥

Have you ever tried to find your earliest online life? How far back can you be found?