After working a 12 hour shift and running on no sleep for the past 24 hours, I finally was able to get my family and our bags packed into the car and off to LAX. We arrive at the airport 2 hours before departure, which for us, is a rarity. Half the time we're running way behind schedule and have even missed a flight in the past. We have the shuttle from our long term parking take us to the terminal, and after fighting the kiosk, we finally talk to a check-in attendant. We got onto our flight with minimal fuss and were off to our stopover, Calgary. My cousin had completely passed out during the plane ride and I am so glad I snapped a shot of it. When we arrived in Calgary, it was snowing, making the entire airport look like a winter wonderland! My cousin had never felt, or even seen the stuff so this was pretty momentous. After 2 hours of waiting, we boarded the short flight to Vancouver. The plane was a bit smaller and only seated in pairs, but the entertainment system made up for it. My mom was able to charge her phone on the USB port, while my cousin and I watched a movie. It was pretty great. By the time we made it to the baggage carousel, they had already gotten our bags and put it on a cart for us. Though a bit embarrassed at our lack of punctuality, it was awesome we didn't have to wait and lift the bags. The ride over to our hotel was about 20 minutes. We stayed at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Harbourfront. The hotel and room itself was modern, clean and had tons of elevators. Rarely did we ever wait for one. What a beautiful hotel, and at such a great price for 4 days. The bellman helped with our baggage and even gave us the lowdown on where we should visit while in Vancouver and what places we should eat at. He was extremely pleasant and kind to us. My mother wanted to go out and explore, but after work, driving to LA and the lack of sleep on the plane ride I was exhausted. Instead, I decide a nap was in order. When I finally wake up a few hours later, my cousin and mother had fallen asleep as well. I coax them to wake up, and after a few moans and groans we were off to have a late dinner. Luckily for us Vancouver seems to be a city full of late night eateries. We were supposed to eat at the poutine place, but mom decided she wanted the Chinese seafood restaurant. It was so-so. On our way back to hotel we stop by a nearby 7-eleven to pick up snacks and water. Turns out the cashier was Filipino, so while my mother conversed with him, my cousin and I devise a quick photo shoot. I decided to start a jumping photo series while we were in Canada. It had my cousin at several locations we visited jumping in the middle of the shot, making him look as if he was meditating.
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| Absolutely hate waiting in airport lines. |
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| My mother is ready to go. |
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| The view from the outside of our airplane window was gorgeous. |
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| And ladies and gentlemen, my cousin in all his sleepy glory. |
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| We were in Calgary and wanted to feel what the weather was outside. This was my mother's expression. |
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| The beginning of our meditation jumping series. |
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| Waiting for our plane to Vancouver. |
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| My mother charging her phone in the airplane's USB port. |
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| Calgary Airport. |
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| I love this photo with my mom. Experimenting at the time. |
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| One of my favorite photos of the trip. Loving the playfulness of it. |
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| Seriously the best bellman we've ever had. |
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| Chinese restaurant. Mother's choice. |
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| 7-eleven shenanigans. |
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| I love this photo of my mom. |
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| Hotel lobby of our hotel room. |
