Status: Just starting out
New Kid in Town
Chapter 5
"Continental Airlines Flight #181 to Dallas-Forth Worth is now boarding. First and business class passengers please come to the desk to begin boarding", said the woman at the desk.
"This is it, guys. Reckon we are going to have some crazy stories when we get back", said Jordan with a dry chuckle.
"Yeah, bro. We must be the only guys all the way over there to play", said Jared as Sasha nodded in agreement.
"Nicky is already there, he found a place for us since we are all playing on the same team", said Sasha as they prepared to board.
The NHL lockout had started and players had dispersed to play. The trio had been contacted by the Australian Ice Hockey League two weeks before and signed contracts to play with the Perth Thunder, none of the KHL teams having made an offer. Nicklas Backstrom had also signed and was now in Perth getting everything else ready, the trio on the first stage of their journey.
"No offense, Sasha but it's better that we end up in Australia because you're the only one here who can speak Russian", teased Jared.
"Da, I know. I hope I can understand that accent, I was just getting used to the Southern one", he said.
"We are now approaching Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Please place your seats in the upright and secure position", said the pilot over the intercom.
Sasha woke up from his nap and glanced out the window as the suburbs of Dallas came into view. The plane landed half an hour later as they got off and their bags were transferred to another flight. "Guys, by tonight we are going to be in Maui. Too bad we can't actually do anything, but at least we are going to be staying in a real hotel", said Jordan.
"Da, and I am going to send a lot of postcards to my family in Krasnoyarsk. We don't have anything like that in Russia", said Sasha with a laugh.
"In Canada either, dude", laughed Jared.
An hour later after a lunch at the airport McDonald's, the trio boarded another flight headed to Kahului Airport in Maui. This flight was nearly twice as long as their first one from Raleigh, most of it over the wide blue north Pacific. Sasha closed his eyes and shut the shade on the window as he didn't want to see the ocean below, the endless blue giving him the creeps.
Sasha was relieved when the plane landed at Kahului Airport, the clock saying it was four in the afternoon according to the local time. "I just wanna pass out, but I really feel gross", said Jared as they got off the plane.
"Yeah, for real", agreed Jordan.
They got their bags from the luggage carousel and Jared hailed a cab outside the on the curb. "The nearest hotel, something decent", he told the driver.
"Welcome to Maui, how long are you staying for?", asked the driver.
"We catch a flight tomorrow for Australia and then we have one last flight to Perth. This is a helluva trip", said Jared dryly.
"Damn, wish you guys luck", said the driver.
The driver let them off at a Days Inn nearby as they all chipped in for the fare. Sasha was amused when he saw Jared literally pass out on the couch, dropping like a stone and just as sentient. "He's not used to this sort of travel, he's only been in the league for a year. When he gets up, we'll get dinner", said Jordan.
Sasha nodded in agreement as he took out a clean shirt and underwear and went to the bathroom for a shower. He felt a lot better after the shower as he decided to take a nap, Jordan going right in after him. Sasha checked his phone for texts before climbing into bed, exhaustion overtaking him as he quickly fell asleep.
"We are now approaching Kingsford Smith Airport, please place your trays and seats in the upright and secure position", said the pilot over the intercom.
"And it's just one more flight to Perth, Nicky's already there and the team found us a place near the arena", said Jordan.
"Is it a house or a flat?", asked Sasha.
"It's an apartment building, I'm staying with Jordan and you're with Nicky, a lot of the guys live around there", said Jared.
Sasha nodded as the plane began its descent. Within the hour, they were aboard a Qantas flight to Perth, the whole of Sydney spread out below them. The city was surrounded by the sort of enormous sprawling suburbs found in southern California, which soon gave way to the peaks of the Great Dividing Range and the heavily-forested Blue Mountains. The scenery below them was far more varied than anything one found in North America, the temperate east of the country with its dense forests and rustic towns giving way to the enormous deserts that comprised the interior of Australia, just endless miles of brown desert sand only broken up by the occasional cluster of trees and tiny lakes and massive stones sacred to various Aboriginal tribes along with a few sheep ranches.
"Does anyone actually live out there?", asked Jared.
"Maybe, but there's nothing there", said Jordan with a shrug.
"This is it, guys. Reckon we are going to have some crazy stories when we get back", said Jordan with a dry chuckle.
"Yeah, bro. We must be the only guys all the way over there to play", said Jared as Sasha nodded in agreement.
"Nicky is already there, he found a place for us since we are all playing on the same team", said Sasha as they prepared to board.
The NHL lockout had started and players had dispersed to play. The trio had been contacted by the Australian Ice Hockey League two weeks before and signed contracts to play with the Perth Thunder, none of the KHL teams having made an offer. Nicklas Backstrom had also signed and was now in Perth getting everything else ready, the trio on the first stage of their journey.
"No offense, Sasha but it's better that we end up in Australia because you're the only one here who can speak Russian", teased Jared.
"Da, I know. I hope I can understand that accent, I was just getting used to the Southern one", he said.
"We are now approaching Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Please place your seats in the upright and secure position", said the pilot over the intercom.
Sasha woke up from his nap and glanced out the window as the suburbs of Dallas came into view. The plane landed half an hour later as they got off and their bags were transferred to another flight. "Guys, by tonight we are going to be in Maui. Too bad we can't actually do anything, but at least we are going to be staying in a real hotel", said Jordan.
"Da, and I am going to send a lot of postcards to my family in Krasnoyarsk. We don't have anything like that in Russia", said Sasha with a laugh.
"In Canada either, dude", laughed Jared.
An hour later after a lunch at the airport McDonald's, the trio boarded another flight headed to Kahului Airport in Maui. This flight was nearly twice as long as their first one from Raleigh, most of it over the wide blue north Pacific. Sasha closed his eyes and shut the shade on the window as he didn't want to see the ocean below, the endless blue giving him the creeps.
Sasha was relieved when the plane landed at Kahului Airport, the clock saying it was four in the afternoon according to the local time. "I just wanna pass out, but I really feel gross", said Jared as they got off the plane.
"Yeah, for real", agreed Jordan.
They got their bags from the luggage carousel and Jared hailed a cab outside the on the curb. "The nearest hotel, something decent", he told the driver.
"Welcome to Maui, how long are you staying for?", asked the driver.
"We catch a flight tomorrow for Australia and then we have one last flight to Perth. This is a helluva trip", said Jared dryly.
"Damn, wish you guys luck", said the driver.
The driver let them off at a Days Inn nearby as they all chipped in for the fare. Sasha was amused when he saw Jared literally pass out on the couch, dropping like a stone and just as sentient. "He's not used to this sort of travel, he's only been in the league for a year. When he gets up, we'll get dinner", said Jordan.
Sasha nodded in agreement as he took out a clean shirt and underwear and went to the bathroom for a shower. He felt a lot better after the shower as he decided to take a nap, Jordan going right in after him. Sasha checked his phone for texts before climbing into bed, exhaustion overtaking him as he quickly fell asleep.
"We are now approaching Kingsford Smith Airport, please place your trays and seats in the upright and secure position", said the pilot over the intercom.
"And it's just one more flight to Perth, Nicky's already there and the team found us a place near the arena", said Jordan.
"Is it a house or a flat?", asked Sasha.
"It's an apartment building, I'm staying with Jordan and you're with Nicky, a lot of the guys live around there", said Jared.
Sasha nodded as the plane began its descent. Within the hour, they were aboard a Qantas flight to Perth, the whole of Sydney spread out below them. The city was surrounded by the sort of enormous sprawling suburbs found in southern California, which soon gave way to the peaks of the Great Dividing Range and the heavily-forested Blue Mountains. The scenery below them was far more varied than anything one found in North America, the temperate east of the country with its dense forests and rustic towns giving way to the enormous deserts that comprised the interior of Australia, just endless miles of brown desert sand only broken up by the occasional cluster of trees and tiny lakes and massive stones sacred to various Aboriginal tribes along with a few sheep ranches.
"Does anyone actually live out there?", asked Jared.
"Maybe, but there's nothing there", said Jordan with a shrug.