July 30, 2016 – almost packed and ready

It’s been a year since I wrote anything here; and a long year it’s been.  I think in all the almost 58 years of my  life, this has been the longest..  I’m fortunate that most of my life is filled with wonderful people, places, things, and happenings so if I forget to include them here, please know that they all exist…always!

I haven’t felt “good” all this past year.  I’m sure I way underestimated the stress of going back to work, etc.  I felt better 8 weeks after surgery, before returning to work, then I do now!  I’m sure I underestimated many things; including work, school, house and financial management and so, just in case that wasn’t enough…I’ve also been home remodeling…more than was done in the 25 years prior living in this house!!!  I was blessed with reclaimed cabinets from family of family which got the ball rolling.  It’s been a great adventure, but I had to take a break to rebuild funds and to, well, just take a break!!!

I’ve been trying multiple paths to health and wellness and I’ve hit several bumps in the road; feeling that my body has been betraying me when, in truth, as I write this here, I can say I should be looking at it completely differently!  I’m lucky to be alive and I do know that; I’ve just felt off: slow, not quite myself; not very capable, and tired of everything making me so tired so fast! My metabolism has been at a near halt.

My plan for this pre-AoM Conference cruise is to read my summer reading for school and just try to recharge/renew and begin rebuilding my physical self to be a more recognizable me!  That’s a lot to hope for for 4 days!

Anaheim will not be too taxing; I have 3 events that I coordinate and need to verify venues on Fri/Sat and then Sun ensure 2 small meetings get started well; Monday evening is the reception I coordinate and then Tuesday will check out of hotel and spend most of the day at one of the 2 Disneyland parks before catching the Red-Eye home!

So, my dearest friend Linda, who I know reads my blogs and shares with me afterward, I am fairly certain this one will be a bit of a let-down!  But I could be wrong–I’ve been wrong before!

The only real thing left to pack for this trip is this laptop and my Kindle!  When I get home from this trip, my oldest son, Michael, is moving to Claremont California, amazingly near where I’ll be next week, to pursue his PhD!  I’ll miss him but am so excited for this new phase of his life!  He and son #2 Kenny both took such good care of me pre-and post surgery.  I’m so grateful, but also happy to see him taking up opportunities for his future.  I am troubled by the thought that caring for me held him/them back in any way.  Yet I don’t know what I would have done without them.  I’m sure my sisters and even my brothers would have stepped in if needed, but well everyone is so busy with their own lives that I’m glad I didn’t need to disrupt theirs.

I fly out in the morning to Orlando; and then once my shuttle takes me to my hotel, I get to see my Aunt Bobbie and cousin Sue for the first time in over 30 years.  Thankfully due to Facebook, we’ve re-established connections after all this time.  I cannot wait to give and get hugs!  You know, once you’re on your own and alone most of the time, hugs is something that you get very few of!  In my case, the trade-off is peace and no humiliation which was the apparent price I paid in earlier times to get what I thought was a loving embrace.

I’m looking forward to this little cruise.  My brother John had $650 in Royal Caribbean certificates and offered them up; I waited a week or so to see if any of the other sibs were takers…and then I said I’d like them!  I’m glad I did.  Even though there were no trips out of California, I decided to fly to Orlando and do this.  And it presented the opportunity to catch up with Sue and Aunt Bobbie….so it is PERFECT!

I am not buying internet on the ship so I’ll be 4 days off the grid (will I survive it?!); but will be online once in Anaheim.  TTYL!!!!!