The Full Experience

December 28, 2010

I have often wondered where the line is between a break, a vacation, a holiday, and a stay. I was in England so long that it didn’t feel like a vacation, it felt like a way of life. Don’t get me wrong; my time over there was very relaxing. I worked hard on my homework. Lois helped choose what color stars to put on our assignment chart. I did some reading for fun as I continued to chip away at my goal of reading all of the Newbery Medal winner books. I had a fantastic time fulfilling some of our traditions and watching new ones unfold. I about died when I went to Boot Camp with Mark. I feel up to date on all of England’s pop culture, and I had a blast playing with my niece and nephew who are so lovely!

I felt like I jumped right in to their everyday occurrences. When you go somewhere for a short period of time, special events are planned because the visit is so short. For me this wasn’t the case, so the sense of urgency was not there. Plus. I actually felt like a UK citizen as I got to experience their health care system three times in less than a week.

For almost a year I lived life without any eye problems. And here it is, Christmas again, and I am having issues with my eyes. This time, things were even more serious than before. Fortunately, I still have my eyes and I have sight in both of them, which I will never stop being thankful for. On the other hand, the cause is still unclear.

They did, however, run some blood tests while I was over there. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask about them during my last visit. Hopefully, some answers will come in the near future.

Thank you to Hilary, Mark, Lois, and Casey for taking care of me during my stay. Whether driving through the snow to the hospital (Mark) or using all his strength to bring me my water bottle so I would stay hydrated (Casey) or reminding me to take my medicine when my timer went off (Lois) or cooking and bringing me meals in bed (Hilary); I couldn't have imagine going through that experience all on my own. Love you all!