Sitting here in this hotel room by the ocean, the waves are crashing violently against the spit outside. It’s funny, we planned this little stay-cation because the weather was predicted to be pleasant and calm, but that’s Alaska for you. A storm moving up the Prince William sound is pushing high wind into Homer where we are.
I have always loved the sound of the ocean, in all of its moods, as I sit here listening to it tonight, I am trying to decide exactly what to blog about. My mind is a jumble of thoughts about the past. Partly, because I saw my primary care doctor this week and she ordered a whole new slew of tests that I will have to grit my teeth through, partly because I have an appointment with my neurologist later this week, and she’ll order a complete battery of tests and medications to go with it, and then mostly because I am rapidly approaching another milestone. Here in a few weeks, it will be 18 years since I packed my car, said good bye to friends and made the long, lonely journey back to California after being medically retired from the Navy.
It was possibly one of the biggest mistakes I made after getting diagnosed with MS, trying to go back home. All of the reasons that Ileft in the first place were still there waiting to for me. Ever the optimist, I thought it would be different for some reason. The only thing that was different was me.
Still I made the drive. It was early December. Given the time of year, the uncertainty in the weather, and the fact that I was makingthe drive alone, I decided to take the southern route home. I drove south from Charleston to Jacksonville, stayed the night then hit 1-10. I stayed two nights in New Orleans, drove from New Orleans to San Antonio, San Antonio to Phoenix, then Phoenix to Victorville.
While I moved back in with my parents, there really wasn’t any place for me at their house. I was sleeping on the couch and trying to manage a chronic medical condition with no real support. Meanwhile I was still in denial that anything was truly wrong with me.
Desperate to escape from Victorville and get away I applied for jobs immediately after the New Years. I was offered a job in Seattle, WA as a field electrical engineer. I had always wanted to see Seattle. Before I got diagnosed with MS, my orders were for the Lincoln out of Everette, WA. I eagerly signed to start in late January and packed my car once more. For the first time in months, I felt hope. I was going somewhere, anywhere but here.
My little red Hyundai loaded and ready, I put it in drive once more and pointed it north for a new adventure.
