Our First Overnighter.

I had my first overnight work trip recently.  It was not a planned trip, but rather one of my team members ended up in the hospital on a Tuesday, and I flew down to California to cover a panel discussion on Thursday.  Blessing or a curse, it did not give us much time to swell.  It was quite a bit harder than I thought.  The truth be told, I silently cried the whole plane trip down there. 

 

I cannot put into words exactly why it was so hard, but it was.  I read this book while flying down there and it gave me some comfort knowing that I was not certifiably crazy.  It also helped me understand that I have a choice to pretend I am not grieving or to embrace the grieving and allow it to run its course.  After three months of choosing the former, I am now choosing the latter.

 

My sister in law, Lisa, sent me this beautiful necklace.  It has Kevin's signature and a daisy engraved on the front of it.  It also has his thumbprint engraved on the back.  I kept it close to my heart the entire trip.

 

This is my friend Kristin.  She has been one of my rocks through this journey.  She and I went to lunch the day before my trip.  She is a good listener and a good problem solver.  I love her for that.  I love that she has planted herself into my life!  I hope that I never have to help her go through something like this, but I will be here if she does.

 

 

The girls and I have a tradition of giving each other notes or cards before each trip.  These give me great comfort throughout my trips.  I pull them out frequently for a smile.

 

 

Due to the timing of the panel, I was unable to fly in and out the same day.  So, I got ahold of my cousin Ronnie and stayed the night with he and Rebecca.  They bought a lovely new home last summer, and I was excited to see it.  It was fantastic to eat a bite with them and relax. 

 

 

All in all, the trip went well.  It was a very productive work trip, albeit an emotional personal trip.  Small steps forward.