10 days ...

I am sitting here on the couch, snuggled in with a cat at my side and a warm blanket on.  It is freezing cold outside for Silicon Valley Weather, 41 degrees F.  Christmas is in less than a week and New years will happen soon after.  The end of 2016.  It has been an incredible year reaching such incredible goals and health wise I have been so fortunate.  I have set goals and achieved them in the pool and I can't wait to achieve more in this coming 2017.  Working towards the World Transplant Games has been a dedication this year.  I started a few months ago starting back up with my Orange Theory Workouts.  I also started working with a trainer working on my strength and mobility training.  I also have been working on my breathing with special techniques that are changing the way I perform athletically.  It is incredible to see even further changes within my abilities.  Now, it is time for me to dedicate myself further as I head out on my "swimcation" in Australia.

The past few months have been filled with working 2 jobs, my usual at the YMCA and adding another with CFRI, in addition to finding new tenants for our condo and getting the old ones moved out and new ones moved in.  It is a job that doesn't happen often - but when it happens while having 2 jobs and getting ready for a trip, it is quite an undertaking! Despite the business  It has been such a joy to join the women of CFRI and work together for a cause my family has been supporting since I was just diagnosed 33 years ago!  I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to help out at CFRI and have learned a lot about myself as an employee and what I would like to do next and in the future.

In addition to the double shifts, I am catching up with friends old and new saying my "see ya laters" and filling people in on the goings on of my life.  I am so fortunate to have such incredible friends who have always supported me no matter what.  I wasn't sure how people would respond with me disappearing to the other side of the world for so long - but everyone has responded with love and understanding and simple support that I am on the right path to follow my heart, and my drive.

My other full time job is my health - and i have been making sure to get in a follow up appointment with all my doctors, get meds ordered and counted.  I need to bring enough meds for 92 days, plus extra.  It wasn't an easy feat and took months in advance to plan for this.  Strategic ordering, vacation overide refills, new prescriptions, new bipap machine, learning how to flush my own port - getting supplies for that.  Also figuring what vitamins and drugs I can get when I am in Australia so I can lighten the load.  It has been an organization feat!  I am so proud of myself though - there are so many potholes for fear and anticipation and i just keep pushing through and instead feeling excitement!

I am very excited to have my apartment, hang out with my Australian friends, spend time discovering the city of Melbourne by myself.  Pushing myself to ride public transport and not have a car of my own.  My biggest feat will be grocery shopping with my 2 hands and no trunk of the car - this CF girl eats a LOT!

I have made a few friends through Facebook who also have lung transplants or are waiting.  They have helped me get in touch with the transplant center in Melbourne and my transplant team is thrilled I want to be seen and followed there at the Alfred while I am away.  My team always tells me how impressed they are with the fact I want to always take care of myself.  I told them no trip is worth compromising my future health for - it is all done within reason.  I may be a little crazy but it is always a controlled crazy.

I am looking forward to Christmas with my family - seeing my sister as our time together is so few and far between.  I am getting some good time in with my family before I leave too - making my connections and sharing my love and gratitude for family and friends is so important to me.  I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of you.

It feels so very special to me too that my layover on the way to Australia is on Oahu and I get to spend 20 hours with one of my dearest friends Joanna.  I am looking forward to her send off.  I arrive in Australia on Dec 31st, just in time to ring in the new year.  It feels very fortuitous that I get to bring in the new year in this new country I will call home for a few months.  I am launching on my new journey - dedicating my time and energy to swimming and exploring a new city and delving into my own soul and self exploration.  My version of eat, pray, love - why I re-named my blog Travel, Swim, Breathe. Bring on 2017!