Hello Again, Hello

"It's not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts."
~Zig Ziglar

 

The day is finally here. After 45 days of medical leave, I have been approved to return to Togo. I am so happy I wasn't medically separated, and that my PT pushed me to reach this deadline. Thank you to the team at Harbor Physical Therapy; you are all awesome people. My neck is much better now. I am pain free. I can do all household chores and even exercise workouts. I still need to improve my strength, but have lots of exercises that I will continue in Togo.

The silver lining to the accident was having this opportunity to heal at home, surrounded by friends and family. I met my adorable nephew Kai for the first time, visited friends in Seattle, watched the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, and even went on a midnight stroll through the snow (not something I was expecting to do this winter!) It wasn't all fun and games though. Wearing a neck brace 24 hours a day for four weeks made getting a good night's sleep pretty hard, and taking a shower with a brace was annoying.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to Togo to finish my work. We're coming down the home stretch with only 6 months left, but I still have so much to do! My school will be building its library, I have teaching and clubs to facilitate, and an end-of-the-school-year, city-wide spelling bee to organize. The time is going to fly, and before I know it I'll be back in Gig Harbor, just in time to celebrate Kai's 1st birthday.

When I decided to enter the Peace Corps and move to Togo, feedback from friends and family was filled with worry and concern for my health and safety. I heard all the horror stories. Lots of doom and gloom. I know some people would probably be discouraged after experiencing such a horrible accident, and might not want to consider another African adventure. Surprisingly, I feel exactly the opposite. I won't let fear drive me away from my dreams. I'm already planning another safari trip in Africa after I leave Togo. I've learned to leave the past in the past, and now it's time to lean forward.