I had my first post-sickness, celebration of good health trip. My mom and I went to Key West. It was so beautiful. The weather was fantastic, the food was unbelievable and the sunsets really are something. Swimming in the water at the Dry Tortugas, snorkeling and checking out the coral reefs really reminded me why we fight so hard to get through life. I had never snorkeled before, never saw coral that was waving with the current, sapphire blue water and fish that were a rainbow of colors. I sat on the water staring at the horizon and thought that getting through chemo was worth this. I firmly believe that chemo might have been nine hundred times more bearable if a picture of it was on my chemo chair instead of well, just the white walls. Key West was also perfect because it was so laid back. I still don't have all my strength back. I have a lot of it back but I still need to relax during the day which kind of takes away the partiness that I once had. But there it was so unnecessary. You could just lay by the pool, walk up Duval Street (COACH OUTLET!!!), and everyone was really nice and friendly. Plus like I mentioned THE FOOD. Fantastic sushi, key lime pie frozen and dipped in chocolate, salmon, macademia and coconut encrusted scallops, mmmm. I miss it already. I'm so lucky that my mom could take me away for a while. It was so something that I didn't even realize that I needed. Some people were like, but you weren't at work for a while, isn't that like a vacation. I stare at them and think, "uh, chemo is not a vacation." "Pneumonia is not a vacation" Needing to take a day off because radiation has kicked my ass a bit--not a vacation! Taking time off to heal is not necessarily a vacation it's a necessity. Sometimes I felt like I didn't deserve to take time off because i had been sick. But it was important to take a few days just to reflect and relax. And because I wanted to. Not because I had to. It was good for my mental health as well as my physical health. Getting up late and doing nothing but relaxing and soaking up the sun (with 45 sunblock, a rashguard to swim in and a tree to sit under ofcourse) and reading a good book just gave my body time to recoup from all it's been through. Two days after i got back I was bike riding 20 miles with my best friend. I just felt so renewed. Corny, I know. But there's got to be something to it.