In March 2013, my mom and I were supposed to travel to Italy for Spring Break with a group of people from my former college. We committed to the trip in Fall 2012, and in January 2013 my mom even flew down to visit me at school to attend a special meeting for the trip. Long story short, we never ended up going, and the image below was my view for SB (which if you were wondering is the front yard of my house in early March).
While shopping out shopping in Charlotte one Sunday in February 2013, I started getting hit with the one of the most insane headaches that I've ever experienced in my life, and also getting weird chills. At the time I thought that I was just over tired, so I bought one of those Starbucks caffeinated fruit beverage things (I can't remember their name) at the mall, but it just made me feel worse. I still don't know how I made it back to school safely since my former college is over an hour away from the mall that I was at, but somehow I managed to drive back. I was feeling even worse by that night... and those symptoms lasted for almost a month. During that time I missed over two weeks of classes, and my whole break. I went to various doctors four times, and the emergency room once. I was tested for the flu, strep throat and mono, and all the tests came back negative. I still don't know what I was sick with last year. I had every symptom of mono, but both of my mono tests were negative so one of the doctors that I saw guessed that it was a freak virus that took on mono-like symptoms. (Here and here are links to posts that I wrote while I was sick.)
Two weeks after I got sick, I still wasn't much better. My sore throat had left, but the fever and terrible headaches remained. It wasn't looking likely that my mom and I would make it to Italy, but then a new problem arose: what I would do for Spring Break. I was so weak that I couldn't even drive (or barely even leave my room- I ate in the caf once during week two of being sick and all my energy just dissapeared) or really take care of myself, so my parents quickly booked a flight and flew me home to Maine. Getting myself through the airport took up what was left of my low energy levels, so I spent the rest of SB at home, in Maine, in bed. Near the end of my time at home, my mom tried to take me on a day trip to lunch and my favorite mall in Massachusetts, but even after almost three weeks I was still feeling so terribly that we had to leave shortly after getting there- and I never leave a mall early!
Last year's illness was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to go through. Not just because of the physical symptoms, but because of the inner turmoils that I was experiencing at the time. Transferring colleges had been something that I had been pondering since second semester started, but it was getting sick that actually finalized the decision for me that I would transfer. (I don't want to go into detail, but basically my former college was the worst possible place for an out-of-state student to get very sick at.) Anxiety is something that I've always struggled with, and being very sick and having to start the transferring process kicked my anxiety levels into high gear... and let's not even talk about the two-plus weeks of make-up homework and missed midterms that had to start on!
....
Goodness, that first part of the post ended up being wayyyy longer then I expected. Sorry, y'all. I'm not trying to be a huge Debby-Downer, I just want to be honest about how tough last year's Spring Break was for me. Anyways, I am a firm believer that good things come to those who wait. My Spring Break seemed ruined at the time, but I am grateful that my parents had the finances to be able to fly my home unexpectedly like that, and grateful that they supported my decision to transfer. Getting through all of the make-up work me work harder then I ever have before, and a little hard work is never a bad thing. And lastly, had my mom and I gone to Italy then my family never would have gone on our trip to England and Scotland this past Christmas!!
And the best news, I'm finally going to get my fun Spring Break! I'm so excited to share my plans with y'all. I blogged a little bit in this post about how a friend from Maine is coming to visit me! My sweet friend Shara is arriving a couple days before my Spring Break actually starts, so the fun of break will start early for me. :-) I'm actually happy that it worked out this way, because she'll get a real feel for what my day-to-day life is like at school, and most of my friends should still be around on the day that she arrives! The first weekend of my break will consist of showing Shara around the beautiful Queen's City, and also a couple of daytrips! That weekend will also be the annual pagaent at my former college, and I'm taking Shara out to meet some of my friends from there, and to cheer on all of the lovely ladies that I know who are doing the pagaent this year!
And on the day that I say good-bye to Shara, my dad arrives in Charlotte... and the next morning he and I are heading here:
My dad and I are headed to the Dominican Republic for some sun and relaxation!! I am SO excited. The only time that I have ever been to the Caribbean was on an ill-fated cruise that my mom's whole side of the family did when I was in second grade (the weather was so bad that even the ship's crew was seasick). Being from Maine, I get overexcited by things like aquamarine colored water and palm trees, so I have a feeling that this trip will be right up my alley! It will also be wonderful to have a vacation that is truly relaxing. My family's trip to England and Scotland over Christmas was great, but it was also one of the most stressful and busy things that I have ever done in my life. I can't wait to have a vacation that doesn't have a crazy agenda, and I'm most excited for WARM weather. It's supposed to snow in Charlotte this week for the second time this season... this Mainer is ready for some heat!
I feel crazy blessed to have such amazing SB plans. And grateful to have a sweet friend who is coming to see me, and a dad who wants to spend time with me. I would much rather pick quality time with good friends and family over the stereotypical college student experience... y'all know what I mean. :-)
I'll be dreaming of palm trees and 80 degree temperatures as Charlotte begins to get more snow... which is supposedly starting tonight?!
xoxo Miss ALK
February 11, 2014
5 comments
Thanks so much for reading Southern Belle in Training! Comments make my day- so feel free to share your thoughts on this post! I read each and every comment.
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Ahhh FUN!!!!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great vacation!!
ReplyDeletexx
Lauren Elizabeth
Petite in Pearls
That looks like a great Spring Break! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a blast... You deserve it! Can't wait to see the fun photos that you will post!
ReplyDeletexx, ss || seersuckersass.blogspot.com
That is where we went on our honeymoon! Imagine the most perfect beaches and beautiful water you've ever seen! Are you staying at a resort?
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