What an incredible two weeks we have had in France. It’s amazing what we did and accomplished while here. We saw three regions of France, we experienced two Famous wineries that do not export their wine out of their area and we got to paddleboard in the French Mediterranean Sea among yachts and coastal village towns with colors of the sun. Sitting in the water floating among the sea looking back at the Village opened my eyes to all that I can do and have done with this illness. I did not let it win and bring me down and I have overcome so much. So to sit in the French Riviera with the love of my life looking out among the ocean, at Villafrenche Sur Mer, I saw my life ahead of me. Our lives ahead of us. A vision I have lost for years. The sight of a life ahead of me.
Despite dealing with chronic illnesses and a body that always lets me down I am in happy tears to say that my body feels tired and my legs are sore but I did everything I wanted to do. When we get back home I have a leg procedure coming up to help with the leg pains and vein issues I am experiencing. I was nervous if my legs would hold up. And they did. I was nervous my heart would act up. But it didnt. I was nervous I would have an Sphincter of OddI attack or pancreatitis or sick from eating but only a few pains hit and mostly I am able to Control the pain now with the meds. The hardest part of the trip was staying on A medication regiment while being here and not taking too many pain meds versus not being in too much pain. Matt and I worked together and I was able to stay on track and I never missed a dose of meds while I was here. I did run out of my stroke/Parkinsons meds but I rationed for the end of the trip since we were going to Versailles. It worked!
I was nervous about coming on this trip. I thought of everything that could go wrong and would go wrong but it was ruining my enjoyment of planning for the trip. Matt took the brunt of that and he handled it so well. I feel like I am ready to go back to the States and start life again. I shed the old me in France and I became a new person. A happy person. I want to get back to living life and seeing friends and going to the gym, yoga and swimming. My favorite activities all at my fingertips with all the time I need to do them everyday But I just never felt the desire to get up and do them. France, you gave me back my happiness. Matt, you gave me the best gift of my life. He is such an amazing man. I am so very lucky. No one holds a candle to this man and I can not wait to be his wife.
We sit here in the airport in France waiting to board our flight, and I am so excited to get home. I miss our kitties and our dogs and our home. I miss our garden and the simplicity of our life. I look forward to bringing more happiness and love into our home and counting down until we get married in October.
Thank you for being a part of my journey. Your love, prayers and thoughts allowed me to travel to France. A place I have always held dear for some unknown reason. I just never let go of the hope of TakinG my grand adventure and then along came Matt and with his love and kindness, my dreams came true.
Sarah