My husband will be retiring from the US Air Force this December after 20 years of active duty service.  It is a scary and exciting thing all wrapped up in one.  The transition to the civilian world is definitely an adventure with the civilian job hunt and things being up in the air, like will we have to move for a job.  In that sense it’s somewhat like military life…haha.  

In a retirement ceremony the retiree has been known (a tradition) to get their immediate family members gifts as a thank you for serving beside them and living the sacrifice as well.  Well I got a surprise recently.  I’m going to Hawaii to see my family next month!  This is my “retirement gift,” it’s 5 months early.  My husband knows how much I love and miss my family in Hawaii and then there is the beach and all.  I will be there to celebrate my great uncles 90th birthday.  I’m super excited.  The only thing is, I’m going by myself and I haven’t traveled with oxygen alone.  I already have my form for the airline done and approved.  It’s a long flight and I have 1 layover in both directions.  I know I will be fine it’s just the anxiety part of being alone and not having my husband there with me to push me along and to help me focus.

Charge it!!  That’s how this trip is happening.  The transplant fund has not been touched in case you were wondering.  That account/fund is for medical things only!  We added to our debt to make it happen, just like most of the American population does for trips. haha.  We did get a decent airfare so that’s nice.  The plus of having family there is I can couch hop if I need to once I get there. haha!  It helps to make the trip less expensive for me.

My husband knows my desire to see as many beaches, even if they are repeats, as possible before I can’t travel anymore, it’s a bucket list item of mine.  Once I am listed for transplant I can’t leave the immediate area or go beyond 3-4 hours away from my transplant center.  That’s not to say I can’t travel after I am healed and doing well from transplant.  I just want to live my life as much as I can before I can’t and I’m too sick to do things before I’m listed.  My life is already altered as it is.  I can’t do some things that I used to be able to do when we moved to Tennessee 4 years ago.  I cherish every day that I feel decent and am able to do simple things like sweep the kitchen without stopping too many times or even better is when I can vacuum without too many coughing fits and breaks.  I call that a productive day.  Not to mention the break I have to take after I do said chores…haha.  I do not take the good days for granted and take the bad days and rest.  With all that said, I have been feeling decent enough besides an annoying cough, but that’s a given.

Until next time…  (I’ll update after my trip.  Please pray that it is a good one and I’m able to endure the whole trip with no bad days.)