Long Awaited Vacation

It feels like an eternity since I’ve written about life and my search for that silver lining. When I started this blog it was to journal our day to day life in New York City and to keep our love ones informed on Jimmy’s condition and progress. That was over a year and a half ago. I can say with much joy that Jim is doing well. Life is finally getting back to normal. We don’t worry as much about every little thing. The doctors are pleased with his progress. We still go up to Memorial Sloan Kettering every three months for testing and/or a checkup and in-between visits he is followed by a wonderful doctor at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

Back in June something wonderful happened. The organization Be The Match flew Jim, Sara, Skye and me to Minneapolis, MN to meet his donor. Debby, Jim’s sister, also flew up for the event. The reunion took place at the headquarters of Be The Match during a staff meeting of over 200 employees. We were invited on stage and the doctor running the meeting asked Jim a lot of questions. Next they invited Mike and his lovely wife, Molly, to join us on stage. Hugs all around. It was an incredible experience. Mike was then asked to talk about what it was like being a donor. After the meeting we went to Mike’s parents home and had a barbecue. We were able to not only meet his parents but also his siblings and extended family. Unfortunately the girls had to cut the evening short and fly back home. It was wonderful getting to meet everyone. We have gained an extended family. They were so gracious, fun and down to earth. Our kind of people. Mike’s generous gift of life has forever formed a bond between our family and his.

On to September. Wednesday the 6^th we set out on a three-week adventure in the Airstream. We have been looking forward to vacationing in it ever since we were in NYC. Our first destination – Grayson Highland State Park in southwest Virginia. It is the highest region in Virginia (Mt Rogers mountain). I can’t say it was easy getting here. It rained almost the entire drive but the worse part was as we got closer to the park it became more difficult to pull our 29-foot loaded Airstream. The hairpin turns on the last few miles of the trip were extremely frightening. I had to basically look down at my lap, take deep breaths and pray. Jim did remarkably well alternating gears and speeds maneuvering the curves. We pulled in after hours and set up camp.

Thursday was beautiful. The rain had stopped and it was partly sunny. Two wild ponies were in the field behind our campsite. There are around 100 adult ponies living in this area. According to some literature I read they live in herds of 10 to 20 with one stallion per herd. The ponies graze freely on vegetation which helps keep the alpine vistas and grassy balds open and clear, providing a better view for everyone. 

After a slow start to the day we took a drive around the park, stopping at the visitor center. We took turns outside with Boo while one of us went into the visitor center. It was very nice inside and they had a great display of the history of the area and examples of the animals and vegetation that inhabit the park. The visitor center is the only area in the park where our cellphones worked. Jim called his parents to check on them and the status of Hurricane Irma. They were in the car driving inland a few hours from their home in Naples, Florida. At this point no one knows exactly where Irma will make landfall. We were also able to check our emails and Jim checked in with the office.

From the visitor center we took a walk to Little Pinnacle, the highest point in the park (5,089 feet). The views were stunning even with it being partly sunny. In the distance we could see North Carolina and Tennessee. I’m not sure Boo liked it so much. It was windy and rocky but otherwise a short, easy hike. On our way up a fighter jet flew overhead low enough that the sound from the engines actually hurt our ears. I can only imagine what that sounded like for a dog.

Friday morning we woke up to the ponies in “our yard”. They were actually right outside of our campground. Some people do not abide by the rules and they let their children pet the ponies as if they were at a frickin petting zoo. They are beautiful to watch but should be left alone.




After breakfast we walked the Wilson Creek trail. It was supposed to be a 1.8 mile “difficult” hike to a 25-foot waterfall. We started at what we thought was the trailhead but when all was said and done we started at the wrong trail further back which looped into the correct trail so our distance was longer. It was unbelievable that Boo made this journey. My 10 ½ year old lab went down rocky crevices barking a lot of the journey. The waterfalls were beautiful. The sky was blue and we were the only ones on the trail. For Jim to be 17 months post-transplant and to have hiked this trail while helping Boo along the way was an accomplishment to celebrate.

 Friday night the campground started to fill up. We have had pretty much privacy until now but the weekenders are here. We’ve met a few families that live within an hour’s drive of the park and they have been nice to talk to. Jim and I reminisced of the days when we took the girls camping and how they met friends and ran carelessly through the campground. Good times.

Saturday we left Grayson Highland State Park. Maneuvering the Airstream was not as difficult descending the mountain but you could smell the brakes on the truck struggling. Jimmy is already planing on purchasing a diesel truck before we tow through the mountains again.