Let’s keep going with these re-caps… this one is a heavy one!
September started off on a very high note. After a full month in the ICU department + recovery suite, my sister, Lena, was transferred out of the hospital and into a rehab center (on the very last day of August, I believe)!
Lena thinks she looks ugly here, but I think it perfectly shows how excited she was to be out and see something other than 4 hospital walls. :)
(Hello new readers! Read here if you have no idea what happened.)
This put everyone in a good mood. Once in rehab, she progressed very fast – from gaining the strength to walk to eating solid food to re-learning the everyday tasks we all take for granted – and by mid-September, she was given the clearance for discharge.
I wrote a Day in the Life during this period to give an idea of what my days were like, so check it out here!
With her recovery going so well, I booked a ticket to meet D in Osaka, Japan at the end of the month. The plan was that I would stay with my sister at her apartment in LA for two weeks (as she needed full time supervision still) and then she will continue her recovery at my parents’ after I leave.
Disaster struck within minutes of moving into my sister’s. I was hanging outside the door while she used the bathroom (in case she needed help), when I heard “uh oh… the water’s not going down.”
“Use a plunger!” I yelled.
“Okay, I’m using it… but it’s not working…” she said after several seconds.
“Let me see,” I walked in to help… and… “That’s not a plunger!! That’s a toilet scrub! Where’s your plunger?!”
“Oh…”
At this point, I was starting to wonder if her intelligence had been affected….
Meanwhile, water really had risen above the surface and was now rapidly spilling over the edge.
The next 20 minutes or so were spent hurriedly grabbing every single towel in the apartment (and ugly T-shirts when we ran out), building a dam, soaking up the water, squeezing it out, soaking up the water again, and squeezing it out again, and again, and again, and finally disinfecting the newly-dried floor, all while squealing “this is so gross!”
We were already off to a wonderful start.
But aside from the little snafu at the beginning, the two weeks I spent with my sister were some of the best I’ve ever had. While her boyfriend, Alex, was at work all day, we had fun just hanging out and spending time together. And then every evening, different friends came by to visit and have dinner. We often joked that she had quite a full social calendar for a disabled person.
1. Selfie with Lorraine // 2. Go Fish is hard! (with Karina) // 3. Alex is a bunny // 4. Lena with her occupational therapist at a patient reunion
It wasn’t long before she was capable of walking again without assistance. We took the opportunity to go to as many places as we could during this time. We were both going to be leaving soon… me to resume my travels, and her down to Orange County to our parents’. Alex took us to all their favorite restaurants, I made sure to eat my fill of all the food that I’ve missed, we spent a day at the beach, and another shopping at the mall… we both didn’t want these weeks to end.
1. Baldwin Hills scenic overlook // 2. Korean bbq in K-town // 3. Nick’s Cafe // 4. beach time!
These weeks felt like a huge dark cloud had been lifted and that life is sunny again. I was finally able to just enjoy spending time with my sister, knowing that she is going to be completely okay. Officially, I was there to take care of her, but really, it felt like a vacation. I wasn’t doing anything except for having fun.
But it passed all too fast, and on the last Saturday of the month, we headed down to Orange County to my parents’, where she would stay for the remainder of her recovery.
It’s hard to describe what I was feeling as we drove down. In case you haven’t been reading from the beginning, here’s the very short version: due to my family not supporting my decision to quit my job and travel, we had a falling apart and, well, I haven’t been welcomed back home ever since. As terrifying as what happened to my sister was, there was one good thing it did: it forced the four of us to be in the same place again. For the time being at least, we were together again as one united front, all fighting for her life. All wishing for the survival of our little family as a whole, complete unit.
And so, it was then that I was finally invited back home and I stepped foot into my parents’ house for the first time in over two years.
I imagine that this is true for anyone visiting your parents’ home: no matter how much time has passed, everything is always so familiar like you’ve never left, even if there are furniture changes or new pictures on walls. You still know exactly where everything is kept and your toothbrush is still in its holder on the vanity. I guess home will always feel like home, proving that yes, you can go home again.
Some snapshots:
1. visiting D’s dog, Naya, at his parents’ on the way down // 2. oh look, it’s us on Alex’s sunglasses // 3. I love this pic Alex snapped of us with our mom // 3. my mom made zhajiangmian, my favorite!
I spent one day and one night at home. It was hard saying bye again, especially to my sister. I’m truly grateful and happy for the time I had to re-bond with her. But I know it’s not really goodbye, because we talk all the time now that it’s like I’m carrying her in my purse.
After saying bye, I had only one more thing left to do before leaving SoCal. I made a stop to have a long dinner with one very special friend, who replaced my stolen St. Christopher.
And then I was off to the airport to fly to D… on what would turn out to be the most frustrating 48-hour travel journey of my life thus far…
::::
There is one more thing I want to say before I move on… and that is that I cannot express how much it means to me that my friends supported me through this. I landed in LA terrified of what I’d be facing and basically having no idea where I’d be sleeping, and my friends opened up their homes to me without hesitation. I really can’t thank them enough.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take too many pictures during the 5 weeks I stayed with friends, but here are some snippets from what I could find:
1. celebrating Claire’s birthday – photo booth fun! // 2. WL’s corgi, Kobe // 3. taking Kobe for his weekly park visit with WL and her husband // 4. pizza with O & NT
And this, I think, wraps up my time in Los Angeles!
What are some of your returning home experiences?
Wow, what an emotional month September was for you!! So glad that your sister is good now, and also that you got the chance to see your parents again :) I can imagine how tough it must have been to say goodbye again, but also how excited you must have been to be flying to D again!
Thanks Marcella for all your well wishes for my sister! It was sad to say bye, but I am really happy to be on the road again with D!
Sh*t! I read all the way to the last part where you were terrified to be back in LA. That really does sound terrible. Your home should be one place you can feel… at home. I hope I won’t have to face with this anxiety :/ .
I can’t even say how horrible it is to feel like that you can’t go home. My family still has a long way to go, but I’m glad being able to go back for a day is a first step.
I don’t think I’ve commented on your blog before, but I love this! I’m so glad to hear your sister is well, but I especially love the story about your family. Good luck + safe travels!
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment Jennifer! I’ve been loving your instagrams :). I wish you the best of luck on your travels as well!
Aww, glad you’re enjoying them! Cheers :)
I’m so happy your sister is doing great and that this brought your family closer. Life is so short, I’m so happy you are doing great!
Yes, this experience really taught me that life is so fragile and can go wrong so easily! My family still has a long way to go, but I’m just so thankful that everyone is healthy now. :)
So pleased that all turned out well with your parents, hope that the return trip to your parents’ place went some way towards patching things up between you and them. Can’t believe you’ve been on the road 2 years now, seems like only yesterday you had just started writing about it!
Thanks so much Shikha! I’ve been traveling for a little over 1.5 years, but the fall out with my family happened several months before I hit the road. We still have a ways to go to patching everything up, but going home for a day is a first step. :)
September sounds like it was an absolute roller coaster, but I’m so glad that it ended on a positive note and that you had a strong set of friends to help you get through it. Thank goodness your sister is okay! I think coming home can be really difficult, but your case sounds particularly extreme. I admire your strength and positivity!
Awww thanks so much Courtney! It was really hard going back to LA, not knowing what would happen and especially not being able to go home for a while. But I’m glad everything turned out great in the end. :)
I’m so glad that your sister recovered so quickly and so well. I hope she’s still progressing in her recovery and is as back to normal as possible.
I have a bit of a dysfunctional family too – I haven’t been to visit my mother in a few years, since my father passed away. She has pretty much written me out of her life (the reason… I’ve never been 100% sure) and sometimes I wonder whether I should work it out, but having tried a few times, I’ve just given up.
I’m glad your family were able to pull together for your sister though! Maybe this is the start of a new relationship with your parents :)
I know what you mean about giving up after trying a few times. :( A person can only suffer so much disappointment. Sometimes, I wondered if I would ever work things out with my family, and I guess I am grateful that this allowed us to come together again. I’m thankful that I’m close again with my sister. I still have a ways to go with my dad, but at least this was a first step.
I hope you will make peace with your family situation too, whether it’s just making peace with it in your mind, or actually working it out. Sometimes, just knowing you tried your best is good enough I think.
And thanks so much for all your well wishes for my sister. She’s back to normal now… even back to work!
Man that was one hell of a September! I’m glad everything worked out ok and I hope that she’s continuing to recover to full strength today!
I’m currently on a return-home experience myself, haha. And I have to say that it’s completely strange and not for me anymore (other than visits back home)!
I’m happy that you were able to go home and that your family was all for you :)
Yes, she is completely well now… even back to work! Thanks so much Michelle!
I bet it’s strange to go back home again after you’ve just had the summer of your life!! I hope you make the best of it :).
I’m so glad you were able to spend time with your family! I know that must have been a bit stressful at first. I’m so glad your sister is doing better and that you were able to rekindle with your parents. :)
Thank you Amanda! I’m really glad I was able to rebond with my sister :). In a strange way, this was a healing experience for my family, but we still have a ways to go. I’m sure we’ll get there eventually :).
Aw this is such good vibes and a good note to hear about your sister’s recovery!
Yeah, she made a full recovery really fast! Thanks so much for all your well wishes during this time, Camila! xx