My recovery Journey continues: Previous post here
First of all, I’m truly thankful to be able to travel again after a few months of recovery. Arizona summers, especially in July, are brutal. Taking the dog for a walk at 5:15 in the morning is tough when the surface roads don’t cool below 85 degrees overnight. It’s hard enough for us humans, but even harder on our furry friend. So every year, we head north to escape the heat. This time, we went back to the Pacific Northwest—specifically, the Seattle area—to find some relief.
Our daughter joined us for the drive up, partly to help out behind the wheel. But, as usual, my wife and I love long road trips and my wife ended up doing most of the driving! Still, it was really nice having her along, and she introduced us to some great gluten-free bakeries on the way!
On this trip, we made a stop in Park City, Utah—a favorite spot of ours—and then visited a friend in Sun Valley for the first time. What an absolutely beautiful place! It really made an impression on us.
Health-wise, I’m feeling great and basically back to normal, though I’m still on heavy blood thinners until next month, so I have to be extra careful with cuts, bumps and bruises. I am hopeful that once they pull back on the dosages some of the small side effects start to fade away (tiredness, bloody noses, muscle aches) Preparing my medication every week continues still a bit of a mental challenge, but I’m managing.
Thanks for reading this post!
Food while traveling is always tough for me. I’ve always admired my daughter and sister—both celiac—and how careful they must be about what and where they eat. They’re definitely my role models. My wife does a wonderful job thinking ahead and prepping meals and snacks, which makes things easier.
Surprisingly, socializing at restaurants hasn’t been as hard as I thought it might be. There’s usually fish, meat, and salads to choose from, and I’ve swapped wine or alcoholic drinks for unsweetened tea, water, or coffee. Believe it or not, I haven’t had a Diet Coke since my heart attack—a big win for me!
Overall, I’ve been eating well—no sugars, fats, or processed foods. Lately, I’ve been craving a Russian cookie, but I’ve managed to satisfy the craving with a single honey graham cracker sheet per day. If you know me, you know that’s a huge accomplishment! (Update: I did give in and had a Russian cookie today at a bakery with coffee—the craving won! — Just one!)
As for exercise, we’re still walking every morning and evening, but I haven’t made it back to the gym or pool yet. I need to carve out the time for that. Funny enough, my Instagram is starting to call me out for that inconsistency, showing me how to do exercises at home, using chairs and such! How does it know????
Visiting with long-time friends has been wonderful. My wife is a total social butterfly with a packed schedule, while I still have a full-time job to keep up with—so I’m a little behind on the socializing. Some people gain energy from being around others; I’m not one of those. My wife, on the other hand, really thrives off the energy of the crowd—she truly flies with it! Despite that, it’s been great reconnecting with friends we hadn’t seen in five or six years and catching up on life’s usual updates. (Well, except when it comes to grandkids—that reminds me how old I am!)
Mentally, I’m doing well overall, but I wouldn’t be honest if I said the recent wave of tech layoffs haven't been top of mind for me. I feel lucky and grateful to still have a great full-time job, but it’s tough to see so many colleagues—some I’ve worked closely with—looking for new opportunities. The market is challenging, and things will continue to shift. (For anyone wondering, this isn’t just about AI—that’s a whole other conversation!) If you’re reading this and think I might be able to help, please reach out. Happy to do so!
One last confession: although the Pacific Northwest is stunning in the summer, it’s tough on me allergy-wise. I think the region’s biodiversity or maybe the moss everywhere just doesn’t agree with me. Allergies have been challenging from the moment we arrived.
How is your summer going?
PS. Are you a Star Trek fan? Excited about Season 3 of Strange New Worlds? Check my post this week about it here
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