Jennifer in Luxembourg

 Dear N + A, R+U, Wow, what a weekend. I came off a super crazy busy stressful week of work. First in Luxembourg with a groundbreaking for the new building (the primary reason I moved to Lux!), dinner with my boss that night, and then a 4AM taxi pick-up for a 6AM flight to Milan for our first ever client conference event in Europe. Intense doesn't begin to describe it. On my feet walking all day, and standing for hours on end- I was in Milan, but it wasn't "fun". I was going to skip the optional walking tour of Milan the last day, to simply sit for a bit, but as my colleagues had other urgent tasks, I got pressed into joining one of the tour groups. I swear I couldn't feel my feet at the end of the afternoon! Saturday I toured the Duomo, then caught the train to Verona. I had hoped to sleep, but a friendly old New England lady found the seat across from me and ensured a chatty trip. I walked out of the train station, weary in body and soul, summoning the energy to...

I’m standing on a street corner at 4am. My nose is running and my fingers biting with the cold wind blowing through my skirt and thin jacket. A long bird is trilling a song, oblivious to the stillness around me.  It’s my lone chance for solace for the next week. I read the texts that came in from Heidi as I leave my apartment and the cold and emotions bring the tears on the driveway.    This week.. wow. So much I haven’t written on some very strong emotional events, good and bad.  But this year I’ve been crazy reflective on transplant. I know my brain blocks the traumas and hurt but I still remember snippets of it. I remember the early morning wake ups for vitals and I remember silently lying there thinking. Did I make the right choice? Would the 50/50 chance work? Would I live? And now, I am sitting in a different country, with hair and a life. And a heart overflowing with gratitude for this life and the amazing people in it.  Sunday, I hosted a par...