Follow up

I was just reading my post titled "Hope" from over a year and a half ago. I had forgotten how stressful life was for me back then. I never did all the hiking I was planning to do. But I suppose the most important thing was that I somehow found hope and that kept me going.

Today my life is wonderful. I just took an amazing vacation. Noah and I have our own cute little apartment which is extremely close to work for me. We took in his mom's dog Penny and we adopted another kitty, Millie. We recently bought a new car that I love. We paid off the credit card debt and no longer struggle financially. I mean we're still poor but we have some breathing room. Our relationship is better than it ever has been.

And my doctor and I have finally found the right cocktail of meds to stabilize me. She also recommended high doses of certain vitamins and minerals so I take a shit ton of supplements and it gives me energy and clarity. Because I'm feeling better, I'm much better at my job and enjoying it again. I've picked up new hobbies and stepped out of my comfort zone and made new friends. I've come a long way since that last post. Overall, life is good! ♡

Key West Trip

I vacationed in Florida this month with my Friberg mom, aka Cathy. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale on 11/13, rented a car, and headed south. Alamo didn't have any cars so they gave us a small SUV, a Chevy Trax. It got good mileage we both really liked it.

 
We stopped for breakfast at a cute little place called Grampa's Bakery & Restaurant in Dania Beach.

Mom had a huge pancake and I had a stack of french toast that I didn't come close to finishing.

They served us complimentary cream cheese pastries and they were delicious! If I'm ever in that area again I will definitely eat there.

On the way to the Keys we drove through Everglades National Park. We saw a ton of birds - cranes, egrets, vultures, etc. And we even saw a gator but I couldn't get a good picture. If you didn't know this place was full of water you would swear it was the African Savanna.

We finally arrived in Key West and checked into the Casa Marina. We had a room with a sliding glass door that opened up to a lanai and the beach was right there. It was spectacular. The view from our room:

Here are some more photos from around the resort.

The view from my hammock on the beach:

We took a sunset cruise on the sailboat pictured below to the right of the dock. It's hard to see.

We chatted with a German family on the boat.

There were some beautiful sunsets on the island.

We toured the Ernest Hemingway House and saw many six-toed cats.

We drove back to Ft. Lauderdale on 11/17. On the way we saw beautiful water.

We stopped in Key Largo to shop for souvenirs and eat lunch. Then we flew home. 

We had a great time down there. We did a lot of talking and bonding and watched a lot of tv together in our comfy queen sized beds with down pillows and comforters. I miss that bed. I miss the ocean and the beach and the hammocks and the pools... sigh. 

Coming up next...I'm planning a solo road trip for July-ish to Theodore Roosevelt and Glacier National Parks (North Dakota and Montana). My next trip with Mom will probably be a cruise but we're not sure when.