Fully Vaccinated!!!

I spent a large chunk of 2020 writing about my pandemic experiences and worries, but in the new year, I have found little new to document. It might also have been a case of wanting to look to the future and hope that 2021 would be a better year.

I spend approximately thirty hours a week tutoring students from around the world, many from Brazil where the virus is still raging. I’m constantly made aware of our lucky situation. Our life has been relatively “new normal” since last July. We wear our masks, stay distant, and I still haven’t been to a movie or a concert, but generally, life has been good. We have traveled and the kids were able to visit us. We socialize with a small group of friends and we have gone to museums, theme parks, and malls. Life only feels a touch restrictive, but certainly a far cry from being stuck at home or living in fear.

I know a few people that have gotten Covid, but thankfully, they have recovered. One was our neighbor, who was hit hard enough to be hospitalized, which was scary. This reminded us to remain vigilant and assured us that we were doing the right thing when we turned down invites to some parties in our neighborhood. Many of my students have lost loved ones, which is heartbreaking.

I’m writing this post to share my news of getting both doses of the Moderna Vaccine!

I never thought that getting a vaccine would be emotional or even warrant sharing the news, but this pandemic has altered lives around the world. It is momentous news.

Getting the vaccine this soon was surprising. I had been expecting to get the first dose in the summer, but all of a sudden, in late March, it was announced that within the week anyone over sixteen would be eligible in Colorado. Next, started a mad dash to secure an appointment.

It wasn’t easy to get an appointment. We struggled to find availability in our area and rather than waiting, my husband had a brilliant idea; Why not drive to a more conservative part of the state, a part of the state where many citizens are anti-vaccine? We choose a City Market pharmacy in New Castle. New Castle is very close to the town of Rifle, where one of Colorado’s more controversial congress members, Lauren Boebert lives. To put it bluntly, Boebert is bat-shit crazy. She is also anti-mask and anti-vaccine. We did notice many signs of support for both Trump and Boebert in Rifle, but to be fair, many of the citizens seemed like perfectly nice people and I’m sure that the town has members from across the political spectrum.

Our suspicions were confirmed, when it wasn’t just easy to get an appointment, but when the pharmacist confirmed that they have more vaccines than they can give away. Sadly, the demand is low. We had no problem getting our vaccines and we were able to enjoy two over-night trips to a stunningly beautiful part of our state. We did have to drive three hours from home.

Here we are after the first vaccine. It was an overwhelming and emotional experience. I felt relieved and grateful.

We had side-effects with both doses, heavier with the second dose. They lasted about 48 hours ( starting about 4-5 hours after the shot) and they were bad enough to take a day off work to rest. We experienced muscle aches, sore arms at injection site, low-grade fevers, chills and tiredness. We slept a lot. we transformed into cats.

Dan explained the feeling best, by relating it to being in his twenties and playing a rough game of rugby followed by a heavy night of drinking, then having to deal with the consequences the next day. It is more like the worst hangover of your life, than a true illness. It certainly wasn’t bad enough to be an excuse to skip vaccination and obviously better than getting covid.

I’m excited to be protected and very grateful to the scientists who created the Moderna and other vaccines. Also, thankful to Dolly Parton ( and other, likely less famous, donors) who financially supported the vaccine research. I know there is still a long road ahead, but I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. In the meantime, I hope more people decide to get vaccinated and I hope everyone still remains vigilant using the safety protocols that we have developed.

Book Review- Suleika Jaouad's Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy of Suleika Jaouad’s Between Two Kingdom’s: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, in exchange for an honest review.

During her final year of college, Suleika Jaouad began to experience itchy skin and extreme fatigue. She pushed through, graduated, and headed off to begin her adult life in Paris, where she fell in love with a handsome man named Will.

Just a few months into their relationship, Jaouad’s symptoms worsened and she was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Within days, Jaouad would leave Paris to be with her family in New York and shortly, Will would also follow her, putting his life on a temporary hold to support his new girlfriend.

At the time of her diagnosis, Jaouad and her loved ones had no idea that the next four years would be a roller coaster of chemo, extended hospital stays, dangerous complications and the imminent possibility of Jaoud not surviving. They did not imagine the toll it would take on their lives, both from a patient and caretaker’s perspective. They also couldn't have imagined the rich and diverse new relationships that would enter their lives or how living at the edge of mortality would dramatically alter their perspectives.

Between Two Kingdoms is a force of a memoir. Jaouad does not hold back from sharing her raw emotions, even when those emotions are messy, such as trying to unpack her break-up with Will, who stood by her side during her treatment. Jaouad acknowledges that caretaker’s need breaks and that Will does need to live his own life, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy for her to accept. When she is stuck in a hospital bed or sick at home, the jealousy of Will attempting to have experiences of a normal 20-something, threatens their relationship. Fairness is irrelevant.

Jaouad’s “warts and all” approach to her storytelling is what attracted me to her writing. It also made me reflect on my own life, especially when I was a caretaker for family members with health issues, including cancer. When my mom was dying of cancer, her personality shifted dramatically and we had some epic fights. We rarely fought when she was healthy and had a close bond. I was a wreck, having no idea how to process my mom’s terminal diagnosis coupled with this change in her behavior. After reading Jaouad’s memoir, I have a new perspective on the events. Between Two Kingdoms is a must-read for caregivers. It’s not easy and you will cry, I guarantee it, but it will give you a perspective that your loved one might not be able to articulate.

The second half of Between Two Kingdoms turns hopeful. Jaouad might never live without the threat of her cancer returning or needing to be cautious with her compromised immune system, however, her life does return to a sense of normal. Initially, this transition is jarring. Cancer has dramatically changed her priorities or what she thought her life should be. She has lost many friends to cancer, so many relationships cut short. She is grieving for many things and reeling from her break-up with Will. However, while processing her grief, Jaouad starts taking steps to reclaim her life.

She begins to date a childhood friend, Jon Batiste, a musician who would go on to earn fame and acclaim as the musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Initially, Jaouad is resistant to forming new relationships, but after embarking on a hundred day cross-country road trip to meet people who connected with her during her treatment, Jaouad begins to drop her walls and chooses to embrace life. She is living fearlessly: camping for the first time, traveling on her own, driving thousands of miles after getting her license for the first time…Jaouad embraces her fears and is an inspiration.

Between Two Kingdoms is a powerful memoir that should be added to your TBR list. Jaouad’s story has left me feeling changed. I feel more attuned to the ordinary aspects of living and I have an urgency to strengthen my relationships. Along with this year of Covid, I feel like Between Two Kingdoms is a reminder to appreciate and embrace life.

Jane Austen's Chawton House

In 2019, I was able to fulfill one of my bucket-list destinations, a trip to famed author Jane Austen’s former home in Chawton Hampshire. It was a bittersweet experience, as it occurred during an emergency trip to England because of the passing of my mother-in-law. Extra bittersweet, because on the previous visit, I had made plans with my mother-in-law to tour some of the Jane Austen locations together, specifically in Bath, but she had not felt well enough to make the trip. I connected with my mother-in-law over many things, including a shared love of books, so she would have been the perfect companion for the Jane Austen sites.

Noticing that we were near Chawton after visiting relatives, my husband kindly offered to make a detour to visit Jane Austen’s Chawton House. We were feeling blue with grief, but it was a nice distraction to tour this lovely and historic home. We also visited on a quiet weekday afternoon and practically had the entire museum to ourselves, which is always nice when visiting tourist destinations.

Jane Austen’s Chawton House is part of the “Jane Austen Trail,” a collection of buildings in the village of Chawton that were significant in Austen’s time. We only had time to visit her home, where the writer lived with her mother and sister from 1809-1817. At Chawton House, Austen wrote many of her beloved novels, including Emma, Persuasion, and Mansfield Park. She also completed drafts of Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and my personal favorite, Sense and Sensibility. She was very prolific during her short time in Chawton. Austen grew ill and died in the town of Winchester, where she is buried, in the summer of 1817.

We visited in the spring of 2019, but current admission prices as of April 2021 are ten pounds for adults and a very long list of discounted prices for a variety of situations. I was quite surprised by the list, as it had some nice and unusual accommodations for visitors. Check it out. Also to note, the museum currently appears to be closed due to covid restrictions, hopefully to reopening in the near future.

We couldn’t find Marmite!

We started in the carriage house to see the donkey carriage and the adorable wicker birds.

Next, we headed inside to see the kitchen. Built in the late 1700’s, the house was originally a pub before being transformed into a private residence. The kitchen gives a glimpse into food preparation of the past and even if you’re not at all interested in Austen’s life, it is a fascinating look at a historic property.

To really get in the mood, we discovered a bunch of regency era costumes to play dress-up. I think the hat rather suits my dashing husband!

Heading to the living room we found antique furniture, letters, and other possessions belonging to Austen.

The most exciting artifact in the museum was Austen’s writing desk. I should never complain about the many plush options and multiple desks in which I have at my disposal to work on my novel. Maybe discomfort is the key to getting the job done?

The library contains various editions of Austen’s works.

This is the bedroom that Austen shared with her sister, Cassandra.

Austen’s two story house was relatively modest in size, but it was filled with artifacts. We spent about an hour visiting. Here are more pictures from the museum.

I don’t have a green thumb and I don’t enjoy gardening, but I do love admiring a stunning garden. Austen’s garden was filled with brightly colored spring blooms. I grew up in the California desert, so English gardens are quite magical to me. My sister-in-law is a landscape designer and her garden is magnificent. It is one of my favorite places in England, especially to spend time with family on a warm summer day and having cocktails. She is also talented in the cocktail making department!

After leaving the museum, we took some pictures of the Chawton village. Chawton is the quintessential English village that Americans imagine when they think of England outside of London. Some of the homes were even sporting thatched roofs.

Jane Austen’s Chawton House is a must-do pilgrimage for Austen fans. As a huge fan, who has read all of her novels multiple times, seen every film version, a few plays, et…being there gave me chills. That said, it’s a bit off-the-beaten-path for non-British tourists. It’s about an hour south of London and difficult to access unless you hire a car. I highly recommend a visit if you are able. I’ve been to many places in England, but the Jane Austen Chawton House was a favorite experience.