All My Travel Do's and Don'ts (For Now)

So in my packing for my upcoming adventure (one week left!), I realized that packing for Europe is a lot harder than it seems. It's not like travel books tell you much. Normally, they say pack whatever then cut it in half. They fail to consider that there are two breeds of packers, the ones that naturally pack heavy, and the others that pack lightly. They also say to get your finances in order, but fail to tell you exactly when things should be done or even how to get the finances to fund your trip. So, In my recent musings about travel, I have come up with a temporary list of do's and don'ts for packing and preparing for a long-term trip. These aren't "the rules" that everyone must follow. In fact, it is more of a list of things that I have found to be helpful while preparing for my trip to London. So, with no further ado, here are my travel suggestions.

1. Funding
Funding a trip can be intimidating for anyone. If you are doing a study abroad program, do your own leg work to find financing solutions. After you have done that, call your financial aid office to make sure that you have gotten all your options covered. There may have been something you overlooked in your research, and there also may be loans your school does not tell you about. Once you decide on a loan, communicate with your school to find out how much money you can take out. Make sure your school has direct deposit, so that way when the funds come in from the loan company, the school forwards them into your account.

2. Flights
Once you get your funding straightened out, it is best to look at flights to your destination. Like shopping for loans, flights also require a lot of leg work. Travelocity, Kayak, and Orbitz have great rates for flights if you are searching on your own. It also doesn't hurt to go through a travel agency. For booking my flight to London, I went through Student Universe which is a travel agency that gets discounts for students, faculty and persons under the age of 26. I ended up purchasing a ticket from Boston to Heathrow for $500 on Vrigin Airlines with everything included. Other people I know, spent double that. If you find a bargain jump on it! They don't normally last long! (An important side note to the traveler on a budget, most discounts happen on Tuesdays).

3. Packing
Packing proves to be difficult, even if you are flying domestically. A happy medium to the too light/too heavy packing is to pack multiple items that are versitile. Camis, shrugs and dresses work great. If you are going to experience the transitioning of seasons, it is best to pack for the summer and fall and save room in your suitcase to buy items to wear in the frgid cold of winter. Do not pack too much of one thing! Shoes, for example, are available everywhere! How cool would it be to not pack enough shoes, and buy a bunch during your trip! (You can later tell people about the place they came from if you wish).You don't need to bring ten pairs! Make sure, however, everything is versatile, just in case. So that the dress you packed needs to be able to work with warmer stockings.If something happens and you are caught in cold weather off guard you will be sorry. Also keep in mind that you will buy gifts when you travel, so keep a lot space open in your suitcase for them. You don't want to go over with two fully packed bags and have nothing to bring home to friends and family because you overpacked!

4. Credit and Debit Cards
Do not forget to contact your credit card company and bank before leaving. They need to know about your impending travel in case you use your cards to make withdrawrals or purchases. Most banks and companies only cover three months of travel, so if you are gone for longer than that, make sure you have someone stateside who can extend your accepted travel time with the bank or credit card companies. Also make sure that you know what fees you will have when you use a card internationally. MasterCard charges an approximate rate of 2%, Capitol One has a 0% rate, TD Bank has a 5% fee, Bank of america has a 0% fee when you go to a Barkley Bank in England.

5. International Health Insurance
Most European countries have socialized medicare, but you must be in the country for a certain period of time before they apply to you. Many American insurance companies will cover you, but they will only do it for thrity-one days. There are companies out there like Travel Guard or CISI that cover you for extended amounts of time, but for a price. Again, with anything travel related, always read the fine print and do your research before comitting.

So, that's all the advice I have to potential travelers now. If you guys have anymore, feel free to leave them in a comment below! Next weeks topic.... LONDON ADVENTURES!!! Ahhh! I can't wait! Til then, have a great week everyone!

Two weeks and counting...and I am freaking out

So, we are now down to the wire. London is one week, six days away. How do I feel at this point? Well I'm not as worried about health related things like I was six weeks ago. Right now, I am a mixed bag of emotions which is to be expected. I don't think that anyone who has ever leaped out of their comfort zone before has been entirely okay with it. It's kind of like the first time you drive on your own after getting your license. You know that you know what you are doing, but when you look at the passenger's seat you realize that you're really on your own. Your first thought is "This is AWESOME!" and your second is "(Insert choice expletive here), I better not screw this up."

I wonder if I will be homesick (based off my current feelings). I know I am going to miss so many different people, and it's a guarantee I am going to miss my dogs. I just wonder if I will be so out of my comfort zone that I will let my feelings rule my trip, instead of the other way around. I hope not. Has anyone been in this position before? Would anyone like to share advice?

In short, there's two weeks left, I am a mixed bag of worry and excitement. But contrary to what this post might suggest, right now it is mostly excitement.

Cheers,
Jill

Eight Weeks and Counting

The last time I thought I would be adventurous and take the road less traveled, it ended with two surgeries and seven months of physical therapy. Now that my arm is fully healed and has almost all of its strength back, it's time for another adventure. This time, I'm heading to London!

Studying in London has been something I have always wanted to do. I remember being little and having my Mom read the Paddington Bear books to me. I remember hearing about all the wonderful places in London and thinking 'I'm going to go there someday'. As an English and Medieval History double major, London provides a multitude of opportunities for scholastic growth. As a young person, it also will be the experience of a lifetime. I have a feeling that this trip will bring nothing but amazing stories for me to tell in the nursing home when I am old and senile. (Of course, at that point no one will believe me, but hey! I'll still have some awesome stories!) While I am excited for a lot of things like living in Regents Park with my friend Sara S.; seeing Big Ben and the changing of the guard; country hopping at my hearts desire (and schedule's convenience); and visiting my boyfriend who will be studying in Krakow, Poland; I will admit that there are some things I am really nervous about. I'm worried about being REALLY homesick, and not enjoying my time there. I am worried my arm will stiffen up in the cold rain and make me completely reliant on my left hand for everything. I am worried about how the change will affect my sisters, because in this upcoming year there will be a lot of changes for them besides my leaving. And until the day I leave, I'm worried that something will prevent me from going to London. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and go 'What did I get myself into this time?'.

I've been told that all of these worries are justified, and that this little adventure of mine signifies a big change in every sphere. I've been told it's okay to worry, and that all of my worries are justified in some personal way. When I decided to go to London, I really didn't stop to think about the changes this trip would bring forth. But the changes are coming, and I just have to stop, breathe, and enjoy the moment. This trip is only going to happen once, and this moment is never going to come again. Hopefully, I will diligently keep up with this blog so I can share every moment with my friends and family back home. Who knows? Maybe this blog will motivate some of you to follow your own dreams and have the adventure you've always wanted. If there is one thing that is certain in this world, it is that it is never too late for dreams to come true.

Milestone upon milestone has been happening lately. I have made great progress in physical therapy. I don't know if I have already posted this, but I have 95 degrees flexation and -20 degrees extension. However, that may have changed today as my arm has flattened even more! I am getting excited for my next surgery and cannot wait to see how much flexibility I gain after it :)


This past week has been a challenging one on many different levels. In the case of my arm, the wire has begun to "pinch" me more frequently. I feels like when you get your hand caugt in a three ring binder. The only difference is you can remove your hand from the binder. It comes from out of nowhere and takes me by surprise. The pain varies in how long it lasts. Sometimes it's a quick 1-2-3 pinch. Other times, I have to breathe through it because I can't handle it. Sometimes the pain flares up at inopportune times, like when I am in the middle of lecture. It's awkward to explain to your class that the reason why you squealed in the middle of translations is because you have a wire directly under your skin.

I also have notetakers for all my classes but my English class...which, to be honest, is the most crucial. I talked to my Professor and after a class debate, a girl has volunteered to share her notes with me. Let's hope DSS approves her before the midterm!

But all I have done is complain so far. I haven't actually told you my milestones. At dinner one night, I absentmindedly began cutting my meat with my right hand, something that has not happened since before the accident. I was so surprised that I could do it! I also have begun to write again! It's not much and my hand tires after a bit, but I can last a good while. On Saturday, while at lunch with my immediate and extended family, I showed them that I can pick up and eat small pieces of food!!! Saunday at Church, I was also able to support the chalice without dropping it.

Those are small beans compared to today. Today I was able to extend my extention, and lift a one pound weight with my arm. Now, one pound does not seem like that much, but it feels like much more when you have been un
able to use an arm since July. I can lift the weight over my head, to the side, and towards my body. I was so happy I began to dance in the therapists office! Apparently, it is the first time I have danced since before the accident. Like REALLY danced! I was twirling and moving to the beat of the music because I have realized that even the smallest accomplishment, like lifting a pound, is a cause for celebration.

I have included some of the most recent x-rays so you all could see them and celebrate the small things with me!

The top image is my arm at full flex. from the side. You can see those pesky wires I complain about so often! The bone is almost fully healed and I dare you to count the number of screws in this bionic mass!








The Bottom image is my arm from above, at full extension. You can see the pin, wire, bracket, screws, and new bone that has formed at the left edge of the pin. After the pin is removed in Jan, the bone will slide back into place and hopefully my arm will be back to "normal".

Appreciating what you have

I am making amazing progress with my arm :) I am only in my brace part time instead of full time now which I had not really been expecting for another month. We are just waiting for a few bones to finish healing and then we will have the wires, screws and part of one bracket removed in January over winter break. PT has been going well :) Extension is -20 degrees, and Flex is 95 degrees.
Everything is going so well but I really could not get through it without my support system. Kyla and Amanda are my neighbors across the hall and my personal cheerleaders. They decorate my whiteboard with the most encouraging remarks after I get back from the doctor or PT. At any sign of progress they celebrate...no matter how small it actually is. If I have a setback, they encourage me and tell me everything is okay and to keep pushing on. My roommate Melissa is awesome too. She yells when I over extend myself and keeps me in check. There are days when I feel like I am going no where and she is quick to give me some tough love and to point out that when I moved in, I could barely do anything other than shower, eat, dress myself and sleep on my own. My friend Jake calls all the time to check up on me, as does the Hubbard crew and Denise. My boyfriend Nate has stepped up to the plate in ways that have really surprised me. Ever since the accident he has gone above and beyond to make sure I am okay. He drives me everywhere I need to go and stays with me as I have therapy done, even though I tell him he doesn't have to. He says it is fun to watch me improve. He even takes notes for me during class. Even though I have begun to write, the movements in my wrist are weak. My parents are always there for me too, calling every day or every other day regardless of where they are in the country. Dad has been away for business in Chicago the past few weeks, but even from such a far distance he still cheer me on. And mom and the girls, I call or skype them to show my progress and they celebrate with me.
People would think that what happened to me would be horrible, but I think that this experience has had only good things come from it. It made me realize who really was my friend and who just liked to be there for me when I wasn't in need. It also made me appreciate who was there for me. I have only begun to realize how much I love these people and how much I rely on them. I honestly do not know where I would be without them. I now understand how many people care about me and how much I do care for them.

Movin' Out

A LOT has happened since I last blogged. My Grandmother came up to visit from South Carolina for a week... and forced me to get back into the world. She wanted to shop all the time! Normally I would be up for a good shopping trip and all, but I just didn't feel ready yet. I went regardless and it was that visit that kick started me into getting into doing things on my own. After Grandma left, Dad went to Chicago and I was kidnapped by my boyfriend. Nate met me in Concord and took me to Peterborough so I could spend a weekend with his family. The Frechette's are AMAZING! I don't know how else to put it. I felt at home within the first three seconds of walking in the door. They are just so nice and so kind.....well I could go on and on about how much fun I had. After the weekend was up, Nate helped me get the new car to the shop for some minor work and then he returned home. It's funny but ever since he left I've missed him more. I'm going to see him Sunday when I move back to school, but for some reason I have this empty hurting ache inside of me that won't go away. Every time I try and make it go away it only gets worse. *Sigh* I really miss him.

But the reason why I haven't blogged is because I have been packing as fast as a one armed madwoman can to go back to college. . . which means I started two weeks ago and finished tonight haha. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to return. I always felt I would, but I never thought I would be entering this prepared. For the past two weeks, I have been allowed to actually shower on my own. YAY! For the past week, I have been showering without a sling. And for the past three weeks, I have been working on mastering what was originally thought to be the most amount of mobility I would have. I still cannot write, drive, do heavy lifting, run, hike, or climb into or onto things. Some days I even have issues opening the door. So how am I supposed to survive college, you ask?

I contacted Disability Services for Students at UNH a few weeks ago and sent them my paperwork. Two weeks later I was told that I was approved for a note taker and extended exam times :) Yes! On move in, my neighbor and close friends will be helping me get settled into my dorm room. Classes will start monday (Ahh!) and Friday is my first physical therapy appointment. It's right outside of downtown Durham and I can't wait to start. So far I can flex in to about 90 degrees, and I can expand out 50 degrees. With the physical therapy, I will hopefully flex around or more than 100 degrees and maybe I'll expand out to 30 degrees. I'm also looking at another doctor visit late September, which Nate has offered to drive me to (he is the sweetest!) and sometime in October or November it's looking like I am going to have another surgery. This surgery will be to remove some pins that were inserted during my last surgery and to adjust an overhanging bracket. The surgeon gets excited whenever he talks about my arm. I think he is just as pleased as I am with the turnout. I still have to live in the brace for another couple of months, but that is only to protect the hardware until I am 100% again.


Needless to say, I am pleased with how everything is going and excited to return as a full time student at UNH! Hopefully, next time I blog, it will be about how well everything is going :) Go Wildcats!

A Million Tiny Milestones

Today started off as all my other appointments have. I get shown to a room and have X-Rays taken, while Tim (Dr. Rock's assistant) finishes up with his other patients and reviews my chart. Believe it or not I love getting the X-Rays done, because the technician is so nice. She is Betty White-esque and makes you feel right at home in the cold, sterile, radiology room. Normally we only shoot three to four frames of my elbow, and the entire time she has me smiling and laughing through the pain. Today, I surprised her (and myself) being able to complete a lot of the angles Dr. Rock and Tim needed WITH NO PAIN!

When Tim came into the room, we got straight to business with reviewing the X-Rays, getting UNH disability stuff figured out and talking about how I have been feeling. I told him I had been feeling joint pain in my fingers, and I was told to expect to continue to have joint pain there for the rest of my life. With the kind of break I had, there is a lot of side effects, one of them being arthritis. For a younger person, that is hard to hear at first, but then you have to look at the bright side of things. I could have had nerve damage after the surgery, as Dr. Rock had expected, and I also could have lost a majority of mobitlity in my right hand. To come out of this with only joint pain is a blessing, so there is really no need to whine and complain about it or to even feel sorry for myself. Despite all the hell this injury has caused, I actually got really lucky.

I also showed Tim the new range of motion I have gotten back in the past week. I can make a knocking motion with my wrist, have the beginnings of circular rotation and have the begingings of twisting my wrist from side to side. My right hand has also improved its overall grip, thanks to the therapy sponges. I can also make a fist and make my pinky and thumb touch. In my elbow, I have the very beginnings of a normal hinge motion. It is only a few degrees, nothing too big, but the fact that I can move it easily those few degrees so soon after surgery gives me hope that I will regain almost full range of motion in the upcoming months.

Today, I also had a milestone moment. The last of the staples came out! I had around 20ish staples holding my skin together post surgery. I am not going to lie, I am a wimp when it comes to staples so I am extremely happy they are gone! I was also told that I will having another milestone around Wednesday or Thursday of this upcoming week. Around that time, my arm will be healed up enough for me to shower 100% unassisted. This is HUGE! Right now I have begun to bathe unassisted, but in order to do so, it requires another person to prep me (aka wrapping my arm in saran wrap and plastic bags before assisting me into a sling). I am really looking forward to just hopping in and hopping out of a shower, like I used to do. When I left the doctor's office (with an appointment for the 20th of August, not the 13th!) I felt like I was floating on air. All I could think was that everyone was right. All the people who had been supporting me, helping me when I struggled to even get my balance, doing middle of the night medicine runs, helping me cope and building up my morale on my more difficult days....they were right! I can do this and it is going to be okay!

Today I left the doctor's office with the most joy and hope that I have had since the surgery, and I can not feel more thankful for all the prayers, help and support. I truly believe that without all of you and all of your caring thoughts and actions I would not be making the rapid progress that I have been the past three weeks. I don't know what to say besides thank you, but even that seems inadequate for the amount of love I have felt. Right now, they are the only two words I can think of saying despite how inadequate they are. Thank you!

xoxoxo
-Jill