Resurrecting the Blog

A lot has happened in the past seven months and writing remains my catharsis. I decided to start my Roma blog back up as a means of both processing and sharing what I’ve learned from these events:

My best friend was reduced to a box on my bedroom floor marked “MID-ATLANTIC VETERINARY CLINIC.” I’ve only opened it twice since it arrived six months ago, but inside there are five braids each of the most perfect mane and tail I’ve ever seen, her black leather halter that was a gift for our 8th anniversary, and the hunter green cotton lead rope that I desperately pulled on, tears streaming down my face, begging her not to die. Both the halter and lead have tags marked “ELLA” that I remember the staff of the clinic slipping on when she came off of the trailer. I miss her every single day.

I graduated college and decided to start the grad school hunt. (Ethnic) Conflict Resolution, here I come.

Three incredible months were spent playing, laughing, swimming, drinking, sun bathing, eating, writing, loving, fighting, and crying in Italy with Kelli. We spent time with irreplaceable old friends and made priceless new ones. Some nights were spent in the lap of luxury and others we were homeless. It was truly fantastic. Despite all of its absurdity and frustrations, my heart will forever sleep in Italian streets, staring up at that bella palla of a moon.

A few weeks after arriving home, refreshed and reasonably ready to start my life, I got sick. My hair fell out. Within weeks, 2/3 of my trademark wild mane was staring back at me from my shower drain. I saw the worried look on my mother’s face as I constantly repeated myself. I felt inexplicable and indescribable exhaustion. Worst of all, my mind was a mess of fog I couldn’t make heads or tails of. Total zombie. Literally countless doctors visits, rounds of blood tests, pokes, prods, and getting far too much time in at Doylestown Hospital later, it’s still a mystery. Abnormal test results (including a severe b12 deficiency) and no discernible reason as to “why”, but the quest continues. Although, there is finally some improvement. Case in point: I can string a sentence together again.