I may be in the minority, but I really enjoy traveling solo from time to time. I’ve done it many, many times over the last 20 years that it doesn’t phase me anymore. You don’t have to worry about getting seats together on a plane, you can just take what they give you. And as an extra benefit, most passengers are smaller than my husband, so I typically have more room when traveling by myself than when I have to fly with him! I enjoy going to restaurants by myself. I’ll either sit at the bar, like I did last night, or even get my own table. Last night I found “The Oyster Bar” about a half-block away from my hotel. It was quaint and unassuming. I enjoyed oysters and fresh fish tacos. I seriously could eat my weight in raw oysters. I can’t quite explain why I love them so much, but I do. I stuck to only 4 last night (I ordered 3, but they were nice enough to throw in an extra). I’m afraid to know what would happen if I truly ate as many as I actually wanted to eat in a sitting. I also ordered my favorite cocktail: the French 75. It consists of gin (I prefer Hendricks), lemon juice, simple syrup, and champagne/prosecco. There’s something so refreshing about sitting by yourself, enjoying all your favorites. I walked back to my hotel and enjoyed the peace and quiet of my room before falling fast asleep in the middle of the king-sized bed. Ahhhhh….
I feel like I’ve been to the St. Petes area so often over the last year and a half that I’m a pseudo-local (between my Dawson mini-residency and the surgical appointments). I’ve been through the Tampa Airport (TPA) so much that I have seen their enormous flamingo being constructed from start to finish. I know the layout and the trams. I know that Illy has great espresso and pastries. I know the Southwest wing of the airport is crap compared to the Delta, United, and American Airlines wings. I know that whoever chooses the music deserves a raise–I always love their playlists.
And now for the first time in a couple years, I don’t have to go back for 6 months! (Although I will be in Destin, Florida in April, so I won’t be totally Florida deprived). It’s almost weird to think. I had it in my head that I’d be coming back every 3 months for the next year or so. But at my visit today, I got an “A+”. My progress was so good that I don’t have to come for a 6-month check-up anymore.
My CT scan looked great. My range of motion (how wide I can open my mouth) is beyond expectations. My pain has been negligible. My airway on my scan was 200+ square mm (the low end of “normal” is 90–so that’s awesome). So far, I couldn’t ask for more.
