It’s surreal. Since school finished on Thursday we went to a fundraiser in Santa Barbara and to see some doctors in Boston. It was a big first week of “summer vacation”. I have often struggled with the whole “summer” situation. When you are still spoon-feeding your child that can’t play on her own, vacation isn’t exactly what it feels like to not have school. Fact of the matter is that I don’t see a lot of vacation in my future but what we do have is something different and very special.

It never really occurred to me until today that families often take vacation during the months that school is out. It wasn’t until a cab driver asked about our vacation plans that I had this realization. Then I looked around and noticed that a lot of people were in Boston just for the fun of it. It never crossed my mind to go there just for fun.

We started visiting Boston not because it was close or easy but because that is where the researchers are. Along the way we have decided to make the best of it. After all, if life gives you Rett, enroll in a trial and have fun with it, right? We had 48 hours in Boston this round. No time for sight seeing but we managed to get plenty of laughs and a tiny bit of rest.

I am just so thankful to everyone out there cheering us on. This isn’t easy but I couldn’t imagine not doing it. It has been the craziest, most draining and rewarding experience yet in my life. Here are a few highlights, it wasn’t a vacation but many great memories were made and I am happy to take that.

It wasn’t a typical vacation but nothing we do is typical these days. It was a very exciting start to summer. I wouldn’t have chosen to take a whirlwind trip across the country but we did and I would be lying if I didn’t tell you it was fun. The highs were so high the lows weren’t too bad and I’m grateful to be walking away from this round with my head still high and a smile on my face.