Before we departed the US, we made three stops up the west coast and then one in Honolulu for a layover.
Stop 1: Turner, Oregon, 2017 Eclipse, Zone of Totality
In Turner, Oregon, we experienced our first solar eclipse in the zone of totality. We had read Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass (a great middle school read) years earlier which sparked our interest in eclipses. This seemed like a perfect start to our year of exploration. We were lucky that friends from Palo Alto, Rafferty and Kristin, and Portland, Josh, Allison, Phineas, and Moses, were able to meet us to share the experience.
A rural science teacher rented us her sweet, simple home with a horse and chickens and enough land for Kristin and Rafferty to put up a tent. In the morning, we woke excited with our eclipse glasses at the ready. As the moon passed before the sun, the enthusiasm swelled until totality when the sky went dark, the air chilled, the rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed, Phineas cried, and the kids and adults jumped up and down in awe. The moon looked like a bright white ball in the sky with swirling rays surrounding it. Totality felt like birth: no matter how much science explains the experiences, both feel otherworldly and magical.
Stop 2: Portland, Oregon
We had the great fortune to stay with friends whose home was an oasis in Portland. Hayes met Josh in graduate school at MIT. Hayes had lots of crazy ideas and limited skills in engineering and computer science. Josh, who Hayes describes as one of the smartest and most talented people he has ever met, was a joyful and easy-going guy who shared his time and skills with Hayes enthusiastically and generously. Now he is a dad with a thoughtful and devoted wife and two delicious sons.
I love staying with other people because I love observing the habits and rituals of different families. I like to reflect on what habits I might be able to incorporate into my own family routines. What struck me about the Liftons is their integrity. They are thoughtful about their values, and they live accordingly. This is exemplified through their language with their children, their shopping and eating habits, and their choice of how they spend their time.
Stop 3: Seattle, Washington (Swedish Ballard ER)
Our stop in Seattle included a life defining experience. Again, we stayed with fabulous friends who we had first met at MIT. James and Stephanie are creative and generous with two fabulous kids, one of whom was a NICU premie and is now just 4 months old. Similarly, I observe the calm, respectful and thoughtful way that they interacted as a family. Our visit brought a little more excitement into their home than they had anticipated.
The first morning we arrived, I ended up with a concussion in the ER. I had been heading downstairs to the guest room after my morning cup of coffee and as I took my first step, I slipped on the metal strip that separated the kitchen floor from the stairwell. I fell down the stairs and landed on my head and right forearm. I got up and walked back to the kitchen table. I felt dizzy so put my head down on my forearm on the table and then blacked out. Hayes and our friends report that I fell off the chair and hit my head (again) very hard on the wall. I then started seizuring. I woke up to the EMT feeling like I had been dreaming. I felt very light headed and nauseous. The EMT tried to put a head neck around me but I kept ripping it off. They also persisted in taking my blood pressure which was dangerously low. I couldn’t open my eyes or stop vomiting, but fortunately, my mind was clear and I repeated to Hayes a few times to call Meera to get the kids as they were taking me away on a stretcher. The girls had been downstairs so they missed the fall and seizure. They came upstairs as I was being carried away on a stretcher, but they said they weren’t too worried because I sounded like myself. You can imagine how incredibly grateful I felt that Stephanie and James and Meera were there for my girls so that their memory of the day is predominately about the fun they had in Seattle. I was ill with my eyes closed for the entire ride to the ER. It was one of the gnarlier feelings in my life.
Fortunately, the care at Swedish Ballard Emergency Room could not have been better. The nurses, staff, doctors, and radiologist were all warm, competent and effective. The nurse quickly hooked me up to an IV where I consumed a bag and half of liquids (note to self: stay hydrated when traveling), anti nausea medicine and mild pain medicine. I was shivering loudly so Hayes wrapped me up like a mummy in their decadently warm flannel sheets. The doctor thoroughly examined me and a CT scan showed that my brain had not been damaged. Within three hours, I transformed from feeling like I might die to feeling tired but otherwise fully functional. I slept for three straight days, napped for a few more and then within a week only had yellow bruises on my forearm and cheek and a few lumps on my head to remind me of the not so fabulous incident in Seattle.
The positives of the experience include: 1) I have more gratitude for Hayes who was wholly and completely focused on communicating with the doctors and making sure that I felt comfortable through the entire hospital stay; 2) I feel lucky to have friends like Meera and her family, who on a moment’s notice whisked my children away and showed them a fabulous day so that mostly what they remember of what could have been a traumatic day is hanging from large climbing structures in downtown Seattle, a yummy meal, and fun times at her house; 3) I had not really been a big fan of throwing up our life and galavanting into the sunset, but having felt close to death or disability, I better relate to Hayes’ intense desire to connect as a family.
Stop 4: Honolulu, Hawaii
Our last visits to Hawaii have been to Kauai where my dad and his wife live. Kauai is lush and feels wholly different form the mainland. The vegetation, beaches, and tropical weather dominate. Honolulu, in contrast, felt like the Stanford mall on steroids. The first day, I spent in bed at the tail end of my concussion recovery. I was surprised when I finally made it out to discover that Waikiki is manicured and commercial.
One morning, my dad took us to Pearl Harbor and gave us an overview of World War 2. My dad is a quiet and reserved man so it was a treat to hear him clearly and vividly describe the events that led up to World War 2 and the ways that his parents and their generation had been affected by the war.
Rachel, I’m so sorry to hear about your concussion. It’s a relief to know that you’re feeling better and you were with loving friends. Take care!