Oct ramblings, 2023

An exhausting month with a happy ending!

New door installation: One day, S was tired of the old door’s color and decided to give it a fresh coat of paint. So, he started by stripping off the old paint, but that left the door’s surface rough and uneven. The attempts to smooth it out and change the colors turned into a disappointment. He tried two different colors, but each attempt made it look worse, to the point, I even joked, “We don’t need to decorate for Halloween this year.” We had the Halloween-like door for a few months, and eventually, we decided to buy a new door at SSHE. The new door came finished, but a glass door next to it wasn’t. This led to a time-consuming and frustrating process of mixing stains, trying different shades, and making countless errors to finally achieve a perfect match. Then, S had to make trims, and go through the staining and sealing process again. S did the entire project himself. The effort, commitment and determination he put into are truly admirable.

Deep cleaning: First, I started indoors: I touched every corner, closets, cabinets, drawers, baseboards and hidden nooks and crannies; decluttered and dusted…Next, cleaned the outdoor areas, including yards, doors, and overhang areas…

Shopping: S and I took several trips to outlets, malls and supermarkets, all in search of looking for gifts and everything I needed for my upcoming trip. I had rarely gone shopping in the past couple of years since the start of the Covid pandemic and my IVF treatment. Plus, being at home most of the time, I didn’t really need many clothes, especially those for dressing up. However, this trip to VN wouldn’t be only for medical purposes but also a chance to reunite with my family and friends, and recharge my energy. Therefore, I want to live a soulful and aesthetic life this time, just like I used to be. I’m excited to enjoy some precious “me time” at coffee shops. Spending time at coffee shops whether alone, with friends or for work, is a very typical pastime in VN. I can’t wait to experience it again.

Paperwork: I took detailed notes of my medical records, which were quite time-consuming, but I wanted to make sure I had enough information for doctor consultations during the trip; updated my SSN; changed my DL; sorted out 2023 receipts and arranged them in categorized folders…

Flight to VN: I had to pay $100 for a second checked luggage for my American Airlines flight to DFW. Right before checking in, S found out I would have to make a detour to NRT after landing at HND, then take the next flight to HN. In HND, I would have to claim my luggage, and the whole transfer would take at least 3 hrs in case everything went smoothly (on-time arrival from DFW, quick luggage claim/check-in, no missed buses, etc.), leaving me just half an hour before the next flight. I could tell I had mentally prepared myself for missing that flight.

S tried to contact American Airlines to switch flights so that I could skip HND and fly directly to NRT from DFW. However, since my luggage was already on its way to HND, I would have to go there.

He then contacted JAL to see if they could offer special assistance, but it was already late evening in Japan. He was very worried; unsure how I could handle the transfer alone. Honestly, I was nervous about my trip, but it wouldn’t have been a nightmare if I had delayed or missed the flight; I was mainly upset because I had made S worried. He only had one or two hours of sleep before taking me to the airport, and he had to stay awake afterwards due to my issue. However, when we came up with an idea to switch the flights so that I could travel directly from HND to HN, instead of from NRT, a miracle happened.

I received an email from JAL, informing me that I had been booked on an alternate flight to HN due to the delay of my reserved flight. It was great that the alternate flight would be from HND. I also didn’t have to claim my checked luggage. It was such a stroke of luck! I really thought my prayers on the way to the airport had been heard and Higher Powers were looking out for me.

I arrived in HN one day before my mom’s birthday. My sister’s family greeted me at the airport with a bouquet of beautiful roses. So blessed!