December - A rare Christmas at home

At the beginning of the month I made a few trips home for the first time since September last year when I left to live in Colombia.  I've been away from home for longer periods of time in the past but of course this time returning under such different circumstances, I knew it would be emotional.  On the one hand it felt great to be back, the familiarity and warmth of home is always comforting after such a long time away.  On the other hand the chore of having to maneuver my manual chair over the gravel and then carefully installing ramps on the front doorsteps to get me in and then having to be pushed around the house.  It really hit home the extent of preparation required for the most simple of trips, a feeling that was compounded upon seeing photos of me around the house on previous travels in South America. All in all though it has felt great to be home again and I'm so grateful to my mum, sister and stepfather David for their immense efforts transporting me to and from the Leonard Cheshire home and in accommodating my friends so that I can start to rebuild something like a normal life again.

Continued cold weather and hazardous driving conditions has made it especially difficult to get out and about and to receive visits. During the middle of December I didn't leave the home for two weeks and only actually went outside twice for a very brief wheel around the grounds.  This led to a feeling of cabin fever and claustrophobia.  The biggest challenge for me he has been to remain upbeat and positive at such times, there is only so much stimulation one can get from reading, writing, speaking on the phone and meditating.  Time and time again since my accident I have been proven that through adversity and challenges one can learn so much and that out of such situations great opportunities can arise.  I have to admit though that at times I find myself wondering what it is that I am supposed to learn from all this, and what the final outcome will be. I keep reminding myself that life will not always be like this and also of all the adventures and travelling I had done up until my accident.  Things are very different now but that is not to say that I cannot make productive use of my time, being alone with lots of time on your hands does have some advantages and it is important that I make good use of such opportunities.  I remember my cousin James, who has recently become a father to two young boys telling me that what he misses most is having 'James time' i.e.  his own time.  I wonder if he would fancy swapping places with me or me with him, I'm not so sure. 

On a positive note I am continuously impressed by the attention and care provided by the staff at Leonard Cheshire, this was particularly evident during a bout of illness where I was bed bound for four days a week before Christmas.  I imagine how difficult things could have been if I had gone straight into independent living from hospital, what with the appalling weather and falling ill it could have been very difficult for carers and family to get to me and take care of all my needs. It all leads me to believe that for the time being I am in the right place, especially considering the access to physiotherapy and the gym five days a week.

Christmas this year has been different but great, my first Christmas in England five years. Being back home with close family was a heartwarming experience and just what I needed after the year I have had.  Nothing can really compare to the excitement and fun of the feria of Cali this time last year and I found myself thinking a lot about Colombia at this time; perhaps because it is coming up to the anniversary of my accident.  However I was fortunate enough to have some Colombian influence in my life during the festive season and to meet yet another amazing Colombian from Cali.  Liliana arrived as a friend of on the 24th and left 10 days leaving us feeling as if she was part of the family, someone we had known for a long long time.  We look forward continued visits from her in the near future.  On Christmas day evening we went to visit our Cousins, aunts and uncles for the usual festivities and gluttonous feasting.

New year's eve this year was a low key affair, a supper of my sister's house with a couple of Latino friends in tow, in stark contrast to this time last year and the anniversary of my injury.  New year's resolutions, well..  apart from the obvious no diving into shallow rivers, probably to meditate more, procrastinate less, and to maximize my rehab potential in the coming year.  Happy new year everyone!  Feliz año 2011!