from sickness to health

So we traveled and worked together. We worked hard and were up on our feet all day long on the days of our exhibitions. We did everything together and I came to appreciate her business skill and ability to turn a frustrating long day into a light hearted and fun night out on the town.

I began to be homesick during our week in Seattle... of course I was sick... but I found myself wanting to escape to a bar. unbelievable!! I hardly ever drink... but when the hotel manager saw how sick I was... he told me to go have a "hot buttered rum" over at the hotel bar. I dragged myself over and coughed, hacked and sneezed while I waited for this hot drink... that was supposed to cure me. No one wanted to sit near me... so I just sat at the bar and felt like I would die.

The drink ended up being a pleasant substitute for cough medicine... which I also took later...I really hoped all these things would just knock me out. I slept well... but woke up the next day with the worst sore throat I have ever had. My throat was dry and inflamed for hours... and at one point during the day... I lost my voice and could not speak. My eyes filled with tears and I became so weak that when I found a chair to sit in... I experienced everything slowing down and my senses filtered everything out. okay... so that is the story... you get that I was horribly sick.

When we got to San Mateo, I began to recover by spending all of my freetime in a hot tub at the hotel. This is a true cure if you ask me. By time we reached Santa Monica, I was much better; it took 2 weeks to recover. I was working hard and feeling happy again - so on my day off I went to the Getty Art Museum!

Going to the Getty was like a dream come true for me. I was a fine art major in college and even though I am not an artist... I have always felt most at home when I am looking at art... I went by myself and explored and lingered around the gorgeous Italian paintings for hours it was a religious experience... truly experiencing the birth of Christ through gold leaf panels perfectly painted almost 700 years ago. I took pictures and felt like I have now done everything that I have come on this trip to do - but that was not all that happened.