Tuesday, November 11, 2008

sometimes you get exactly what you need

drinking beer in alaska
Me at Blue Mussel Cove, Berners Bay, north of Juneau, Alaska.

I know I've been MIA in the blogger world. I've been having a bad case of the winter blahs, and it's not even winter yet. I'll rebound out of it soon, but until then, here's a photo of me in Alaska in May of 2006.

I was heavy into my Lyme treatment at that time, and on high doses of doxycycline. One of the side effects of doxy is sun senstivity, and although I was super careful about staying covered up - wearing sunscreen, wearing a hat, etc. - the reflection of the sun off the water and rocky beach was enough to give me the absolute worst sunburn of my life. It was like a chemical burn all over my face and hands, so very painful and blazing hot.

Rachel, who lives in Juneau with her family, and who we were staying at the remote cabin with, took this photo. I walked out to the beach, coat over my head like a vampire, beer in hand. When she said "ok!" I threw the coat down, smiled for the photo, and then covered back up and ran back into the shade like a madwoman. But when I think of that trip, I don't remember the Lyme or herxing or the searing sunburn. I just remember being happy and at peace, standing in one of my favorite places on the whole entire planet.

The photo was waiting in my e-mail when I got home. Me - sunburned, wearing a huge t-shirt, and in desperate need of a shower - smiling broadly. After a long, dark day of fighting all sorts of inner blech feelings, it was exactly what I needed. Thanks, Rachel!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

isn't it encouraging that the smallest thing can pick a day up? love ya, lis!

LGT said...

I can comiserate about the sun sensitivity with doxy. I was on it for a few months for Lyme in the summer!

That looks like such a beautiful location!