It is so nice to be home! I missed my bed, my shower, my backyard...and my family too, kind of ;)
It's been a bigger challenge than we expected, getting back into our routines and readjusting to day-to-day life here in Nelson. As parents we are always on the move; making lunches, doing drop-offs & pickups, planning schedules, reading school emails, teaching life lessons, playdates, sleepovers, projects, outings, emotional support, and so much more. Not to mention the regular chores involved in running a household with cooking, laundry, garbage, yard work, dishes, cleaning, more laundry, stepping on tiny toy cars, more cleaning, more dishes, some swearing, and more cleaning. It is exhausting.
Having time away from those daily in and outs was a pretty massive reprieve for Kristin and myself. Although travelling is hard for both of us, and I have not been outside of the country or on an airplane in over 6 years, once the stress wore off it was certainly a relief to know we were in the company of only adults for the next full week, and there would be no teenaged drama, temper tantrums or diaper changes ahead of us (hopefully).
Some nights we slept well, some nights we didn't; Kristin and I both battle a bit of insomnia that keeps us restless and up late often. In exchange of a screaming toddler waking me in the night, we had a frantic dog barking below our window that never seemed to stop. So when we did sleep, it was often broken. Which we are both used to. At least in Mexico I didn't have to get up at 5:30am with a hungry 2 year old!
Our time in Guadalajara seems long past now already. We achieved a lot, and with the main focus of the trip being on Kristin's health and receiving medical treatment for her injury, it was a success. Beyond the filming and following Kristin through her time there, we had many interesting and memorable moments. Our director Nate spent time in hospitals, an immunologist office, and interacting with the local patrons around where we stayed. Not surprisingly, he learned there are many injured everywhere there, and many with fascinating stories to tell. Unfortunately, none that were willing to speak on camera. We understand that it is not an easy task, to be vulnerable and share your personal lives with us. We will continue our journey and know that there is so much out there still ahead.
Being back to these 5:30am wake up calls has not been my favourite. Kristin and I have both been adjusting to the constant wants and needs of our children and families once again. Our bodies are tired, our brains are run down, and our energy levels have been quite low. I found myself falling asleep on my couch in the middle of the day for the first couple days after being home, which is unusual for me; my eyelids felt covered in concrete, impossible to lift open.
And of course, my ten year old daughter fell ill this week, which meant hours awake in the night tending to her and eventually succumbing to the illness myself. So it's been a fun return! Kristin battled a bit of a bug this week too, which she worried was potentially a side effect of her stem cell treatment. However, after myself and my daughter experienced similar symptoms, we believe it is a separate issue. Thankfully we all seem to be on the mend.
We have a few things in the works this week! Kristin and I are set to be interviewed by the Dearly Discarded podcast with Jared St. Claire this Tuesday, May 2, 2023 at 11:30am PST. This is not a live interview, however will be recorded and available for viewing within a week or so. We will send out all the info and links once we have them!
Kristin is also booked to testify this week at the National Citizen's Inquiry via zoom on Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 11:00am PST. We are very excited for this! There are options on where and how to watch on their webpage at:
Our latest interview with the stunning and lovely Rebecca Leigh of Awakened Mothers is now available to listen to on Spotify here:
Invisible Fences: Life after Injury
Stay tuned for more coming up, we have other interviews in the works and will continue to book and promote as much as we can. We are always looking so if you know someone who may want to interview us, please hook us up! We are still hoping to connect with Kid Carson!! Can anyone help?? Our next step in filming will be taking a trip down to the states to visit our beautiful friend Brianne Dressen; co-founder of React19 and fellow injured family member. We will be looking into dates and schedules in the upcoming weeks to see when we can make that trip happen. We all need a bit of rest before we can head out again!
I will be busy working on some business card designs for Invisible Fences this week, and also adding to our webpage. We have had some requests to continue promoting incentives with donations, as we did during our crowdfunding campaign. For example, with a specified donation you can opt to have your name put in the credits, or your business logo added to the credits, etc. So we will be chatting this week about what those will look like, and getting them added to the website for people to access.
That is all for today! I need a nap!! ;)
Much love and light to you all,
Jaimie, Kristin & Nate
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