Tuesday, July 20, 2010

6/28/2009 - Decision Time

6/28-6/29/09

I woke up in the morning expecting to have significant pain from the sunburn. I was surprised that it didn't hurt at all. In fact, the skin on my legs was rather numb and had these tiny purple pin-prick sized dots all over, mixed in with the lobster-red of the burn. They felt swollen and tight.

Got the kids dressed and ready to go downstairs for breakfast, all the time wondering what I should do. After hanging out in the room for a while, I finally had to make the tough call of heading home. I was really scared that I was going to get really sick from this bad sunburn, and I didn't know what I would do with the kids if I had to go to the hospital or something.

Canceling the rest of my trip was one of the hardest things I had done in a long, long time. I struggled with feeling like I was failing. I was really disappointed because I had plans with several friends on the next jag of the trip. And I went through ALL that trouble to get a passport. For nothing. It was hard.

Before I checked out of the hotel, I called all of the campgrounds to cancel my reservations and get refunds since it was all pre-paid. I let my friends know what had happened. I cried. I thought about the Statue of Liberty tickets we wouldn't get to use. Prince Edward Island and Anne of Green Gables. Maine. All the missed time with the kids and having to somehow save face with my friends and family.

And then, we went home. We stopped in Cleveland overnight and we were home by the next night. And just like that, it was over.

My legs stayed numb for almost 3 weeks. I didn't get sick. I didn't get giant blisters, even. But I did peel like crazy. I still wonder (a year later now) if I made the right decision. I know if I had stayed and gotten sick it would have been a nightmare. The kids were excited to get home. They loved seeing Daddy and sleeping in their beds and playing with their toys.

I would do it again! I would at least try again anyway. Maybe next time we will bring spray-on sunscreen and I will pay closer attention to what I am doing!