the year end 2022

Lanikai beach

Well another year is coming to an end. It’s been a year of transition coming off of the pandemic and many things have changed in how the world works. But things always change and getting comfortable with not being comfortable can be good. It forces me to learn new things, think out of my normal box and can have many positive benefits.

Of course there has been much, not so great going on everywhere, but there will always be an endless supply of sad, traumatic, and anger inducing things happening and it doesn’t serve me well to let that dominate my overall life. Certainly I should do what I am able to help create change, stay educated on the things that are important, and have gratitude for all the unbelievable good that people do each day.

It was fun to do some traveling again this year. Attending the PWR Retreat in Scottsdale Arizona was an incredible experience in pushing the limits on exercise, and visiting San Francisco and New York was exhilarating and brought me back into the world of amazing restaurants. If I could get paid for people watching on vacation, I would be rich.

I’ve spent some wonderful time with family and friends and understand why more studies are showing the importance of relationships as a pillar of longevity. It can be hard to make friends as we get older, so it’s even more important to make time for play, creativity, activities with people who enjoy the same things, volunteering, even chatting with your mailman for two minutes each day. It all adds up.

In my quest to eat better, I’ve made good progress this year. I’ve eaten fairly well up until now but there is room for improvement. There is so much confusion on what is a healthy diet so I crafted a simple plan that works for me. Eat real whole unprocessed foods & limit sugar & dairy. That’s it. It’s amazing when I run each food that I’m considering eating through that simple test, how much better I’m eating. The hardest part for sure is my sweet tooth but I’m working on it.

Parkinson’s continues to get more exposure through the many studies, the amazing and creative advocacy that people do to bring awareness, along with the national plan to end Parkinson’s act. It feels like albeit slowly, the rocket ship is being built and getting ready to explore ways to prevent and slow the progression of PD.

I want to thank you most of all for reading the blog and reaching out to me. I look forward to a new year with all the ups and downs that life brings us (hopefully more ups than downs) and having each other share our experiences.

Happy Holidays!

happy new year 2021

I’m working on my list of 21 things for 2021. It’s not meant to be daunting and can be silly or serious, or both. It can have a theme like 21 things you want to do with your family this year, or books you want to read. You can list the smallest thing to something life changing. I keep my list in a notebook that I carry with me, which is one of my favorite things. I used to keep a formal organizer when they were popular but now I just use a blank book and insert my own tabs. Whenever I think of any idea, I jot it down. I’ve got sections for ideas, ongoing projects, notes, food, to do, and it’s my second brain (trust me, when you have PD, you need a second brain).

Exercise is always a part of my list. I’m doing 21 minutes of movement daily in 2021. Of course it can be more, but at least 21 minutes. I have a variety of exercise options from light stretching to intense, so that even on the days where I’m really wiped out, I have something I can still do.

Plan a trip is also on my list. Who knows if it will happen but I want to choose a place, research where to go, where and what to eat, things to do. I say that there are three parts to a trip. All of which are equally enjoyable, which are the planning, the doing, and the remembering. So I can at least enjoy the first part now.

I’ve got things to do around the house and in the garden as well. Things with my family, relationship building, all sorts of stuff. The one thing I make sure of that I have things on the list that are fun. It’s good to have a few things to help push you and grow, but it’s also just as important to have things like “enjoy an ice cream cone with Marc once a month at our favorite little shop, Wings Ice Cream”.

I never complete all of the goals, but that’s not the point. It’s really satisfying to see the things I did complete and gives me inspiration to be creative and make a new list the following year.

I wish you a very happy 2021. It’s been a challenging year, and no doubt there will be a ways to go this year, but there is much to be grateful for.

looking back at 2019

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” Soren Kierkegaard

As the year comes to a close, I look back and think about all that has happened. The things that worked and didn’t work, and take stock. Each year I choose two words that are my focus. This year they were “growth” & “connection”. I loved thinking about those words throughout the year and all the many ways I could incorporate them into my daily life. I added “gratitude” into my thoughts on a daily basis and the more I focused on it, the more abundance I saw.

There were of course challenges. The ever changing efforts to maintain my physical and mental health when having a chronic illness is never far from the surface. A family member had a major health challenge this year and thankfully it had a positive outcome.

This year my words are “trust” and “express”. It will very interesting to see how these words manifest. I’m looking forward to this year and all that it holds. I’m grateful for you as a reader of this blog. I appreciate every connection I’ve made, all the wisdom and strength that I’ve gotten from our community is immeasurable.

I wish you a very happy and fulfilling new year! xoxo Kai