Back-to-Ottawa. Back-to-School!

It was a BIG week!  Not only did I get home from Australia, I also went to my first class since the accident! It was one of those days when I could stop and think to myself: “look at how far you’ve come”.  Many thanks to my master’s supervisor, Amir, and the U of O Faculty of Law for believing in me.  

First day of school, Orleans, 1985 

First day of school, Ottawa, 2012.  I have a feeling that the plastic bag was more exciting than my Accessible Parking Permit.

Also, a huge thank you to the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Program at the Ottawa Rehab Centre.  I was so lucky to have worked with Speech Language therapists almost every day I was there.  My therapist would give me newspaper and Economist articles to read, summarize and present to her.  We also did memory, attention and reasoning tests, and played some serious cribbage.   Without that stimulation, I likely would have sat around in my wheelchair watching Cougar Town.  The ABI program also hosted daily group activities, where most of the patients in my unit would gather to do activities to stimulate our memories, organizational skills, and more.  Who could resist supportingthe Ottawa Hospital and its Rehab Centre, right?  RIGHT?

Speaking of…  Guess who is one of the city’s most recently registered Rattle Me Bones racers?!  MY DAD!  Running is new to him, and I’m very proud to see him working so hard.  Watch out racers!  Watch out.

I am so glad to be back in Ottawa!  I am happy to report that I’m finally doing a bit better!  I’m running a bit faster, my knee bends a bit more, and yes, I can sort of walk up and down the stairs.  I’m back ba-byyyyy!  I think I’m officially out of the pre-Oz plateau.  Things are looking way up.

In fact, I just got home from a run along the canal (at a pace faster than your average walker, thank you).  The canal was packed with runners.  What a delight!  Gooooo Ottawa!

Keeping with the Australian spirit, I’m adding Aussie supahstar Kylie Minogue’s Get Outta My Way to the running Playlist. I raced to that song in Bangkok’s Amari Run.  I would secretly sing “get outta my way” to those around me.  Give a farang her running space ;)