Embracing the Adventure

During my cancer-killing adventures, I've learned an incredible amount, from diet to disease progression, from alternative treatment to alkalinity levels. I learned the basics of boxing, became a swimmer, and know my body better than I ever thought I could. I've started new careers, too -- as a writer and as the president of a non-profit organization. 

But the biggest lesson I've learned -- the most valuable thing I've picked up during this life-altering experience -- is one simple thing: perspective.

The stress of work obligations and deadlines no longer upset me, and I'm not saying that because work has been slow. It's been busy, and I've been balancing it with a seriously full schedule of planning my basketball tournament, launching my non-profit, and writing my book. It sounds daunting, but it really isn't. I have a pacing to my days at the office, a calm and steady approach to work, and confidence that'll I'll get the job done and I'll do it well. My former self would be scrambling, skipping trips to the gym, missing out on sleep, and worrying about my work product. But these days, I'm going with the flow, doing well, and feeling great. Nothing is worth totally freaking out about, problems can be solved, and -- guess what -- there are enough hours in a day. And if there aren't, then whatever I need to do gets pushed to the next day. I embrace the adventure of every day and wake up excited to see what'll happen next.

This week's adventure came in the form of a diverted flight. On Wednesday afternoon, I was on a flight to Michigan, where I was set to participate in O'Melveny's on-campus interviews in Ann Arbor. About 30 minutes before we were set to land, we were notified that there was a thunderstorm in Detroit and we wouldn't be landing just yet. Minutes later, we were informed that we didn't have enough gas to land in Detroit even if there wasn't a serious weather issue, and that we'd be landing in Milwaukee  instead. 

The scene at the Milwaukee airport was frenetic and confused. There were no agents available to speak with any of us, and nobody knew when we'd be taking off again. Meanwhile, Will had already landed in Detroit and had my nightly Lovenox shot with him. I was hundreds of miles away, nobody knew much of anything, and there didn't seem to be a game plan in place at all. I knew I needed my shot and that I needed rest, and that I wanted to get to Ann Arbor as soon as I could. 

Instead of fretting like almost everyone else on the plane, I walked out of the airport, got in a cab, and headed to Chicago. Will drove to Chicago from Detroit, and by 2am, we were reunited, I was given my shot, and we slept like babies. The next morning, we hightailed it to Michigan, and even though I missed a bunch of interviews (my interviewing partner was fine with flying solo), I made it for four of them. What could've been an exhausting, stressful time turned into a mini-adventure. I became best buddies with my cab driver, caught a quick but beautiful glimpse of Chicago, took care of my body, and even met some aspiring OMMers. 

I've found that life is simply too short to get upset about things, to get rattled, and to feel miserable. Our lives can end in a second -- this second, even -- so why ruin even a moment of it with anxiety or regret? Yes, life is hard sometimes. People hurt us. We get sick. Money issues and work issues persist. Relationships fall apart.

But how we adapt, how we persevere, and how we embrace it all -- enjoying the adventures of our lives and doing our best to help others enjoy theirs -- is what really matters.