I'm baaack!

I'm guessing that you guys have noticed by now that I really haven't blogged in about two weeks. And I want everyone to know not only that I'm back to blogging, and to tell you about where I've been.

For the first week of my absence, I was finishing the first draft of my book on the science of anorexia tentatively titled "Body of Evidence: The New Science of Anorexia Nervosa." That was due on February 17th, although I still have one last interview to finish up and put in the final draft. For the past few months, I have been working pretty much non-stop, and it was hard to work up the energy to blog in the evenings since I had literally spent ALL DAY writing about eating disorders. The last thing I wanted to do was write anything else about anorexia.

I handed it in on Friday afternoon, went to my book club meeting on Saturday evening, and then on Sunday morning (early--very early!) my mom and I went on a weeklong cruise to the Caribbean. I got her the trip as a birthday gift and to say thanks for sticking with me all these years. We left from Florida, and then went to Belize, Honduras, and Mexico. We were supposed to hit Key West, too, but the waters were too rough to dock and so we stayed at sea.

It was a really nice trip. The ED wasn't totally gone, but it was absent about 75% of the time. I still struggle with buffets (the idea of "all-you-can-eat" really baffles me, as does shoveling as much food into your gullet as humanly possible to increase the "value" of your meal, regardless of whether the food is actually any good) and having to choose between so many different foods. Our dinners were also four courses, which is a really different setup than I eat at home. I tended towards larger meals and smaller snacks, which was fine and was the best option for the trip, but not the way I'd personally choose to eat if there weren't other outside constraints.

I also survived wearing a bathing suit three times. I'm self-conscious in skimpy clothing for reasons that have nothing to do with anything, and then you add on all of the ED neuroticisms, the scars on my legs from cutting, and the fact that my skin has only two shades (pasty and lobster), and I'm pretty much the world's worst candidate for a sun bunny. Generally, if I was wearing a bathing suit and not in the water, I wore a cover-up or t-shirt to both relieve anxiety and prevent sunburn. But I wore the damn suit and went snorkeling in Honduras and had lots of fun. The other times I wore a suit were after climbing Mayan ruins in Belize, and I was hot and sweaty and had about eight pounds of sunblock and DEET all over that needed to come off, and then in Mexico, when my mom and I spent the morning on the beach at a small fishing village.

I got home late Sunday night, after a long day of traveling that included having some guy accidentally walk off with my luggage on the pier. Thankfully, I had my carry-on with me that had my laptop and my meds, but I had most of my clothes, some really nice coffee, and a small bottle of mango tequila in my big suitcase. The irony is that I had my name on my bag, and the other guy's suitcase had his name and a burgundy ribbon to help him pick his back out of a crowd. Um, fail.

Anyway, I'm back and ready to start blogging again.

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13 comments:

Pens and Potions said...

Welcome back!

Agrace12 said...

Welcome back! I start officially following and you leave! Just kidding! Glad you got the book turned in! Glad you got some time in the sun!

Abby said...

Well I'm glad you're back safe and sound, and good lord, I hope you have your bag back. I always maintain there's no better feeling than getting off a plane and seeing your bag come down the luggage thing instead of getting a note that it's lost. Super frustrating.

Anyway, congrats and so glad you're back!

IrishUp said...

Congratulations!
Sounds like a WONDERFUL trip.
Can't wait for the book!

hm said...

Welcome back! So glad you got a vacation. Hope it was good for you in every way. :)

HikerRD said...

Congrats on the book completion and more importantly, on having eD gone 75%!

sarah (onedayiwillseethesun) said...

congartulations on the book what an achievement!! I think many people with eds find buffets difficult.

Kelly said...

Glad to see you :)

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on completing your manuscript! I'll be extremely interested to read it when it comes out.

And another well-deserved congratulations on doing so well on your trip. Buffets drive me crazy whether I'm in an AN phase or a BN phase. Just...no.

Joss said...

Welcome back :) I recently found your blog and have been enjoying reading...I have struggled with restriction and binge eating for most of my life.

just like that you are so open and honest about what you deal with.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're back! :)

Wendy said...

Yeah, 'Just Say No To Buffets' is my motto. No one needs access to that much food, but when eating is a struggle at the best of times, it's simply not a good idea. Nor is it 'good practice' for anyone with ED, as some clueless people might think.

Unknown said...

I enjoyed reading this! You've been in my Google Reader queue for some months now, and I've been rather curious as to your whereabouts. I like your sense of humour and realness. Looking forward to learning more and to reading your book!

Oh, yes, and I agree with your thoughts on the buffet. 100%. :)

xxx

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About Me

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I'm a science writer, a jewelry design artist, a bookworm, a complete geek, and mom to a wonderful kitty. I am also recovering from a decade-plus battle with anorexia nervosa. I believe that complete recovery is possible, and that the first step along that path is full nutrition.

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Have any questions or comments about this blog? Feel free to email me at carrie@edbites.com



nour·ish: (v); to sustain with food or nutriment; supply with what is necessary for life, health, and growth; to cherish, foster, keep alive; to strengthen, build up, or promote



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