Not a good day...can I get a pep talk?


(Cindy) #1

To make this as concise as possible…I’d like to fly to the beach in January to get out of the cold and miserable winter weather. And I have absolutely no one to go with me. My boys (now young men) are both in college. Hubby doesn’t like to travel. Mom doesn’t like flying, plus with her cancer treatments, she couldn’t go anyway. And it just reinforces the fact that, when my mom dies, I’ll have lost my only friend.

Yeah, that sounds pitiful, but everyone is so busy with their lives it’s hard to make connections. What does this have to do with keto? Because my answer (in the past) would be to cuddle up with my sweet tea, maybe bake some brownies, etc. I don’t do keto “comfort” foods, so that’s not an option.


(Jennibc) #2

Hang in there! Don’t eat your feelings. If you want to go to the beach, you should go to the beach! Make it a solo trip! Sometimes our own thoughts can be good company. Bring a bunch of books you have wanted to read.

As far as friends go, I used to think that I was too old to make new friends (I’m over 50) but I’ve found over the past couple of years, I made a few really close friends who I enjoy. Have you ever used Meet up to find groups of interest? That’s a good place to start.


(Cindy) #3

I think I looked at Meet Up some time ago. I’m 53. :slight_smile: And yes, I’ve thought about going by myself and still might. I’m usually pretty ok with being “self-contained.” I stay busy with work, our horses and horse business, etc…but it’s winter. I hate winter. The grayness makes it harder. I’ve even tried using a SAD lamp, but it didn’t help.
I’m actually checking with the airline to see if my dog can go with me. If she could go, I’d definitely make the trip! She’s my company during the day, goes with me to the bank, hardware store, dog-friendly restaurants, etc. She loves playing on the beach!


(Carl Keller) #4

Sunlight is the best thing for you. Try to take advantage of sunny days and get some Vitamin D in you when you can. I know it isn’t easy in the north. Lack of sun and vitamin D is the root of winter depression… so go get some sun, even if you have to make like a goose and fly south.


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #5

I have an older sister who is single and, since Mom passed away, has feelings like yours. She has nobodody to travel with. I suggested she look online for travel organizations that cater to others in a similar place.

I don’t know the names of the orgs she found, but she’s making arrangements to travel with one of them in 2019 that she’s pretty excited about. This one’s all women (some trips are coed) and will have them travel together with planned structure but free time as she pleases as well.

Don’t know if that would appeal to you, but there seem to be options


(John) #6

Woo hoo, keto beach party! When do we leave?? :sunglasses:

That just means they are sane. Flying sucks. Tell hubby to remember that “death do us part” stuff and remind him that you can enforce that clause whenever he doesn’t fall in line.


(Cindy) #7

Jan 7-11 :smiley:

Oh, and it’s $74 round trip, I can be there in 1.5 hrs, so yeah, as much as flying sucks these days, I’d rather put up with that than drive 10+ hrs.


(Cindy) #8

I worry that that would be too much ‘people time’, LOL


(Cindy) #9

What’s sunshine? We’ve been getting 5-10 days of rain at a time, followed by 1-2 days of sun or partly cloudy. Everything is mucky.


(mole person) #10

Where are you from? I’d assumed from the “sweet tea” that you were a southern gal.


(John) #11

I know - I was getting up to where I was walking over 3 miles a day (a huge victory for me, I haven’t done that in 10 years) and then - miserable cold and rain for a week and a half.

Today it was cold and cloudy, but dammit I got out there for 2 miles. But yeah, I would have loved to see that sun instead of gray clouds.


(Cindy) #12

Yes, I am, TN. So certainly southern, but right now, not Southern enough! I’d fly to Hawaii or the Bahamas if I could afford it. Well, I can afford, it just seems extravagant.


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #13

:rofl:
You sound like me!
If that’s the case just GO!
When I was in sales, living in Hawaii but traveling the world, I shed my fears of traveling alone, eating alone, staying at hotels alone, etc. You know what it was like? Easy!

I’d prefer to travel with my spouse, but if the choice was alone or not all? Pfft. I’d go, go, GO!


(John) #14

I’m also in TN. You can’t get more south than where I live without being in Mississippi*. It may be the South, but we still get crappy weather in the winter. Good news is that the nearest beach is less than a 6 hour drive. Bad news is that it’s the Gulf Coast, and it’s not all that warm right now either.

*in fact I am in Mississippi right now, I commute there to work.


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #15

You’re worth it.


(mole person) #16

I passed through TN on my way to Florida a couple of times, and while it’s much warmer than where I’m from (Northern Ontario), I can still understand why you’d seek a warmer holiday clime in winter.


(Cindy) #17

Now, see, I’m perfectly ok with eating by myself, traveling shorter stays alone, etc. But with this airline, flights are Monday and Friday. Hmmm, I need to re-think that. I could go Friday to Monday instead…then I get away for a few days, but not an entire week.


(I Am The Egg Man ku-ku-kachoo) #18

I follow This Site

It costs a few dollars a year. They find phenomenal airfares from my local intl airport that are often so cheap that I don’t mind paying for a much shorter duration trip… Like RT to Hawaii for $235.


(Jennibc) #19

I think I read we have had the wettest fall on record here in Central TX. I feel like I am living back up in Seattle with this damp cold. It’s miserable!


(Cindy) #20

Well, I made it through the day without falling into a vat of sweet tea or chocolate. I did “splurge” with some pomegranate seeds and about 1 tbsp of peanut butter. For dinner I had a salad with 2 Applegate hotdogs (chopped and made crispy in butter), with some olives, cheese, and scratch mayo for dressing.

Today, my bluejeans are nicely loose, direct from the dryer. :wink: I’ve been vacuuming and am noticing that getting up and down from the floor, which used to kill my knees, isn’t painful at all.

So all in all…feeling pretty good today! I’m also 90% sure I’m going to book a Fri-Mon trip to St Pete’s beach for sometime in January. Just need to call some hotels, decide on where I want to stay, etc. :smiley:

THANK you for everyone’s positive comments! It helped!!