I feel like I've been saying, "After the walk...." for months now. And it's finally after the walk. It was the most amazing experience and I can't even think about it without tears welling up in my eyes. It's a powerful experience to be part of that many people working toward a common goal - not by throwing money at it, but by putting themselves whole-heartedly into it.
Friday morning came awfully early - the alarm was set for 4 AM for us to get down to Sand Key Park in time for opening ceremonies. I walked out into the front yard and saw a sign from my friend Sue and her family. Cue tears for the first time on Friday!
Opening ceremony was great, although we stood around for about 2 hours. No one was happy about that - it's hard to be pumped, and then stand around and then get walking. But, our walk was started with a rainbow over the ceremony - if that's not a sign, I'm not sure what is! We headed out of opening ceremony over two big bridges. What?!?! The hilliest place we trained on was going under a golf course overpass! However, they weren't nearly as hard as I thought they would be. I had a great new friend - Jennifer - by my side keeping me focused.
Friday was the hardest day for me, hands down. The route planned was 22.8 miles, however rumors swirled around camp afterwards that walkers who tracked via GPS reported 26 miles of walking. I was unable to walk all of it - my body wasn't handling the heat (heat index above 100) well at all. I stopped peeing, stopped sweating (an incredible fact for me - I would win the Ms. Sweaty USA title without even showing up) and my heart was racing. I was extremely disappointed in myself, but Vinay helped me understand that getting sick would not help a cancer patient get better. As always, he's my rock. The medical crew was calling the day a Code Black - meaning the weather couldn't have been worse for us.
The best part of Friday, for me, was the Popsicle Princess. Amiya, Kev, Vinay and my parents were on the route handing out freezer pops to walkers. Seeing them helped me keep going. As I sat on the sweep bus afterward (for walkers who cannot complete the route), I heard the woman in front of me talking about the "sweet and cute" little girl passing out freezer pops. I asked her if she had long dark hair and she couldn't remember - only that she had a hat that said "Popsicle Princess." When I told her that was my daughter, a lot of the other walkers on the bus started saying how she helped them get through another mile or two. I really wanted Amiya to have a way of interacting with the walkers and she seemed very happy to be talking with them as they went by.
Friday night saw a storm predicted for our campsite, so walkers were relocated to the "penthouse" of a parking garage. We were supposed to take our shower in camp, pack up only the essentials (sleeping bag, mattress and medication) and board a bus for the parking garage. Instead, I called my favorite taxi service:
1-800-hus-band and he came and took four of us walkers home. My bed v. parking garage floor. Not a hard decision. It would have been an adventure - and from what those who stayed said it certainly was - but I'm happy to have been at home.
Saturday morning was goooood! The weather was overcast, but not rainy. Just a tiny bit humid with nice, cooling breezes! And we saw porpoises playing in the water as we crossed our first bridge of the day!!! Saturday's walk was 18.9 miles and I did about 16 of it. I took a van twice to get to the next pit stop - the last time for medical attention. The blisters on my feet were out of control. If I weren't a married woman, I might have proposed to the medical crew member named Tom. He took care of my blisters with all sorts of products and potions. When I pulled into that pit stop and hobbled off the bus, I was sure I was done for the day. He was wrapping up my feet and never once made mention of getting back on the bus. Without pressuring me, he said over and over, "You've only got three miles until camp."
My friend Pat and I hobbled into camp together Saturday around 4:45 PM. Pat is a speedster who left me in her dust all the time on training walks. She's also incredibly thoughtful - she hung around on almost all of the training walks and walked back to meet those of us and chat with us while we finished the last mile or so. She and I did the last half of Saturday together, alternately complaining about St. Pete's slanted sidewalks and scouting out medical tents. There is a medical condition that can happen on any event where you spend a lot of time on your feet in the heat - road rash. Pat was told by numerous medics that she won the prize for the worst case. And yet she kept on walking. She wasn't harming her body, just making the rash worse. She said if I could walk on my blisters, she could walk on her legs. She was great company for the last half on Saturday.
Saturday night back at camp was a really great time! We had dinner, took showers in a semi (a new experience - not too bad at all!), listened to a Survivor speak and hung out by our tents waiting for lights out at 9. Around 8:40 there was a collective groan throughout camp as we all tried to get up off the ground and onto our feet to head to the port-a-potties for one last pee.
No one slept well on Saturday night, but we all rallied to be ready to go at 7:30 in the morning. Tents packed, bags back on the trucks headed for closing ceremonies, breakfast eaten and water bottles filled. It was the last day and only 16.something miles! It was a muggy day and the sun played peek-a-boo behind the clouds, but nothing compared to Friday. I walked the first half of the day mostly by myself and then met up with my teammate Denise at the stop shortly before lunch. I think we saved each other from giving in and taking a van. Denise had a hard time with miles 10 - 13 and me with miles 13-16. But we did it, sometimes chatty, sometimes silent. We both think The 3 Day needs to check their pedometers - the last mile before the end was the loooooooongest mile ever.
All three days of the walk saw the streets lined with spectators and supporters, offering water, gatorade, candy, popsicles, etc. And if people weren't standing on the grass, they were driving by in their pink-ribbon bedazzled cars honking and yelling. There were also people in boats, decorated houses, babies in strollers with signs saying, "You walk so my generation won't face this." and parents holding pictures of their daughters who lost the fight. It was impossible not to cry. It is still hard not to cry. We would moan about our blisters, but the simple truth that we all knew deep down is that the blisters will heal in a week and our bodies will go back to being healthy and whole. Chemo and treatment lasts much longer for a cancer patient. There was no shortage of inspiration and no shortage of tears.
Walking into closing ceremony is something I will never forget. My feet hurt and I almost couldn't keep pace because of the hobbling, but I got there. About a week before the walk began, all the participants got an email about visualization. I knew that at closing ceremony, all the walkers held up one shoe to salute the Survivors. That was my vision while walking when I needed to focus - me holding up a shoe to Genevieve, Connie, Karen, Peggy and more. And I did it! I couldn't stop crying - no one could. We held up a shoe and took a knee. Us walking warriors, saluting those for whom we walk. I hugged those around who encouraged me and who I encouraged and sobbed pretty much the whole time. I thought this would be what completely broke me down, but it isn't.
We marched into closing ceremony in parade formation, 10 strong walkers across. Walkers in white, crew in gray, Survivors in pink. I couldn't see my family at all, just the balloons that they had brought. And then I saw Amiya, perched high on my dear friend Sherri's shoulders. She was up there smiling, yelling and waving pink pompons. This is my image, what I will remember. This perfect little bundle of energy, vibrant and healthy with no idea what it is to battle something greater than herself or face a fear scarier than a shadow on her windowshade. I thought of my walking partner who had lumps removed the day after her prom and was terrified to even think what it might be. I will always remember Amiya up there smiling and waving at me and I hope that some day if she finds a lump it means nothing more terrifying than seeing the doctor, taking some medicine and getting that pink shirt because there is no outcome other than being a Survivor.
I promised Vinay I won't walk again next year because the training and fundraising took a lot of our family time, but it will be hard to keep that promise. This was women (and a few men) working together to change the world we know. No division of religion, politics, race or class. I will walk again another year and I hope you'll consider walking with me. Our team - Our Cups Runneth Over - will have raised $51,711.62 when all donations are cleared and this year's Tampa walk has already raised $5.4 million.
3 Days, 60 Miles, $5.4 million closer to a cure.
Amazing.
At the zoo - Kev's first trip in the backpack. He likes it and it makes it a lot easier to see the animals. Here you can see Kev, Amiya and Vinay checking out the turtles!
Quiet (ha ha ha ha ha ha) reading time. As soon as we took the picture, they were done. 
Quiet (ha ha ha ha ha ha) reading time. As soon as we took the picture, they were done. 
Who needs toys? Santa is bringing these two leftover moving boxes.
Amiya dipping candles at Cracker Country. It's not a derogatory term in Florida. Who knew?
Kev, awestruck, at the Sesame Street Live show we went to a few weeks ago. Who do you think enjoyed it more - Kev or Vinay?
I think this is the toddler equivalent to waving a lighter in the air during a slow song.
She tells us she's too old for Sesame Street but she was into it!
Someone had the idea to buy a big ol' slide for our living room. I'd take credit, but I gave him too much slack and it has actually worked out alright. Kev is climbing less on furniture and more on the slide, so we'll keep it! Amiya loves when his hair gets charged up from going up and down.
If he knows you're trying to take his picture, this is what you get.
Nah, he doesn't look like Vinay at all.
I don't know if I put this up or not. This is from a Princess Tea Party Amiya went to a few weeks ago. The girls looked so cute!
Amiya doing crafts on her "ho-made" desk. Why's she calling herself that?
This is how she went to school - she was trying to look like the Pilgrims. She gets her fashion sense from Vinay.
Our little Indian. Ha! We keep trying to get her to say Pilgrims and Native Americans, but she is convinced it's Indians. She asked her teacher if the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to make chana!
Our Turkey. It looks good, hey? We had the old stand-bys - I'm thankful for Grandma & Grandpa, Nisha Didi, Mommy, Daddy, etc. and a few new ones, too. My favorite: "I'm thankful that Mommy isn't mean like the octopus in Dora." 
Princess Aurora and Fireman Kev
My number one supporter! He put up with less than
Whitney showing off her incredibly expensive
Pat - standing tall, looking good!
One of the Safety Crew. If you look closely, you'll see
A billboard we walked by on Day 2.
A boat that followed walkers from bridge to bridge as we passed
Aside from the Popsicle Princess, this girl was my 
