A Week Ago Today

I figured if I was going to title a blog about change since last week this is the best title. However, this is not the best title. You will see why as my mind decompresses not depresses over a weeks plus worth of thoughts, emotions, experiences, feelings, noises, messes, and so on. How can I in one simple blog post outline one of the greatest if not GREATEST experiences I have ever encountered in my life since being diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes oh so many years ago. I have always guestimated it was January of 1995 but I could be so wrong on this that I will one day actually have to come up with a real DOD, date of diagnosis.
That being said, I will stand by my previous comment about this being the GREATEST thing ever. I can blog about this for hours, in looking at "ze Bloggers" that have already started or tried to do this, there is a major issue. So much information overload, that who knows what the heck or where the heck to start first. Well, I guess the easiest place should be to mention where I was. I attended the "Children with Diabetes: Friends for Life Conference" in Orlando, Florida last week. Yes, I know children seems odd for a 20 something year old to be going to. However the program has developed for more than just children. It not also has a smaller but just as good adult track, which is what I attended. So I got to do something great and now talk about it. Anyway, back to my comment of where to start? For me that is simple. I met some awesome people. For the first time in many many years I have had an opportunity to hang out and chat with multiple type-1's and type-3's. Which was great. I have never had an opportunity like this. Online is fun don't get me wrong, but meeting, greeting, harassing in the case of Kerri (Carie), it is a completely different experience all together.
So that is what I can tell you so far. I am still working on things. But back to the title "A Week Ago Today" I learned so many amazing things and entered a "new" world for me. And so here is what I have learned to date, but again there is so much more to this.
A week ago today:

...I learned that I was one among many awesome adults with type-1 diabetes.

... I learned that there is such a thing as a Diabetes Alert Dog and how awesome they are, even when they are sleeping and making hilarious noises. (Hi Becca)

... I learned how awesome "ze bloggers" I met were and how glad I am to now call them friends.
... I learned what I can do and how not to worry when my machines, pancreas, and everything about me goes nutso. I am not alone in this.
... I learned that no matter what and despite diabetes, "You can do this!". (Time for me to take a swig of diet coke)
... Diet Coke is not as much fun unless you can put it into a mug and chug, chug, chug.
... I learned that when one is giving a talk about swimming in a Triathalon, the best way to emmulate swimming is to look as if you are doing weird ass jazz hands in front of a large crowd of people. Don't even get me started on how one runs a marathon.

A week ago today, I made so many new friends I don't know where to begin, end, or start. Yet I know now, how great these people are. How much inspiration they are to me. How good it is to not be alone. I also learned why we all need to make time to go beyond our comfort zone and branch out. Otherwise, I would have spent last week sitting in Jersey making crazy jokes and having no new friends to laugh at them.