BATTLING CANCER ABROAD: MY UNEXPECTED JOURNEY IN TOKYO

What a difference a year makes! Around this time last year I was traveling the streets of Tokyo filled with excitement to know that I made it to one of my bucket list destinations.

I’d like to say that I was “living my best life” but I wasn’t… despite my excitement to tour Japan, I was filled with a daunting feeling that consumed my thoughts and headspace for the majority of my trip… a daunting feeling that told me that the lump I felt in my neck just a few days before my trip, was more than just a simple lump.

So while trying to have the best experience of Japan I was also trying to rid myself of fear & anxiety. To make matters worse, I hadn’t really spoken to anyone about it except for my friend who was on the trip with me (who had also just graduated from nursing school), who was smart enough to tell me that I probably needed to get it checked out when we got back - to put this in perspective: we were on the plane heading to Japan for two weeks when she stated this so imagine the thoughts that literally consumed my mind for two whole weeks while I was away from home?! The trip that I couldn’t wait to go on for so many months finally came and I was ready for it to be over.

The first week of my trip was the hardest. I cried in the shower one night. I constantly researched reasons for a lump appearing in my neck. I touched my neck over + over again in hopes of the lump magically disappearing. Meanwhile, my mom + my brother had no idea that I was going through this because I didn’t want to worry them or ruin the trip. So one morning after being up for hours just in my thoughts (despite the jet lag) I called a few of my loved ones back home and told them my concerns. Speaking to them released a big weight off of my shoulders and gave me a bit of relief. They encouraged me and spoke peace into my spirit, which allowed me to truly enjoy the second week of my trip.

So although a lot has changed in a year, the one constant that remains the same is the need for people. We need our loved ones, our family, our friends… to lift us up when we are down and carry our crown when the weight is too much for us to bear.

During this time I also created this mantra in my head: “Faith over fear.” This also allowed me to fully rely and trust in God, no matter whatever the outcome turned out to be. So please put the weight of your fears on the Lord as He will continue to carry you [+ me] through our journeys.

“FAITH OVER FEAR”

I’d love to hear your stories, testimonies and experiences that may be similar to mine… please feel free to share below!