Save the Date: HJ’s One Year Anniv Bash

I got to thinking last night about where I was at this same time last year. It’s hard to believe a year has passed –or all that’s happened in that time.

Last year at this time

• I was miserable.
• I’d just had my second round of chemo,
• all my hair was gone,
• the tumor hadn’t shrunk enough yet so my left arm and hand were still useless and throbbing,
• I was doped up on morphine,
• I pretty much was lucky to get out of bed, into the shower and downstairs most days,
• pain flares would often have me howling in gut-wrenching agony until I could get more morphine in my system (which would gratefully make me pass out),
• and my pukey bucket was never far from my side.

One good thing: I had lost a lot of weight so I could fit in my skinny jeans! Plus, I got to wear all my hats. (Which normally Wayne would’ve teased me about because he’s not much for accessories –or at least not my style of them.)

But if I’d known then that by the next month I’d start feeling a WHOLE lot better, and that I would go on to have one of the best years of my life, I think I would’ve handled my hitchhiker with more grace. Truly, it’s been the best blessing in disguise ever.

So last night before I got to sleep, I tried to remember when it all happened. When did I finally get to feeling good enough to start Haunt Jaunts? I knew it was March, but when exactly?

This morning I found out I wrote the post that launched it all, Here There Be Ghosts, on March 30, 2009.

I would’ve sworn it was earlier in March than that, but hey…I’ll blame my lapse on chemo brain! (Why not? It seems to be the root of many of my memory lapses anymore!)

But I wanted to know when I made that first post because I knew the date was coming up, and I wanted to honor the occasion with a big party.

Now, I didn’t get going full-on blogging truly until May. And it was actually more like August before I got into a rhythm. But March 30th was a big day because it meant, even though I was still going through chemo, my hitchhiker had lost some of its hold on me. I was ready to start living again, and Haunt Jaunts was my “get off the couch” motivating project.

So save the date. The fun will start on March 30th. I’m going to throw one of the biggest virtual PAR-T’s to ever hit the Net! (At least, I’d like to. I’m not a very good party thrower. I haven’t had much practice. But I’ll give it my best shot!)

Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.

Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.