So, we’ve completed 25 trips to Greenville—25 round trips, to be exact. Of course, we’ve had countless more doctor’s appointments, but in terms of actual trips, 25 in three years. As we were driving down this last time, I was thinking about how, when people ask how far Greenville is from home, I usually say five hours. It’s a nice round number, but in reality, it rarely fits. We’ve had about three trips where the travel time round trip was 10 hours. (One of those being our “emergency” 12-hour round trip visit for an unplanned cast change last year.)This last one? It took a solid twelve.

So, when you think about it, with 25 trips under our belt, that’s at least 250 hours on the road. We’ve spent over 10 full days just traveling to Shriners Children’s Greenville in Greenville, South Carolina in the last three years.

Now, to some, that might seem excessive, especially since we have doctors closer to home, and even a Shriners location not too far away. But Dr. Hyer, Dr. Pete, and the rest of Harrison’s team—these are some of the top specialists in their field. And let me tell you, not for a second have I doubted that all the time and money we’ve spent traveling has been worth it. Just look at our boy. He’s walking. He’s getting stronger. He’s stepping up on things.

This is a kid, and I’ve said it countless times, that I wasn’t sure would ever walk. I didn’t know if he’d be able to sit up naturally, let alone do everything he’s doing now. And it’s crazy to think that we’ve made 25 trips in three years—it doesn’t even feel like that. I can practically do the trip on autopilot at this point. Although, I have developed a special hatred for US 40. If you think you dislike road construction already, take a few trips to Greenville and you’ll know exactly what I mean.

But in all seriousness, it’s wild. It’s wild to think about the hours and miles we’ve traveled, and even wilder to think of the remarkable changes in Harrison. This last visit, like many of them, wasn’t a major milestone. (With the exception that we, cumulatively, took the fewest number of photos we’ve ever taken on a visit.) It was, in true Harrison fashion, a pretty standard check-up. We did what we were doing nearly three years ago—seeing Dr. Hyer, and getting measured for new AFOs with Mr. Phil at POPS. (We opted for dinosaurs this time.)

This visit was a warm-up for what’s coming next month—a two-day visit where we’ll see everyone. Those are always a bit more nerve-wracking because you never know what you’re going to hear or how things are going to go. And I’ve learned, with every trip, that the closer we get to Greenville, the more the nerves build up. It’s just one of those things. Can’t help it, and I imagine it’ll always be that way. Coming home is a mixed bag—either you’re exhausted from the stress, or equally exhausted from the relief that comes from a good visit.

Three years ago, I didn’t know where we’d be. I didn’t know what life would look like for us, or Harrison. I still try to avoid being overly optimistic. It’s a fine line—being a realist with a touch of hope. Because, at any given moment, this roller coaster could dip, and we could be going back downhill for a while. That’s not negativity, just reality. This journey, for better or worse, will always have highs and lows. Jenna and I know that. It’s just the nature of things.

But again, 25 trips. It feels like a crazy milestone. I know in a couple of years it’ll just be another drop in the bucket, but right now, it’s nice to stop and reflect. Nice to take a moment to revisit it all. I can’t tell you how many times Jenna and I have looked back on this blog, thankful that I’ve written things down. It’s become a bit of a public journal—something I didn’t plan. I don’t post as much as I used to, and I don’t go into all the little details of our days. That would be exhausting, for me and anyone reading. But I try to keep up with these posts, especially the ones about Greenville trips. If nothing else, they’re here for us to reference and for me to get things out of my head.

So yeah—25 trips, and countless more to go. I can’t wait to see where Harrison is and what life looks like on trip number 50, however long that takes.

(Check out that side-by-side selfies from our first trip and our 25th)

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