Day + 22, First Expedition

More progress. Today I took my first trip to the outside world (excluding the hospital). No, I didn't feel like Christoper Columbus, but more like a sigh of relief that I am slowly rebuilding my life.

You may be asking, "where is his mask? Is he crazy?" Well, of course I'm nuts, but that doesn't explain the mask. While it is important to wear the mask at all times during the first 3-6 months, you can walk around without one, under the following conditions:

• You are inside your apartment, when no one is around other than you and your caregiver.
• You are at least 4 feet away from another person or pet (inside or outside)
• You are not in an environment with a high concentration of people.
• You have bad breath (just kidding)

So, where did I venture? I walked three blocks with my mother to the Prudential Center mall. We took off early so there wouldn't be many people about. No problems or fatigue, which was good.

One of the problems with living in the Back Bay is the ease of walking to nice restaurants and stores on Newbury and Boylston Street. After a month, my mother is starting to get a little restless stuck here in the apartment away from home and family. As a result, she's started to use shopping as one of her vices. Unfortunately, she's learning you really need to have the income of a third-world country to hit the shops here on a daily basis. You can only stroll into Tiffany's so many times before you become weak at the knees. Or so she says.