Postings may be a little light, but I will write a full recap when I return on Sunday. Then I’ll have just two days until I’m off to Orlando for the Children with Diabetes conference! It’s a conferenceapalooza!

At around four in the afternoon, Katie and I decided to head out so we could make it back to New Jersey before it got too late. This is where I should have suspected something was wrong. When I put my key in the ignition, I turned the key. But it didn’t move. It wasn’t a matter of turning the ignition and the engine not starting. I couldn’t even turn my key. I pushed and pushed and nothing happened. This has happened once or twice before, so I jiggled the wheel and heard something click. When I turned the key, the engine started and I figured something was just out of alignment.

We made a plan to stop at the Texas Roadhouse in West Haven that we had spotted on our drive up. We missed the exit, so it took a bit longer than expected to get to it, but we managed to have a yummy rib dinner and their ah-MAZE-ing rolls.

But when we got into the car, that’s when the trouble really started.

I put my key in the ignition. And nothing. Not a budge, not a slip, not a centimeter of movement. Katie and I called every guy we knew and none of them had any suggestions that were making the key go anywhere. I called Allstate’s emergency roadside service that I am a member of, but even they weren’t able to put us in touch with anyone. We tried called a few locksmiths, but either they didn’t have a way to help us or they didn’t serve our area (keep in mind, West Haven is like two miles from New Haven - it’s not like we were in the boonies). After almost two hours of desperate phone calls on cell phones that were about to die, Katie and I gave into destiny and we checked into the Best Western next to the restaurant.

The next morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn to a downpour. I spent another thirty minutes on the phone with Allstate to get a tow truck to come tow my car to the Ford dealership. By the time the truck came, the rain had stopped and we were on our way to the dealership.

The damage was pretty bad. The ignition was completely locked up and the only way to fix it was to replace it. Not the entire ignition column, just the silver part where the key goes in. While we waited, Katie and I decided to go get some breakfast. Katie actually ate earlier, but between stress and an surprisingly high fasting number, I was too nauseated to eat anything. But my blood sugars had falled back to normal so I was hungry.

After breakfast, we decided to walk around town and see there was anything interesting. At the end of the block, we saw a hair salon with posters that were probably around when I was born.

Hilarious right?

We kept walking. Then there was another one. And there was another one.

We crossed the street and kept on walking. We saw a few funny things (including a toilet in the window display of a bar), but mostly we saw hair salons. A lot of them. All we could talk about was how amazing it was that there were so many barber shops. We couldn’t figure out why such a small town needed so many. After fifteen minutes it looked like we were about to come to the end of the road and into more residential areas, so we stopped and turned around.

“We should take pictures of them!” I suggested, so Katie and I walked back taking pictures of ourselves in front of every single one of them, including two that were next door to each other.

The total?

Thirteen.

Thirteen barber shops on Campbell Avenue in West Haven, Connecticut. There is a sign on the City Hall that says “West Haven… Connecticut’s Friendliest City.”

The years of exciting milestone birthdays are over, sadly, so I’m not exactly on pins and needles about it. I’m looking forward to August because that means I’ll be living in Hoboken finally and I will just have returned from a weekend in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

On August 2nd (the day after I move, keep in mind), my family is throwing my great-aunt a party for her 90th birthday. I’m really excited because my grandmother, my aunt and my dad are all flying in for the event. Afterwards, my dad and I are driving down to Baltimore, where he will be working on business and I will be taking the train down for the day for the Quilt for Life showing. I haven’t decided if this means I’m going to cancel the Washington D.C. dinner and just see who is around on Monday or if that means I will go down to D.C. on Sunday night and on Monday. People who are in the area, please feel free to leave me a comment letting me know if you have a preference or if you are planning on attending the Quilt for Life showing (I will be there at 10 a.m. and would LOVE to meet people, so feel free to come say hi!), otherwise I will just send out an email to those who I already have spoken with.

It will be a busy, busy time but I’m definitely looking forward to celebrating an early birthday with my family and friends and seeing the ENORMOUS Quilt for Life presentation at the National Mall. That will be a sight to see! Having a quilt representation of my life on display in our nation’s capitol is definitely an achievement, I think.

In more fun news, I discovered that as a blogaversary present (well, not really), Guy Kawasaki’s blog directory, AllTop, has listed myself and many of our fellow bloggers in the Diabetes category. I helped with some of the recommendations, but I had no idea I would land in the first line, alongside Kerri and Amy! I’m very excited to be listed, and everyone else should be too. Many of you may not know who Guy Kawasaki is, but he is a prominent figure in the social media world so I have known about AllTop for several months because of my job. I wrote to them originally recommending Amy for their Health category, then found out they were creating an entire Diabetes category!

I am writing this today, however, because tomorrow I’m going to be wandering around Beaver Brook Reservation in Massachusetts with a bunch of the coolest, craziest cats this side of cyberspace. Because I’m one of the 12 people in the world without an iPhone, I’m not able to post on my actual blogaversary.

As most of you know, I’ve been involved in the diabetes community since day one. My family participated in all the JDRF Walks to Cure Diabetes, I went to diabetes camp, I was a Children’s Congress delegate and I’ve been to conferences. I’ve done all the “in real life” stuff that you can do, but there is still something incredibly remarkable about blogging and how much I have seen this change not only my life, but the lives of everyone else involved in this community, whether they are a fellow blogger, a commenter or a lurker.

I’m involved in social media on a daily basis. I read blogs for a living. I see communities formed around everything from music to food to motherhood and everywhere in between. It’s amazing the trusting relationships that can form between complete strangers. The instant communication and the constant support that comes from reading and re-reading blogs, message boards or IMing someone I’ve never met (well, in my case, it’s more like “I’ve only met once”) is incredibly uplifting. I know some people have said that when there is a cure they will stop blogging. I don’t think I’ll ever stop blogging. Sure, I will stop writing about diabetes, but all of you have become a part of my life and have helped me in so many ways. You have been a part of my life, from my West Coast life to my East Coast life, from the good days to the bad days, sharing in my accomplishments and supporting me in my depression.

I wonder if the people who first blazed the blogging trail realize how much they have changed the lives of so many people.

To me, you are not just people with diabetes. You are not just my imaginary internet weirdo friends.

Apparently, Good Morning America aired a segment on ways to cut your risk of developing diabetes.

Notice something strange?

That’s right. They neglected to distinguish that this was type 2 diabetes they were talking about. I did not watch the segment (thank God) but apparently the doctor on the segment did not make one attempt to indicate that you can only cut your risk for type 2 diabetes, but there is nothing you can do to cut your risk for type 1 diabetes.

A write-up of the segment was posted on their website, and quickly the title was changed to specify type 2 diabetes. But the damage was done.

Thousands - possibly millions - of people were once again fed the message that there is only one diabetes. While many people have protested against the almost criminalization of type 2 diabetes, which I am opposed to as well, the fact is that type 2 diabetes does display certain characteristics that are contrary to type 1 diabetes.

The idea that diabetes is preventable is a misconception on both sides of this coin. For type 1 diabetes, it is never preventable. Ever. It is not curable. Ever. It can simply be managed through insulin and an understanding of how food, exercise and other factors can impact your blood sugars. For type 2 diabetes, it can be preventable, but not always. Even if a person could have prevented their diabetes, there is no reason to make them feel like a bad person. Some could say that a high blood sugar reading is “preventable”, but we encourage the belief that a reading or an A1C result does not reflect the worth of a person. We need to remember that if we don’t want to be judged by our numbers, then type 2 diabetics deserve the same in return.

We are then left with the misconceptions perpetuated by the media. Already more than 80 people have commented on this story, including myself, Bernard, Landileigh and Kerri (perhaps more, though these were the only ones I know of). My hope is that this shows the producers at ABC that we will no longer tolerate these misconceptions being spread by the media.

In my view, there is no other disease that is so consistently misrepresented in news broadcasts which I feel is an enormous disrespect to all of us - people with type 1, people with type 2, families, friends and colleagues. So many hours are spent educating the public on AIDS, cancer, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and now autism.

This entire disease is ridden with media misconceptions. I’m tired of it. We’ve raised our voices inside this community with our blogs posts and message board threads. It’s time to move this conversation outside of our circle. We need to stop chastising journalists and instead we need to prevent it from even happening. Proactive, not reactive. We need to start sending these letters to those who have the biggest influence in public knowledge: the journalists. Start small. Contact your local newspaper’s health reporter. Contact your local TV channel. Tell them your story. It’s worth being told. Even if you don’t get on the television, even if you aren’t in a newspaper, at least the reporter is aware for the next World Diabetes Day, for the next celebrity diagnosis, for the next athlete’s achievement.

Everyone has always commented on how mature I was growing up. My dad says I was eight going on eighteen. My transition to taking care of my diabetes was pretty natural. I always understood that taking care of my diabetes was important, and being a part of the diabetes community was an added push to be responsible. Can’t very well have people writing about you with an A1C of 9.

Of course, the actual transition to college was a lot harder than I imagined. It’s one thing to take care of your diabetes with the buffer that comes from having parents around to check with. When you’re in college, suddenly it becomes a bit more awkward and there is more pressure to handle things independently. This flawed expectation landed me at an A1C of 9.1 at the end of my first semester.

Since then, my mission has been to work with other teens and college students like myself, to help make the transition from living at home to living at college a little easier. But my work hasn’t just been with teens. I’ve also spent a lot of talking to parents of teens with diabetes, giving them a perspective that their own teen may not be able to communicate.

Next Monday, I’ll be a guest in Diabetes Talkfest’s chatroom to talk about transitioning your teen to independence. It’s open to both teens and parents, and hopefully it will be a time where we can discuss the issues that both sides face.

The chat: Transitioning to Independence: Driving, Drinking and Dorms
The time: Monday, July 14 at 9pm EST/6pm PST
The location: www.diabetestalkfest.com

More information on that chat is here.

On one hand, it’s a day to reflect on all the accomplishments our country has made in the last two hundred years, from gaining the rights to govern ourselves the way we want to providing legally certain social rights to African Americans and women. I’ve never been the kind of person to think that America is the single greatest country on Earth, but I do think that compared to many societies, we should be grateful for the opportunities we have.

It’s also a day that reminds me of how many things I am still dependent on, from the unavoidable like money and foreign oil to the habitual like greed and approval from others. It also reminds me of one thing that as a community we are all dependent on: insulin. I remember, when I was first diagnosed as a child, that insulin was the main distinction between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Back then, of course, type 1 and type 2 were not as commonly used. In the books or articles on the disease, it was written as “Juvenile (insulin dependent) diabetes” and “Adult-onset (insulin independent) diabetes.” Now, we all know that while “juvenile” diabetes is and always is insulin dependent (despite the claims of Halle “Weaned” Berry), people with type 2 can also be dependent on insulin because their body simply can’t produce or use their own insulin well enough.

It’s a dependence that I am visually reminded of everyday by my insulin pump (or in my pre-pump years, the insulin pen I toted around everywhere). Although I value my health enough to put up with being tethered to my insulin pump, as well as my glucose meter, there are very few things I want more in life than to be able to get rid of this damn gadget.

On Fourth of July, we take time to celebrate the impact that people made on our country over two centuries ago. This encourages me that the same people who are just living their lives - working, playing, taking care of their families and trying for a better life - can have an impact on today’s world. We can gain independence from pharmaceutical companies and as a result, we will gain independence from insulin.

This time, we’re heading up north to Massachusetts (and yes, I spelled that correctly on the first try!) for a wonderful picnic in the park just outside of Boston. This gathering is actually be organized by Bernard, one of our resident technophiles. You can find more information at his TuDiabetes event listing.

I’ll be driving up next Friday with my friend Katie, who has never been to Boston. We’re staying at hostel at Boston University that is only open during the summers (obviously - the rest of the time, the students are actually there!). I’m really excited about that. I was a bit bummed the Back Bay hostel was booked, but this will be something new to try. Katie won’t be joining me at the picnic, but I will be there for a few hours in the afternoon. This is actually my third time in Boston since I moved to the East Coast last year, so I’ll once again be donning my tour guide hat to show Katie around town. Hopefully we’ll be able to check out some of the bars and hang with a younger crowd, which was unfortunately impossible to do when you’re traveling with your mother.

I hope everyone can make it. The weather should be great and I’m excited to meet some more of the New England members of our little (ha!) clan.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, I don’t enjoy making modifications to my insulin pump. I suffer through days of ridiculous blood sugars and obvious patterns before finally giving in. I don’t know why it takes such effort to make these changes. But once I do, once I raise or lower my basal or bolus ratio a notch, suddenly, everything falls back into place and it’s like I’m a whole new diabetic.

Lately, my life seems to come in sweeping changes. First, new school, new classes and new friends. Then, when that was a done, I did a completely 180-degree turn and went to the other side of the country and into a profession I had absolutely no intention of pursuing. With that came a new city, a new apartment, more new friends and new doctors. Now I’m about to make another huge change by moving into an apartment with a girl I’ve known for two weeks.

Big changes have obviously had a huge impact on my life, both physically and emotionally. I’ve noticed that with diabetes, even small changes can have a huge impact. Whether it’s a half a unit more of basal, a half an hour of exercise, or a few less carbohydrates a day, the results show almost immediately in my blood sugar readings. Suddenly the anxiety from my blood sugar readings dissipates and I’m more relaxed throughout the day. Although the changes need to happen more often than I wish, the positive - or in some cases negative - results are encouraging.

So why is it, despite my obvious willingness to take such risks in uprooting my life, that I am so stubborn in making minor changes in something that has such an immediate positive impact on my health? I don’t know the answer, but I know it needs to change.

Except, I’m not going.

Turns out my plans with my friends didn’t end up going as planned, so I had to cancel my trip. But because I already purchased the tickets, I have more than $800 worth of Continental dollars to use towards another flight. While I contemplated using that to go somewhere cheaper, truth is, I really want to go to England. I purchased a guidebook and everything. So I’ve been giving it some thought and I have settled on the third week of September. This new change also gives me the opportunity to stay for longer, so I will be in England for eight days instead of four. I’m not traveling with anyone, which of course presents a whole new conundrum to this “traveling with diabetes” card I’ve been dealt. But I know plenty of people who have traveled by themselves with diabetes and lived to tell about it.

I’m confident I’ll be one of them.

I also discovered that while I’m there, the city of Bath will be holding their annual Jane Austen Festival and the city of York will be holding their annual Food and Wine Festival. I’m hoping to hit up at least one - if not both - of them. I’m hoping that my newfound independence will also give me the opportunity to meet some of our English blogger friends.

I’ve always wanted to travel somewhere exotic by myself. When I was younger, the idea of doing anything alone seemed impossible. Too dangerous, people said. But now that I’m older, more experienced and well-equipped with my insulin pump and worldwide network of friends, I feel confident that I can handle just about anything.

In addition (you knew this part was coming, right?), I’ve also added a new trip to my summer schedule. One of my clients at work, Picnik (you may have seen them as Flickr’s editing tool), is sponsoring this summer’s BlogHer conference in San Francisco. I’m going to help and to attend the conference and I’m really excited. I went to BlogHer last summer in Chicago and had a great time. I’m even more excited to go this year since I will actually know people when I get there!

The only flaw in this plan is the fact that I return from San Francisco on Sunday, July 20. Guess when I leave for CWD’s Friends for Life? Yeah. Tuesday, July 22.

Did I mention I’m moving? On August 1?

Yeah. Perhaps not my wisest plan.