✈️ Florida Trip & Mike’s ❤︎ ༻°₊ ｡

September 28 — October 2, 2025

Take-off from our island of Roatan, Honduras

Sunday, September 28

We planned to meet our truck guy, Shervon, at 10:30 a.m. (CT) at the Coxen Hole Food Court before heading to the airport. While we waited, we grabbed subs for breakfast — always a good call before travel! When it became clear Shervon wasn’t arriving on time, Mike called and learned he was “still waiting for his taxi.” He finally showed up, dropped us off at the airport, and took the truck for detailing.

Check-in was smooth, and we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy our breakfast before boarding. Our flight was on schedule, and we landed in Miami around 5:30 p.m. (EST) That airport always feels like a marathon — probably because Mike’s backpack weighs a ton, and my purse isn’t exactly light either!

Preparing to land in Miami, FL, USA

We picked up our Subaru Outback rental, made a quick stop at Publix for snacks and coffee, and grabbed sushi and cookies for supper. The drive to Boca Raton was busy, but we arrived safely and checked into our hotel — the Sonesta Select Boca Raton. Room #437 was spotless and comfy, and the pool and hot tub were the perfect ending to a long travel day.

Monday, September 29

Mike had bloodwork scheduled early at Quest Diagnostics, so he left at 6:30 a.m. and returned with breakfast from Brooklyn Water Bagels. It was such a treat to have a real smoked salmon bagel with cream cheese, tomato, and red onion again! While he was gone, I unpacked and got us settled into our temporary home base.

At 9:30, we met with Dr. Rossman, Mike’s new electrophysiologist. He was thorough but rather impersonal — never once made eye contact, which always makes me uneasy. After running an EKG, he explained that while everything looked normal except for some extra beats, they’d need to determine the percentage of those beats to gauge severity. Since we can’t do the usual two-week monitoring while living overseas, he recommended an *Implantable Loop Recorder (ILR)* as the best option. Step one: get Worker’s Comp approval. Step two: find an available surgical slot. We left feeling a bit unsettled.

The day brightened immediately afterward — Family Time! Our son Bill was working in Miami, but Rachel was home with the twins, Isaac and Lila (5), and little Noah (22 months). The kids had no idea we were coming, so the surprise was priceless! We spent the morning playing outside, enjoyed Rachel’s homemade buns with hot dogs and kielbasa, and relaxed while the kids napped. That evening, we watched Isaac and Lila at Taekwondo — now orange belts! — before finishing the day with ice cream from Larry’s and a peaceful soak in the hotel hot tub.

Lila and Isaac at Taekwondo

Tuesday, September 30

Mike’s 9:15 appointment was with his long-time cardiologist, Dr. Borzak, who’s been with him since 2017. It was wonderful to see him again, though sad to hear about his wife’s recent passing from ALS.

He performed another EKG with similar results — normal except for those extra beats. The good news? His office could likely schedule the ILR procedure before we left Florida. That lifted our spirits immediately!

After breakfast at the Boynton Beach Diner, we spent more time with the family. Bill was home, and we all went to Rachel’s salon for haircuts — including me! During the kids’ nap time, we ran errands, renewed our International Driving Permits at AAA, and picked up a few gifts for our Roatan helpers.

That night, Rachel made hamburgers and a birthday cake for her early celebration. It was such a sweet evening, though we were too exhausted to even think about the hot tub!

Grandma & Lila letting their hair down; Isaac getting his hair washed; Rachel trimming Lila’s hair; Isaac being silly with some hair clips with Grandpa looking on.

Wednesday, October 1

We started the day with breakfast at Tom Sawyer’s in Boca Raton, then got the call: Mike’s ILR procedure was scheduled for 2:00 p.m.!

Before heading to the clinic, we took Isaac and Lila to the park for a couple of hours. They loved the swings and jungle gym, and we even turned it into a mini lesson about caring for the planet — picking up litter and talking about “leaving a place better than you found it.” Later, we explored a scenic boardwalk full of discoveries — including red and black mangrove seeds we “planted” together. A mom and daughter tipped us off about a raccoon sleeping in a tree hollow, and Mike managed to get a photo of it by holding his phone high.

After nap time for the kids, we went to the surgical center. We arrived right on time, but things ran behind schedule — Mike went in around 3:20 and came out about 4:00. The five-minute procedure clearly took longer, but thankfully everything went perfectly. He was pain-free and had the staff laughing the whole time.

We were both completely worn out afterward and went to one of our favorite old haunts, Agliolios, for a quiet dinner.

Playing at the Park. We saw a cute little night heron and a sleepy raccoon

Thursday, October 2

Our return flight was at 12:31 p.m., so we left the hotel at 8:30 to allow for traffic and airport procedures. Good thing we did — halfway there, I was hit with a brutal stomach issue that had me stopping at every restroom between the parking lot and Gate D30. (If you’ve ever walked that Miami Airport stretch, you know it’s practically a mile!)

Mike found some Imodium, and by some miracle, it worked just in time for boarding. I even managed to nap on the flight — and made it all the way home to Roatan without a single bathroom break.

When we landed, Shervon was supposed to be waiting with our freshly detailed truck… but of course, he wasn’t. A few texts later, he said he was “on the way” — and admitted the truck had sat in the rain before he applied the windshield sealant. I’ll let you imagine how that went. Still, he showed up eventually, and we made the peaceful one-hour drive home.

Arriving Roatan and our Evening Beach Walk

Reflections

Five short days — but what a full and meaningful trip! We loved every moment with our family and were especially grateful for the time with our grandkids. Now it’s time to rest, recharge, and get ready for our next adventure — in just 47 days, we’ll be heading to Georgia to visit our other two sons and their families.