In return, Id loaned him my pen.
It was, you might say, just like any other day.
But minutes later, life as I knew it was over.
Shrimping boats in Biloxi.Credit:Ken Kochey
Everything was in orbit: the charger, the pen, my coffee and laptop.
The sun burned my eyes and suddenly even the blue light of my computer was unbearably bright.
I tried to turn away but my neck was locked in place.
From left: Downtown Ocean Springs; stand-up paddleboarding on the Pascagoula River.Ken Kochey
I closed my eyes.
Feeling around for my phone, muscle memory allowed me to text my husband an SOS.
Four hours later, at the ER, he was told Id had a brain aneurysm.
The Elvis Suite at Gulf Hills Hotel & Resort, in Ocean Springs.Ken Kochey
I live with short-term memory loss.
But this is what coastal Mississippi taught me: that to be creative is to hope.
The experience would guide me in recovery.
From left: A drum, caught in the Gulf Islands National Seashore; alligators basking in the sun.Ken Kochey
Here are the things Ill never forget.
Let me help you, she said, then joked, What you got in here?
A million dollars for the casino?
The Frank-Gehry designed Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, in Biloxi.Ken Kochey
If I win, Ill share with you, I told her.
No you wont, she laughed, like wed grown up together.
We rode the 40 minutes to my first stop in Bay St. Louis quipping back and forth.
From left: The lobby of the Pearl Hotel; balconies at the Pearl Hotel.Ken Kochey
Michelle dropped me off at the Pearl Hotel, a boutique property near the marina in Bay St. Louis.
I had a late lunch and wandered around town in search of a souvenir shop.
Many stores were in the process of closing when I arrived, the owners sweeping or rolling up rugs.
From left: Bouillabaisse at Thorny Oyster, a restaurant at the Pearl Hotel, in Bay St. Louis; Thorny Oyster chef Jeffrey Hansell (center left) with the kitchen crew.Ken Kochey
And yet there was that openness again most shopkeepers said Come in, its alright.
Morning came, and with it the sounds of seabirds cawing and boats slicing through the water outside.
From my balcony, I watched nautical flags and banners for charity events flapping in the breeze.
From left: A pelican stands watch over a salt marsh in Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Kim Pham, a shrimper in Biloxi, on her boat.Ken Kochey
It was November, and most homes hadnt yet taken down their Halloween decorations.
The cafe had become the towns public living room after Katrina, Planchard told me.
I regretted having come a week too late, without my tween daughter my own mini-witch.
From left: A picnic at Gulf Islands National Seashore; shrimp boats in Biloxi.Ken Kochey
But Planchard assured me next years walk would be here before we knew it.
Isnt that what a worthwhile destination is?
To remake life many times over, if we must.
From left: A Biloxi pier; strolling on the beach in Biloxi.Ken Kochey
And Mississippi once again rewarded me.
We talked about her journey from Vietnam to the Philippines to Atlanta, and finally to Mississippi.
Shed worked at a factory in Biloxi until it shifted operations to Mexico, then turned to shrimping.
Ill never forget that gesture.
Pham wasnt the only inspiring woman I met in Biloxi.
I mentioned that I wanted to see the Pascagoula River.
Sparling was at the ready, calling up her kayaking group, the Pascagoula Paradise Paddlers.
Because of my injury, Ive lost plenty: sensory tolerance, physical stamina, mental focus.
But Ill always have those episodic memories from the trip that turn off my brains fear mode almost automatically.
My therapist puts it this way: you become what you have, not what youve lost.
My answer changed every time, save for this one: Im a writer who makes friends on travels.
After brain surgery, whatever youre able to recall becomes your new self.
My therapist puts it this way: you become what you have, not what youve lost.
Ocean springs was my last stop on the trip.
As part of the restoration process, the team reached out to former guests and asked what they remembered.
Most replied not with architectural details, but interactions.
Its stories like this that Condrey and the team used to reclaim what the property had.
At the nearby Bozos Too, I met up with my dear friend Renards family for lunch.
Today, that desire resurfaces.
But travel is harder now.
There are assistive gadgets to bring, logistical considerations to be made.
Ill have, for inspiration, looked up famous brain aneurysm survivors and see what theyve achieved.
Sharon Stone graced theSaturday Night Livestage again.
Emilia Clarke went full Targaryen in the series finale ofGame of Thrones.
Joni Mitchell picked up her guitar and kept making music.
As for me, Im here, remembering what coastal Mississippians taught me.
Im here, about to add a period to a sentence.
Im here, writing again.
Pearl Hotel
Thischarming 59-key innin Bay St. Louis has a sophisticated seafood restaurant, Thorny Oyster.
McElroys Harbor House
AGulf-side Biloxi restaurantwith crab cakes, gumbo, fried clams, and more.
