"Y2K" -- or the year 2000 -- was important to me, because that's when my 21st birthday occurred. I also attended classes, both online and at the local community college, and continued singing in the choir at church. Other highlights are pictured below.

My teacher and friend Frances Wright-Johnson hosted a 21st birthday party for me in April. A grand time was had by all. She even got me out onto the dance floor. I did okay there, as long as she held on...

Over the summer I also began therapeutic horseback riding (or "hippotherapy" -- funny name, no hippo's involved). I'd never ridden much before this, so it was all brand new to me. Here's a picture of me with my pal Crackerjack and trainer Becky Cook.

At the end of the summer I moved with my family to a new house in Saline, Michigan (just outside of Ann Arbor, where I had lived my first 21 years). It's a long ranch-style house, so I have no trouble getting around. Even better, there's room to add on a private apartment for me, so that I'll be able to practice "independent living" -- sort of being "on my own" but not "all alone". It'll take a while to get that done, but it should be a good transition step.

I got a second walking stick in the fall and began work on "gait training." My right side is still stronger than my left, so I need to work on balance and on smoothing out my gait as I walk.

At the end of the year my new buddy Sebastian joined our household. He's a Cornish Rex cat, who's very affectionate but also full of mischief. He's just a little guy, but he adds a nice burst of love and laughter to each day.

Here's my favorite Christmas photo for 2000. At the end of a session, I traded my riding helmet for more seasonal headgear. Hmmm, maybe it's "Hi ho, Santa, away..."

Right after Christmas, my Dad and I left for Florida for 3 weeks of hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments. Join us on our Road Trip on the next page.

Like TBI recovery, building this web site is also a long-term process. My parents and I started it, to help me remember what has happened. Perhaps others can learn from it, too. Primary pages on the site at this time are as follows: