Last week was a whirlwind of preparation and emotion as I gathered everything needed for my surrender. I meticulously worked on all the legal documents, including the money and a money order for commissary, and compiled them into a neat manila envelope. This envelope held essential items such as my contact list, a yoga script.

I even mailed myself the AA Big Book and the "12 and 12." By Friday, I had completed all these tasks, feeling a mix of relief and trepidation.

On Saturday, I shifted my focus to a joyful event: preparing for a bridal shower for one of my Serenity Sisters, which was taking place at my home on Sunday. By Sunday morning, I sent a text to the group of girls, realizing that this event kept me distracted and uplifted during this challenging weekend. The shower was set to begin at 11am, but over 10 women arrived an hour before to help set up. From tea sandwiches, blueberry mint tea, and homemade sweets, the energy was beautiful. We celebrated the bride to be with love and laughter, and by 2:30 PM, the girls had cleaned up and left, leaving my heart full.

At around 3 PM, my dad arrived to pick me up. I still had a few more things to do, like packing my come home bag with multiple changes of clothes, pajamas, toiletries, and other essentials. These items were loaded into my dad’s car to stay at his home until I return. Once at my dad's house, I embarked on a mission to find a plain wedding band. As it was already 6 PM on a Sunday night, I tried two Walmarts without success. Then Steve suggested I try the mall. With less than an hour before closing, I rushed over to JCPenney and found the perfect ring on sale for about $50.

Afterward, I went to the grocery store for my dad, picked up some milk, and decided to make grilled cheese and tomato soup for the three of us. Warren suggested a crazy recipe from a YouTuber he watches, adding salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and cinnamon to the grilled cheese. Though skeptical, it turned out fantastic.

The next morning, I got up early, ready for the day ahead. My dad and I took Warren to school and said our goodbyes with lots of big hugs. We stopped by Starbucks for a couple of coffees and then drove to Brenda's house for the next leg of the journey. After saying my goodbyes to my dad and Trixie, I realized I had left my pack of legal documents in his car. Brenda and I rushed out to chase him down, but thankfully, my dad had already noticed and was on his way back. We managed to meet him, retrieve the documents, and breathe a sigh of relief.

As I write this, Brenda and I are approximately 20 minutes away from the gate at Victorville Satellite Camp. I'm nervous and anxious, trying not to let my thoughts spiral. I have prepared for this day as best as I can and plan to send out a blog post to be published every week. If you would like to follow my journey, please sign up at [www.gracedignityandcompassion.com](http://www.gracedignityandcompassion.com) to receive updates whenever a new post is published.

I want to thank everyone for their support, encouragement, guidance, and love. I will carry all of that with me and strive to make you all proud during this part of my journey.

With Grace, Dignity and Compassion,

Gina