Hey Reader,

This is my first big trip out of town since surgery, and I’ll be honest with you.

I’m nervous.

Last night, as I was packing and later walking the dog with Julie, it dawned on me that I was actually feeling the worst I have in about two months.

Normally this would irritate the ever-loving jeepers out of me. But I’m also very aware of something else.

For the last three years, I would almost always feel extra out of sorts right before a trip. The bloating, the brain fog, and the whole grab bag of nonsense would seem to ramp up just as I was getting ready to leave town.

So the question becomes: why?

My life is very much like Groundhog Day. I thrive on routine. I eat largely the same foods. I like very little variance. That’s just how I roll.

The outlier here is travel.

Julie pointed that out to me, and as usual, she may be onto something.

So what does that mean?

It could simply be nervous excitement. After all, I’m in Cleveland to party with my plant-based people at the National Health Association Conference. That is absolutely something worth getting fired up about.

Of course it could also mean there’s more credence to the diagnosis I received a couple of years ago: a disorder of gut-brain interaction.

So where does that leave me? Pretty much in the same spot I've been in lately. I’m still searching for all of the answers. I still don’t have everything figured out.

But I also know this: I feel a lot better than I have in a very long time.

And for that, I am incredibly grateful.

So we’re going to Cleveland and taking the nerves, the weird symptoms, and the hope right along with us.

Because healing doesn’t always happen in a straight line.

Sometimes it looks like getting on the road even when you’re not feeling your best.

Sometimes it looks like showing up anyway.

And this week, I’m showing up.

Join Me There... or Online 👋

Tickets are still available for the National Health Association Conference, happening June 25–28 near Cleveland.

I’ll be there hosting a live episode of The Exam Room Podcast with two very special guests: Dr. Joel Fuhrman and Dr. Columbus Batiste.

That conversation will happen Sunday morning. My dear friend Dr. Kristi Funk will also be presenting along with scores of other incredible health professionals.

And if you can’t join us in person, good news: you can still watch online.

Virtual tickets are available for four incredible days of learning, healing, and hope with some of the brightest minds in health and nutrition.

I can’t wait to dive into all of it, see some old friends, and meet a whole bunch of Exam Roomies in Ohio.

Hope to see you there — in person or online.

Never give up,