The Adventures of Julie and Bella 2025

Three days. Just three days in this new world of sound, and it already feels like I’ve run a marathon. I don’t wish to go back to the silence, but wow… this is a lot.

Today, I ventured out for my first grocery trip since stepping into this noisy world. I thought going early might help, that maybe fewer people would mean less chaos. I was wrong.

🛒 Walmart was my first stop, and the moment I walked in, I felt it—the noise. The hum of conversations, the constant beeping of registers, the clatter of carts being pulled apart—it was all so LOUD. Things I never even thought about before now seemed deafening. Even the wheels on my cart squeaked with an intensity that made me cringe. I lasted 20 minutes before I had to leave. It was too much. 😵‍💫

🛍️ Next stop: Aldi. A smaller store, a quieter space. It was better. Not easy, but better. I could breathe. I could focus. I managed to get everything I needed without feeling like I was drowning in sound. That felt like a win. 🙌

🏡 The rest of the day, I stayed home. I had to. I took my hearing aids out for a while just to give my brain a break. Who knew listening could be so exhausting? But I still made dinner—fresh salmon with a maple fireball glaze and steamed broccoli. 🐟🔥🥦 The sizzle of the fish, the bubbling of the glaze, the soft hum of the kitchen fan… I’m learning to exist in this new world, one sound at a time.

It’s only Day 3. I remind myself of that. Adjustment takes time. And tonight, Bella 🐾 and I are curling up to watch Wicked—because after this week, I need a little magic. ✨🎭

I am overwhelmed, but I am getting there. 💛