Hey Travel Crew! Sorry I’ve been MIA (small joke inserted here) over the last week but I’ve been on an unexpected adventure. Shortly before I played my final mommy card, my mom started having some health issues. She’s graduated from a cane to a walker and now a wheelchair and this presents new adventures for me, as her primary caregiver. I have to determine whether everything we do and where we travel is accessible for her and navigable for me. You’d be surprised at the number of doctor’s offices that are NOT wheelchair friendly! I’m talking about you, Orthos!

It hasn’t been easy and last week was intense. Loss of sleep, cancellation of plans and trips, hurrying to new and old doctor’s appointments, adapting her home to her new lifestyle and building my upper body strength through wheelchair lifting has taken over my life. A friend recently told me that I’ll never really play my last mommy card and, sadly, she might be right.

But I’m ready for all adventures. Even this one. So, I’ll continue to write about my trips and adventures but I may add an observation or two about how those events were easy or difficult with the chair.

So here I am in a new reality.

This may seem like a good time to cancel everything and hunker down into care-taker mode.

This may seem like a good time to stop writing.

This may seem like a good time to quit.

BUT:

Travel gives me life.

Traveling feeds my soul.

Traveling gives me energy.

Traveling reveals my dreams.

Traveling introduces me to myself in small and large ways.

Traveling allows me to defeat my enemy: Fear

Travel planning allows me to make daily financial decisions regarding what’s important to me.

Traveling allows me to take care of myself.

Traveling is good for me.

Traveling is for me.

So, no, I won’t stop traveling or having adventures. I’ll certainly adapt my plans and call on all of you who offered your help, so get ready!  And, like last week, I may have to take a blogging hiatus to address some new urgent health events.

But, I will travel.