My road came to an unexpected halt on November 9, 2010.

I was bicycling to work that morning when a garbage truck turned across a city bike lane. I was in that bike lane.

A team of trauma surgeons saved my life, but they had to amputate my left leg. My body and life were forever changed.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.

As I learned to walk again, I measured my recovery in steps, then miles. Over time, that journey grew into something more -- a way of being in the world, wherever I go.

I am a person of ability and disability. I travel in the space between. These are my postcards.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Travel Tips from 13,500 Miles - Even the Smallest Steps Count

Me standing in shorts, with two real legs, in a fountain surrounded by buildings in Bordeaux, France.
TRAVEL, BEFORE.

Just before the accident, I did a home exchange with a family from Bordeaux, France.  

And the year before that, I exchanged with a family from Provence.  

It was the perfect way to travel.  I could go solo, live in someone's house, hop on their bicycle, and explore the world like a local.  

I was convinced it was how I'd travel for the rest my life.

Fast forward 3 months.   

Me, in a wheelchair, after my amputation, on the outdoor deck of Magee with city buildings just beyond.

 After the accident, I thought I'd never travel again.

Then, during my time at Magee Rehab, I met a wonderful psychologist named Lenore.  Lenore, I discovered, was French Canadian.  We shared a love for all things francais.  

Slowly, the idea of travel began to unfold again.  But it was like dusting off an outdated map, torn and creased through vital roadways.

Maybe someday I would travel again... 

But HOW?


The word HOPE, written in orange against a gray background, with an orange looped ribbon representing the "O."

April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month.

And I'm celebrating Mile Marker 13,500!

For each day of April, I'll share an "travel tip" I've picked up along this journey.

Maybe one'll hit a spot on your own map.
Maybe not.  

Our bodies, no matter how many limbs we have, move through the world in different ways.  

Travel is all about adaptation.  

Which of these tips resonates for you?


Tip 1: Even the smallest step can be a travel adventure.

At Mile 13,491 (on April 1st), I round the corner of 3rd and Chestnut, squinting into a slash of sunglare.  

There, tucked into the driveway of a parking garage, is a woman holding the leash of a... 

Me, standing next to a brown, floppy eared goat wearing a harness and leash.
...GOAT?!

At 7:30 AM, less than 3 blocks from my city apartment, I meet Teddy and Anthony, two dapper bucks from a herd called the Philly Goat Project.  (Who knew??)

I don't travel far in the morning.  I have friends who run 6 miles before I can even put my leg on.  

But I walk a few blocks  -- and meet goats.  

A selfie of me and a sandy-brown goat that appears to be smiling.
On April Fool's Day too!
Travel isn't about how far you go.  It's about what you find along the way.

Next tip coming soon...

Happy travels!
Rebecca

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