Adaptive Travel Tip: Take a friend

I used to travel solo.

Now I rarely travel on my own.

This might be the biggest change to my travel habits since acquiring my disability...

Adaptive Travel Tip: Consider cultures close to home

You don't have to go far.

On my "Alive Day" each year, I like to focus on being present and grateful for... well, being alive.

I always want to do something special and out of the ordinary, but that's a bittersweet time of year for me, and often my energy is in short supply.

So where do you go when you're feeling drained -- and only have a few hours? ...

Adaptive Travel Tip: Choose "right-size" adventures

Travel isn't one-size-fits-all.

I don't know about you, but travel pushes my body into overload.

I walk more than usual, eat different foods, get less rest, carry more than my share of emergency supplies (see this tip!), and -- like even the most able-bodied traveler -- face weather and time changes.

Keeping pace, while keeping my body on an even keel, can be challenging!

Luckily, travel comes in many sizes...

Adaptive Travel Tip: Use trekking poles... sometimes!

Ability and disability can vary day-to-day and moment-to-moment.  

So using an assistive device isn't an "all or nothing" decision...

Adaptive Travel Tip: Ask about discounts

"If you don't ask, the answer is definitely no."

So says my good friend Elaine.

Back in February 2023, at New York City's MoMA, we put it to the test....

Adaptive Travel Tip: What's your best time of day?

Identify your best time of day -- and savor it.

Good morning?  Or good night?

With an amputation and chronic health issues, I get frustrated by the unpredictable nature of my body. 

It's taken me 14 years (and lots of good therapy!) to realize...

I don't just move through the world differently than able-bodied people.  

I move through TIME differently...

Adaptive Travel Tip: It's OK to overpack!

"Wait, what?"

I know.  I know.  Most travel gurus advise traving light.  

After all, everyday essentials are available almost anywhere in the world. 

When I hear them say this, I cringe a bit.  I'm not an expert, but I believe there's a caveat for amputees and others who travel with disability...

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

This was travel...

... BEFORE.

The summer 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...