Hawaii and Whistler trips

 Trips are always good subjects for posts. They are fun in general, but travel with a disability and a traumatic brain injury adds another layer of complexity beyond the already daunting task of traveling with three children spanning eight years in age.

in January, we headed to Whistler in Canada for Martin Luther King weekend. I got to ski and snowshoe in Whistler.  I've skied adaptively many times since my accident. This was my first time snowshoeing. My TBI impacts ski in two fundamental aspects.  

From a physical perspective, I can't walk without a brace and hiking stick.  As a result, I'm not clipping boots into skis as a person without a disability would. Instead, I use something called a sit-ski.  It is exactly what it sounds like:

    People with TBIs often have difficulty regulating their body temperatures.  A lot of people are cold when they ski; that's not uncommon.  I wear thermals; a sweater; mittens with handwarmers; a scarf and hat under my ski helmet, and I'm still cold.

The other challenge a TBI and skiing can present is sustained focus on the instructors' directions.  Focusing intensely for extended periods of times can be exhausting.  But in adaptive skiing, you can only do the more challenging runs if you are able to read some of the terrain and adjust to the instructions he or she specifies.

    Hawaii was also wonderful.  I've been several times before but never to the big island. 

We did the usual beach and pool, but the kids also swam with manatees (!);visited

Volcano National Park where we all got to see an active volcano erupt in front of our eyes but not close enough to be nervous about the lava.  Travel with a TBI or disability is often challenging in many respects.  Anytime you are out of your normal environment, you may not have access to the things you are used to at home, like a shower chair for example. 

    Time zone changes raise issues of when to take medication.  Google calendars are both a tool and something that can cause confusion,  If I calendar a dinner reservation at 8pm in Seattle, you will be two hours late if you show up that in Seattle time in Hawaii and not make your reservation for a meal or excursion. 

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