On the Road Again

Last weekend brought another fistful of firsts. And a plateful of cabbage rolls, but I’ll get to that.

After our recentish night at a downtown hotel, my husband and I immediately started plotting another trip. For a number of reasons—laziness, abundance of choice, life being busy and full, etc.—it took us a while to get around to settling on where we’d go and what we’d do, but we eventually landed on the idea of heading to the Kitchener-Waterloo area to visit St. Jacobs Market, which had been on my list of “stuff I want to experience in the not-too-distant future” for over a decade. (Alas.) This seemed like a victory over my medical stuff and a manageable and responsible follow-up to our in-the-city staycation all wrapped up in a few days of laid-back fun, the kind I like best.

For better or worse, it was also a bit of a test in that it required us to probe our readiness to tackle a few new challenges. Transportation was a big one since we’d have to rent a car and travel the ninety minutes to St. Jacobs, where we’d reserved a few nights in a hotel near the market. This alone meant stepping a little out of our comfort zone: I’d need to transfer to and from a conventional seat and sit in it the length of the voyage, and my husband would need to drive after a years-long hiatus (living in Toronto is great for many reasons, one of them being that the network of streetcars, buses, and subway lines makes it less necessary to own a vehicle). Besides getting ourselves to and from our destination, there was my wheelchair to consider. Luckily, my OT informed us that my clunky chariot folds down stroller-style, and we rented an SUV so that there would be adequate trunk space to hold it.

And then there was, of course, the fact that we’d be out of Toronto. While already en route, I realized that I hadn’t left the GTA in several years (considering how much I used to travel, it’s strange to think that it’d been so long). Much as I was over-the-top excited to end my much-resented and lengthy confinement, my husband and I had grown used to knowing that excellent medical care provided by a hospital system well versed in my specific conditions was always only a short ambulance ride away. Taking into account the anxiety that not having this built-in sense of security might cause, we chose St. Jacobs because it came with the peace of mind afforded by being in the proximity of major hospitals yet was far enough from home to make it a real trip. Should disaster strike, we reassured ourselves, we could flee to familiar turf relatively quickly.

I’m pleased to announce that no disaster struck. Indeed, quite the opposite.

My husband quickly mastered the art of breaking down and reassembling my wheelchair, and I transferred to and from the SUV with ease. The drive went super smoothly. Our hotel was almost comically accessible—think second peephole at wheelchair height and a lift-equipped swimming pool—and the market was fantastic. (Fresh local strawberries! Cabbage rolls! Pierogi! All the stuff I coveted but held back from purchasing!) We balanced lounging in our room with excursions to gorgeous little towns, a cute café to meet a wonderful friend for coffee, and a nature area with a paved hiking path. We left both relaxed and confident that we’re ready for our next adventure.

Yesterday we started making reservations. In late June, we’ll push ourselves a little further. In August, further still. Absolutely no hesitation or procrastination this time around.

The longer our everything-consistently-continues-to-improve streak continues, the less it feels like a streak and the more it feels like reality. Change begets change. Improvements build on one another. And with every adventure, our lives become bigger and our world becomes larger.