Travel – And why not? For anyone, everyone. Even those who are deemed not to be able to handle change well.
Without travel doors remain closed, opportunities are denied, adventures not experienced, face to face connections have no chance to flourish. And so it’s been these past few 4 days.
4,640 miles
9 hrs flight, + 8 hrs transfer and airport + packing the whole of the previous day
8hrs by car
4 x underground train, 6 x overground train London – Drongen, Belgium
4 x different beds in different places, the final one being home
5 x passport control, 3 x customs, 3 x security (which Jen dislikes intensely always needing reassurance)
Food and drink we made up as we went along with the only real issue being an overall lack of tea! For me!!
Jen made us proud taking 4 days of travel in her stride. She barely missed a beat just needing the knowledge of what to look for next, what to expect, how to navigate – ticket, passport, or debit card for the underground. Our default methodology has always been to put Jen in the lead with the single piece of information she needs at that time in order to make informed decisions whether that is the carriage number, seat number, gate number, or underground line. We give her time to process that information in order that she leads us with as few cues and prompts as necessary.
Jen taking travel in her stride
Mostly she leads the pack, and feels good about it. I’ve come to firmly believe that not only does this make her feel good, but she fares better in herself with travelling taking less of a toll on her stamina. I consider it to be a successful outcome when after 4 days of non-stop travelling Jen is still able to function coherently at the final destination.
I’m impressed by how easily Jen copes with different surroundings whether in the opulent St Pancras Brasserie which offered incredibly welcome quiet respite from the melee of the station, picnicking on bread and cheese on the train or in our room, enjoying eating a splendid 4 course meal at a party whilst socialising and chatting, or sitting on a bench eating a take away Thai meal in the middle of sleepy Ghent in Belgium!
Food apart, it’s fascinating to watch as Jen slips easily and seemingly effortlessly into her own self-sufficient world regardless of whatever is going on around her whether complete silence in the Old Abbey in Ghent, the comings and goings of stewardesses and fellow travellers on flights, the boredom of car travel, or the soporific rocking and swaying of trains – she immerses herself in word games, colouring, watching films, or better still closing her eyes for a few precious minutes to catch up on her recent chaotic few days.
The adventures actually began well before, over 2 weeks ago in the UK when we took the opportunity to fly Heathrow to Denver to fulfil our joint love of skiing – the adrenaline rush as you shimmy down the pistes, the coping with the unexpected when your legs or skies or weight seemingly work of their own free will in ways you didn’t expect resulting in outcomes you have no control over except to accept and laugh, the joy of skiing with each other and friends, of experiencing life in the great outdoors whether on the slopes, standing on top of the world overlooking the front range of the Rockies or sharing a cocktail at a mountain lodge.
Followed on this occasion by bouncing into the UK one day, and on to a party in Belgium the next by Eurostar to catch up with friends of the family going back almost 100 years. It was too good an opportunity to miss, and true to form Jen stole the show, winning hearts and minds making links and connections to stand us all in good stead for the next hundred years!
We’ve learnt that it’s possible to travel and experience new places, new people, new food and adventures when for so many years we were told it wasn’t advised to take Jen out of a standard routine. For the Blackwells our standard routine is adventure, exploring what’s possible and for Jen that’s her normal too. Yes she needs support, but don’t we all? We all have our own ways of coping with new adventures so that we can flourish in the excitement of new opportunities and connections.
It’s possible for everyone to flourish, with the right support and nourishment. Each journey is a new opportunity to explore. Long may it continue.