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I’ve been blessed to have airline flight benefits these past few years while sick, and travel has been such medicine to my soul that, whether half-dead or sorta thriving, whether broke or with a few bucks in my pocket, I manage to haul my body overseas a few times a year, mostly so that I can take a “vacation” from my illness.
I always feel as though I’ve been resurrected from the dead after these jaunts around the planet. The colors, the sounds, the food and culture, as well as sea-level oxygen in most places contribute to the glow I get from travel, but what’s most rejuvenating is that I take a vacation from Lyme disease and all the accompanying worries–(Did you ever see the movie, What About Bob?, In it, the psychiatrist suggests to his patient Bob to take a vacation from his mental illness…Well, that’s what I do). While I continue to experience symptoms whenever I travel, they tend to be submerged beneath the excitement of being in a new place. And since it’s impossible to adhere to my Lyme diet overseas, I get to take a break from rabbit food, too, and indulge in the local cuisine, which is inevitably better than what I eat at home.
Not to mention that sitting in a plaza surrounded by ancient architecture is more pleasing than loafing around the living room all day.
But most importantly, all of the prodding questions about my existence tend to fade away in a foreign place…No, “How am I going to pay my mortgage next month?” “How long do I have to be on this medicine/herb?” or, “When will I ever get better?”
I’m not trying to make you envious. I realize many, if not most, Lyme disease sufferers can’t travel, but it is good for all of us to take “mini-vacations” from the worry surrounding our illness. Watch a good movie, read an intriguing novel, engage in lighthearted conversation that has nothing to do with Lyme, play with your dog, get involved from home with a non-profit organization that does good for others. Get involved in others’ lives through prayer. We need to take care of ourselves, but we also sometimes need a break from thinking about the way to health and prosperity…