These posts have ranged from general tips (like my post on 5 important tips or traveling with a chronic illness) to specific tips on enjoying different Disney parks with a chronic illness (Magic Kingdom HERE and Animal Kingdom HERE), or why you should stay at a Disney Resort if you have a Chronic Illness to one of my most popular posts of all time-10 tips for cruising with a chronic illness.
These posts are always popular because no matter whether you are struggling with an illness or not you want to grab hold of life and soak up every moment. Perhaps illness in a strange way becomes a gift that teaches us to value the moments and the memories more than if sickness had never entered our worlds.
As I have healed my travels have been able to expand into planning some amazing road trips that have been incredible work opportunities and personal highlights of my life that I will treasure forever! In 2017, I took an amazing girls road trip starting in Boston, went through Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. It was incredible. In that trip I drove approximately 30 hours (something that is beyond incredible considering over two years ago I still couldn't drive more than 20 minutes!), saw 3 Canadian provinces and visited 22 cities and towns along the way. It was a whirlwind to say the least and amazing.
Four years ago, in the summer of 2018, I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend 9 incredible days out in Alaska on an amazing Alaskan Road Trip (you can read all about it HERE) and then in the summer of 2019 I spent another week out in Alaska on a second Alaskan Road trip , which was an amazing girls road trip back to Alaska in different parts which you can read all about HERE!
In 2020 (prior to the pandemic shutdown) my mom and I returned home from a special New England Winter Road Trip through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine which was incredible. Since then we have taken several more road trips which I have shared about on the blog and are about to embark on one next week!
Yet, even as I plan, I have traveled enough while I had been fighting for my health to know that you don't "leave" your sick body and automatically get a "new one". I do a ton of preparation behind the scenes for all major trips that no one sees, but have still walked away learning some important lessons that I now take into each road trip.
Traveling - and a road trip especially- does takes a risk and a courage- especially when you don't feel well, but if you are like me and wanting to live despite being sick... if you want to grab onto your experiences and live bigger than your world of illness is allowing you to, than I am applauding you and encouraging you! Here are 10 Tips for Thriving on a Long Road Trip with a Chronic Illness. I hope that these will help you in your next adventure!
In an ideal situation though, alternating the driving hours with another person would be the best case scenario. Try to mix up the hours and trade off and on.
This keeps you more "fresh" and not only allows you to see more of the world that you are driving through, but it also allows your body to get a much needed rest from concentrating on the road and driving well. In addition to this it allows your body to "move" a bit more and not be in one position the entire time of your road trip.
I say "right now" because... it doesn't mean you will never be able to do them it just means maybe right now you can't. It doesn't mean that in the future you can't go back to a place and fit in the twenty additional things you want to do. I know for me personally there were a lot of things on the first trip to Alaska that I wished I could do but couldn't, but then a year later I was so excited to do them! My best advice is to come to peace with where you are at and start a bucket list for a return trip.*smiles*
For example... on our second day of our Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia road trip we were traveling from Camden, Maine to St. Andrews-By-The-Sea, New Brunswick. It was about a 3 and 1/2 hour drive. We got up early in the morning and after a yummy breakfast at the Lord Camden Inn, we spent time walking around Camden (which is adorable!), driving through gorgeous Maine into Canada and then in St. Andrews-By-The-Sea we explored the Kingsbrae Gardens, walked around downtown St. Andrews, and drove across the ocean floor to Minister's Island. In addition to that I saw this beautiful little lake in Maine during our drive and said to my friend, "Ali! Let's go see it!", which we did. The day was full, but all of the activities were low stress on my body and it was a completely relaxing and fun-filled day, which energized me for the entire trip!
In 2019 as I was planning for Alaska there were so many more activities that I am excited to do and explore- specifically more hiking! This energized me because I was healing more, but five years ago it would have energized my heart, but not my body. Only you know what energizes you and doesn't. Taking the time to plan your activities wisely will ensure that you have fun, not just for one day, but for the entire trip.
I can't encourage you enough to work on this ahead of time as some medications can only be purchased with insurance at certain intervals so you will want to work this out with your doctor and insurance company. Also, if you are flying to a place before you start your road trip check with the airline as some airlines require that your medications are in the original containers not just in random pill containers.
Also... laugh. Just laugh. Fill the days with grace and laughter leading up to and on your trip. So speak up to those around you, embrace the grace, and laugh. It's a treasured thing you won't regret. *smiles*
At the time it was hard and there were a lot of tears, but one thing I had to remember was all that I had been able to do and all that we had done in the last six days. As I drove home I started thinking about all of the amazing things I had seen, all that I had been able to do, and all that my body had been able to do. It was humbling. What may have looked like a "typical or normal vacation" to many people was the highlight of many days for me. So when you encounter something similar don't grow discouraged.
**All pictures in this post are from our time at Peggy's Cove which you can read about HERE. This was one of my absolute favorite stops on our Maine, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia road trip! **
Thank you for all of your prayers friends. We are so grateful for the care… even of a roof.
Image Credit: Céline Chamiot-Poncet from Unsplash.
When most people buy a home, they go for ones that already look amazing and are ready to move into. Sometimes, it’s worth buying one that needs a little renovating, as it offers several benefits:
Being more affordable
Letting you turn it into what you want
Having less competition when buying
That being said, you’ll need to think about renovating an old house after you buy it. That can be part of the appeal, but you’ll need to know what you’re doing. Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be too complicated.
It’s worth being practical and using a few tips to help you do it.
Renovating An Old House: 3 Practical Tips
1. Understand What You’re Working With
Before you start renovating your house, you should know what you’re working with first. It gives you a much better idea of what you can do with it. It’ll even help you get a general idea of what the end result might be like, so spend some time getting to know the property before you start renovating.
Some older properties might just need a little TLC, while others could need more extensive renovations. Figure out exactly what your new home needs, and you’re in a much better position to get started on the process. It’s one of the first steps you should take.
2. Don’t Overlook Insulation
When you’re renovating an old house, there could be plenty of things you’ll expect to be there that aren’t. Insulation can be one of the more notable of these. If there is some there, it mightn’t be as much as you’d need, so make sure you put in some insulation.
Checking out some insulation companies and finding the right one for you helps with this. Once you have it installed, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting cold in your new (old) house. You’ll be a lot better off getting this done as early as possible.
3. Embrace Quirks
Older properties can often have quite a few quirks. Many people see these as negatives, but they can often be positives. They give the property a lot more character and help it stand out from many of the other houses in the neighborhood. They can be well worth embracing because of that.
Some of them could even become central to your home’s aesthetic once everything’s done. You should at least consider it, as it can be a lot more beneficial to your home than you would’ve thought. You’ve no reason not to embrace the quirks you find.
Renovating An Old House: Wrapping Up
Buying and renovating an old house can be appealing for more than a few reasons. It lets you turn it into your dream home, and it can even be more affordable than buying a more traditional property.
As appealing as it is, though, there can be more than a few complications. It’ll take time and work, after all, so you’ll need to be prepared for that. With a few practical tips, you shouldn’t have a problem getting there.
*contributed post*
second week of april best sellers in the caravan sonnet shoppe on teachers pay teachers
April 15, 2024
Happy Monday friends! I hope that you had a wonderful weekend! Today I am excited to share the top 5 items that y'all have loved the most from the Caravan Sonnet Shoppe from the second week of April! This was such a great week of sales for the shoppe and it has been SO exciting to see!
Thank you for ALL the sweet reviews, the love, and the support of this space and shop!! I am SO excited to share SO many new things coming in the weeks ahead!!!
I love looking at this type of data and information and planning on how to best serve YOU! It is truly an honor to prove creative, colorful, and most of all educational resources that are ready to use! Thank you again for all of your support! Here are the top 5 best sellers of February 2024!
Thank you again for all of your support! Here are the top 5 best sellers of the second week of april!
Looking for the entire 5 Star Holiday Unit Bundle? Click HERE!
(I actually wrote an entire blog post on this bundle which you can find HERE!)
Looking for a simple and yet effective powerpoint to highlight ways a solar eclipse is economically beneficial? Than this resource is for you! This powerpoint highlights 5 unique ways that a solar eclipse can be financially beneficial for a community and ways to make money from an eclipse! This resource will help bring practical knowledge to your financial literacy classroom and creative engagement to your lectures!
Powerpoint Contains 6 Powerpoint Slides with colorful and animated sections on financial benefits of a solar eclipse. This is a fun and interactive topic for students in high school and in college!
Guided Notes come with three options:
(1) Fill in the Blank Notes (with answer key)
(2) One Slide a Page with Note Space Below
(3) Multiple Slides a Page with Mini Note Sections to the Right
Purchase this resource HERE!
One of the most WELL loved resources in the shop!!
PLUS 1 additional freebie on Reciprocal Tax Agreements Between States!!
Purchase this resource HERE!
Purchase this resource HERE!
Purchase this resource HERE!
This resources includes the following topics:
- Definitions of Hourly Pay and Salaried Pay
- Differences between Hourly Pay and Salaried Pay
- Salary Pros and Cons
- Hourly Pay Pros and Cons
- 5 tips for Determining if a Salaried Position is Right for You
Purchase this resource HERE!