Travel

These days I am super excited – I am getting ready to go visit my children in Dubai and to attend my nephew’s wedding. Travelling is an enormous challenge for me; I am petrified of so many aspects regarding leaving my comfort zone. Getting on a plane, for example, means dealing with a lot of difficult obstacles and so does organizing my hotel room which I need to ensure has all my needs taken care of. I get anxious just thinking of all the special arrangements that need to be done to make sure I am comfortable throughout the trip as getting tired could cause a setback to my health.

First, we must obtain special permission for my wheelchair to remain with me throughout the flight. I cannot use the airport wheelchairs as they do not have back, neck, and head support and they also do not fit in the cabin. My wheelchair on the other hand, is capable of taking me straight to my seat on the plane, which has to be first row aisle seat, and it can also be folded and stored in the cabin just like a small pull along. From my experience on previous trips, getting this permit is not easy, therefore I can only travel with our local airline, thanks to us  knowing the people in charge of such matters. Another problem I face when travelling is the bathroom on the plane; due to the fact that there are no wheelchair-friendly bathrooms on any kind of plane, I am confined to flights not exceeding 3 hours.  After the plane, comes arranging for a wheelchair-friendly room in our hotel. It needs to be a big room with a spacious bathroom and no steps – just a drive-through bathroom. Another aspect of my trip is making sure I do not get tired, one of ALS’s side effects is fatigue so I must rest well before and after my trip.

Despite all the tedious arrangements and the anxiety I am going through, it is worth all the effort. I cannot wait to visit my children in their homes, see where they sleep at night and where they sit and eat every day. I am anxious to see my first born and his lovely bride and how they are living as a married couple. I cannot wait to see Faisal’s new home since he moved from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. I am simply excited to be a normal inquisitive mother ha ha; I know they are grown, independent young men, but that does not stop me from enjoying the pleasure of being a mummy ☺. I dream of seeing them, so being able to go visit them is a miracle in itself. We all appreciate and treasure every minute of good old-fashioned quality family time together. We do not take anything for granted and we make sure to appreciate and document our precious time together. I feel the excitement in every fiber of my body; just thinking about this trip automatically puts a big smile on my face, a sparkle in my eyes, and a skip in my heart beat. I learn to treasure these rare occasions when I venture out of my home, and I know the reward of being with my family is priceless.

I hope to tell you all about my trip when I come back, but for now I wish you all happy holidays – have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Most importantly, enjoy your families; hug them extra tight, give them more kisses than usual, let them know they are the number one priority in your life. Appreciate your time together, God bless you and your lovely families.

(*the photo above is the view from Faisal’s house)