Hey everyone - sorry for long blog pause- a lot has been going on lately. So - in this post I'll be highlighting my experiences while travelling. As you all know I wasn't diagnosed until late in life so, most of my travel experiences I didn't know about being visually impaired. Also, while travelling as a child I always had someone with me - my parents mainly, so it always turned out fine. However I always felt uneasy. Here I will mainly be talking about when I travel alone or with a group, such as my choirs.
Firstly, I have to say, airports are a complete nightmare to me . The noise, the lights, smell, people rushing to get to their planes, the chattering, the announcements, the neverending hallways and corridors. It's very easy to get a CVI meltdown at the airport, has happened to me several times. Although, as I get more experienced in travelling they get less severe each time. When I travel with a group it's easier because I can ask some of my friends to guide me along and help me naviagate. They are usually very supportive and help me if I start feeling unwell. However, if I travel abroad alone, I will have to ask for special assistance while at the airport and during the flight. This is something you can do while booking your trip on the internet. I usually just tell people I'm blind... dont always want to go into explanation of CVI, but that is material for another post !This is so the airport staff can help me go through the check - in, security, navigation and to find my seat in the plane. Usually the flight attendant will help me during the flight, and to where I need to go when landed. It's absolutely impossible for me to navigate by myself. The cool thing is, that when you have the cane, you can get to priority boarding, I even got to travel saga class couple of times! :D
I thought I would share with you my travel kit - what I bring along with me to help me. This applies both for plane rides and long car/train rides. These are things that non CVI people might not need to bring along while travelling. These are things that I cannot travel without.
* Noise cancelling headphones - an absolute essential for me to block the noise from the plane/car/train, as the noise can cause me physical pain (headaches, muscle pain ). Noise also can make my vision worse. I use the headphones to listen to music while blocking the background noise. Meditation/relaxation music is pivital here, to get me to calm down :) There are a lot of playlists on spotify or youtube :)
* Pain - killers and migraine meds. - To stop the physical pain I might get while travelling
* Water bottle and/or other drink like gatorade or soda - for extra energy - hydration
* Snacks / food - sandwiches, protein bars, berries, fruits, candy, crackers etc. etc. If I get too hungry, my pain gets worse - also it might impact my vision negatively.
*blanket and or sleeping mask for night time travelling
* Neck pillow - for muscle pain elevation
* Ice packs and/ or heating pads - again for pain
* My daily regular medications
* extra chlothes - just to be sure
* A book/magazine - If I'm well enough I might be able to read while travelling. Rarely happens though.
* Cold prevention spray - expecially when on music/choir trips- I often catch a cold due to the air condition in the vehicle .
If you want I can send you links to the exact products I use, for ideas or inspiration. Now summer is upon us and we are allowed to travel again!
Don't hesitate to ask questions and add comments!
Happy travelling!
Dagbjört