But not everyone else is traveling with a chronic condition. Not everyone needs to make adjustments. Accepting that can be difficult, and sometimes I’ve found myself feeling resentful at how carefree others can be. My life cannot be lived spontaneously or entirely with abandon. That’s a hard pill to swallow. But it’s also just something to accept. It’s okay to say no, to do your own thing, to spend an afternoon resting while everyone else heads out for another hike.
Preparation is the second lesson.
I take a medication that needs to be refrigerated. Traveling with it is a slightly arduous process that requires paperwork, cooler bags, and conversations with airlines in advance to ensure they can store it in their fridges during flights. I’m lucky, I only take the medication every two weeks, and so often I simply plan travel dates around my injection schedule. When that isn’t possible, packing becomes an exercise in anticipating every outcome.
More than once, I’ve booked a short trip with only hand luggage, convincing myself that for three days I’ll be fine. But in doing so, I sacrifice packing things that ease my symptoms because they’re bulky or inconvenient. I always regret it. Comfort, I’ve learned, is worth the extra suitcase.
If you have a condition that flares unpredictably, it can be tempting—particularly if it hasn’t happened for a while—to be lulled into a false sense of security. Traveling isn’t the time for that. Pack every medication you might need. Carry extra prescriptions in case of delays. Split essential medication between cabin and hold luggage. Adjust medication timing for new time zones. It’s tedious, administrative work, but it will often be the difference between a great trip and a terrible one.
And finally: don’t abandon every routine that helps you manage your health.
Part of the joy of travel is leaning into hedonism, abandoning everyday life. But for those of us with chronic conditions, letting go of everything we know about our bodies rarely ends well. If there are stretches you do every day at home that help, do them on holiday too. If you know you need a certain amount of sleep to manage pain, prioritize it. If certain foods trigger your condition, remain mindful of their impact.
Travel may not look exactly the way it once did for me. But it is still expansive, joyful, and full of possibility, just with a little more planning, a little more patience, and a deeper understanding of the body that carries me through it.
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK.
