Welcome to my summer travel posts. I used to love travelling. It was my favourite thing. What people don’t necessarily think about when they’re discussing mental illness is the way travel can affect it. Anxiety can put a firm stop on your travel plans. For me, the fear manifests in lots of ways. I may simply feel afraid of what could go wrong, or of not being able to find allergy-friendly foods. It can be apprehension about how my autistic son will handle the journey and change of scenery. For those who don’t realise, autistic people often don’t travel well because it disturbs their routine and they get unsettled in the unusual surroundings. Then, there’s the physical anxiety symptoms that I can’t control, like the tight muscles, churning stomach and quick breathing. Although unpleasant, they won’t do me any real harm. I know this, but still, they’re off-putting.
But the problem is, travel is so enriching. It helps my anxiety. It’s not just the relaxing time by the pool or the sunshine and fresh air. Spending time with my family and having kicked anxiety in the butt by actually getting out there is a real boost to my confidence. I miss travelling and who I am when I’m not on my own territory. I miss the travel courage and making memories. I miss having stories to tell.
That is why for the whole of this summer I am writing a series of travel posts. Let’s just ignore the fact that I haven’t been anywhere exotic in years. I can’t afford to visit many places right now so I’m writing about all the different places I’ve been throughout my life from Barcelona to Butlins, from Tunis to Torquay. No matter whether it’s exotic or slightly ordinary, if I have been there as a tourist, I will write about it. There will also be some guest posts and some articles with tips and tricks to make travelling easier for those with barriers to travel.
Please come back soon and read my summer travel posts and I love comments, so please share your thoughts and your own stories on the articles.
I love travel too and will look forward to your posts. Talking about past travels brings on a feeling of wellbeing. I only just thought about that this morning. We were having coffee with our fellow aqua joggers, swapping travel stories. It felt so good to revisit those memories, even if they were not always so good at the time
Thank you! I think I like writing about past travels so much because I can remember the best parts and filter out the less exciting things – like being delayed at airports etc ?