You do not have to do everything, but you do have to see everything. There are many things that you should not do like drugs or wasting your life away, but you should be aware of the pain and desperation in the world even if you are not part of it. Travel brings us closer to the soul of humanity. Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
I travel and people sincerely say things like, “I bet traveling is hard for you because of your disability.” Yeah, but living with a disability is difficult in general so I might as well be doing something worthwhile. Traveling is worthwhile and the hassle is worth it.
I went to Boston to celebrate graduating with my Master’s of Journalism. I officially graduated back in December, but the weather just thawed enough on the East Coast to make a trip there possible. Fenway Park and baseball season was a major motivator for a Boston trip. So anyway, May was the ideal time.
For years, I never had a power wheelchair that could easily fit in a car and therefore, I always traveled with a manual chair. For this trip, I actually had a power wheelchair that was comfortable and easily maneuvered me throughout Boston. I went hiking in a wheelchair, which if that sounds ridiculous that is because it is.
The fact that most power wheelchairs are not mobile (i.e. cannot easily be transported in cars) was a concern and a reason I did not travel with one. But honestly, the younger me was also very sensitive about how I looked with a mobility aid and I believed a manual wheelchair looked more acceptable for a young, active person. I was mostly accurate about that when looking at the products available a few years ago. I have never had a power chair fit me as well as the Whill Model C2. Spin Life mailed it to me and I adjusted the height to fit me perfectly, it disassembles where I can easily haul it in a car, and I got numerous compliments on how great my pink wheelchair looked.
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