Our plan for retirement, like so many others, was to travel the world. We looked forward to exploring new locations and learning about other cultures. Then Parkinson’s hijacked our journey and the places we now explore are medical offices, the culture we are learning is that of the chronically ill and the PD community. Not really what we expected.

I was disappointed for a while but then realized that I don’t enjoy long flights and the jet lag that accompanies them. Since the pandemic struck, travel has been unsafe or unavailable to us anyway. So, my husband and I took a look around and decided that it might make more sense to put the money we would have spent travelling into more realistic dreams like upgrading our home. Since we aren’t able to travel to luxurious places, why not try to bring some of that into our daily lives?

Dreams are important but they need to be realistic. My life changed the day my husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Our reality shifted and my dreams have to shift and adapt to a new life. I am finding, however, that it doesn’t have to be bad. Maybe I can’t fly to Europe and take that ten-day cruise, instead I am going to have a beautiful new bath with a barrier free shower that I can enjoy every day. And, when I want to see those European sights, I can view them on my smart tv from the comfort of my living room. It’s the next best thing to being there and I won’t be exhausted by the trip. I may miss some components of the experience, but it won’t stop me from enjoying the journey as long as my husband is here to share it with me.