We just returned from a short trip to the beach. Being there was very restful, getting there was not. Traffic wasn’t too bad, thanks to mindful planning, but it was rainy and windy. By the time we arrived, we both were stiff and tired from riding in the car. Thank goodness it is only about a 2 ½ hour drive for us, we might not have made it otherwise.

Once upon a time it was nothing for us to go on long road trips, sometimes over a few days. That was when we could take turns driving. Now that I am the only driver, I need to stop for breaks after a couple of hours. It’s good for my husband to get out of the car and stretch his legs too. We actually try to keep all our trips to no more than 2 to 3 hours at a time with a full day to recuperate before the return home. And then once we are back at home, we always allow at least a day with no appointments so we can get back to our normal routines.

In addition to the driving, I have to remember that my role of CarePartner goes with us wherever we go. I can’t let the trip itself be so draining that I don’t have any energy left to provide needed care. We can take our little get aways, unfortunately Parkinson’s is always going to be there with us too.