EscapingNY

11/05/2023

My latest for AARP is about the painful process of transitioning my mother from the hospital to rehab and then to a permanent memory care facility. Many of you have written to ask how she's doing. This is how she's doing - not well, but she's in the best possible place we could find and afford that had an opening. If you or someone you know are in a similar situation, please read this article. Nothing can fully prepare you for such a difficult and painful process, but my sister and I encountered many challenges along the way (care has been inconsistent and low-quality), so I lay it all out in this article so others know what to expect and how to deal with potential problems and roadblocks.

Be prepared to deal with unexpected challenges

04/25/2023

My latest for AARP is about how a grant from the Alzheimer's Association allowed my sister and me to finally take a break from and take a vacation together.

Funds may be available for respite care, adult day care and even some home modifications

04/24/2023

April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Here’s my family’s story.

My mom began developing symptoms 10 years ago but after a series of falls 3 years ago, her mobility was significantly and permanently impaired. Overnight, my sister and I became caregivers. Parkinson’s doesn’t just make your hands shake, it attacks all the muscles in your body, including those used to speak, chew, swallow, walk, stand, write, pick things up, etc. It slowly takes over & destroys your life.

My mom met my dad (who died of a heart attack when I was 8) in music school so music and song were always present. My mom was a trained pianist, church choir director & school musical coordinator. She can no longer play. Last year, we sold her baby grand piano to pay for her care. She had the loudest, most beautiful voice in church and was recruited to sing for weddings/funerals yet she can no longer sing & speaks in a stuttered, monotone whisper.

She was a Mensa president and now struggles thru simple conversations. She organized monthly Mensa games parties but now gets confused by Go Fish. She biked, jogged & danced but now uses a wheelchair. She was an accountant who hasn’t been able to handle her own taxes or finances for years.

She needs help getting up, dressing, showering & moving around. On bad days, she needs help eating, drinking & taking meds. Two years ago, she developed Parkinson’s-related dementia and began experiencing hallucinations. They now happen every day, all day. Some visions are scary and violent but anti-psychotic meds worsen Parkinson’s movement challenges. It’s impossible to treat one without making the other worse. It’s scary and frustrating for her and thoroughly exhausting for those of us caring for her.

Watching my mom’s mental and physical health decline has been extraordinarily painful and I hope I see a cure for the disease in my life because I know she won’t. Please donate to PD research.

04/19/2023

I’ve decided to close my travel company.
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Seven years ago, I started it because I loved to travel, I learned that I was good at planning trips, and I constantly received requests from people who wanted to travel with me. Planning, organizing, and leading international tours seemed a perfect fit and, in the beginning, I loved it.
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Over the years, travel planning has become a chore, partially due to the embargo-imposed challenges and workarounds to operate in Cuba and partially due to the extreme overcrowding in Mexico during Day of the Dead, which has made operating there more expensive and frustrating. The other major issue in my life is that my sister and I share caregiving responsibilities for our mother, who suffers from dementia and advanced Parkinson's. Caring for her is the most difficult thing I've ever done and it has become an overwhelming, all consuming chore. My sister and I feel like we have lost our lives to the task and we struggle with our own happiness so, at this point, I have zero interest in being responsible for anyone else's happiness.
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I've become friends with some of my travelers, several of which have joined me on all of my trips in Mexico, Cuba, and Jordan, and who have indicated they would travel anywhere with me. I don't see myself having the energy or interest to return to what I've been doing any time soon so I plan to focus on my writing career.
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If I ever do return to travel planning, which I can't imagine doing for at least a year or two, I'll let you know. Even at that point, I'll likely only offer sporadic tours to places I haven't been a million times and that still feel exciting to me, like Madeira, Portugal, or Colombia, Ecuador, or El Salvador. I'll also likely only make those trips available to previous clients so the experience is easier for me.
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Later, folks!

04/19/2023

Here's why I'm closing my travel company indefinitely

I'm writing today with bittersweet news. Seven years ago, I started a travel company because I loved to travel, I learned that I was good at planning trips, and I constantly received requests from people who wanted to travel with me. Planning, organizing, and leading international tours seemed a per...

03/21/2023

Shout out to Renee Bruns, who said “I just feel like I can conquer the world now...it’s such a cool feeling to say, ‘Oh my God, I went to Bali by myself.’ And once you do that, you can’t take it back. You have that forever.”

Renee Bruns is on a mission to see the world, inspire kids, and earn a Guinness World Record — and she’s doing it all from her wheelchair.

01/02/2023

Personally, I think the $80 annual National Parks Pass is a STEAL but if it's not in your budget, here are some free days you can visit this year.

On certain days each year, the National Park Service offers free admission to all national parks.

12/06/2022

Here's a great piece written by the founder of Green Book Global, the first black travel review site dedicated to helping black travelers confidently explore the world by sharing travel tips and experiences from the black perspective.

From Barbados and Medellin to Florence and Zanzibar, these destinations are welcoming to travelers of color and offer a wealth of cultural experiences.

11/17/2022

I'm sad to announce that I will not lead anymore Mexico City Day of the Dead trips & here's why.

Aside from the tremendous responsibility of caring for an elderly parent with Parkinson's & dementia, and the challenge of fitting in Mexico alongside other trips I have for writing assignments, I just think Mexico City (CDMX) has become way too crowded, complicated, & busy and I'm just not interested in the trip anymore.

Mexico City remains my favorite city in the world & I recommend that everyone go there and I do understand the appeal to visit during . However, it has become massively overcrowded which has had a significant negative impact on the travel experience.

Ever since the city began holding multiple massive parades (which started from a scene in a James Bond movie - this hasn't been going on for generations), EVERYONE wants to come here. I've seen cemeteries so crowded that people walk on graves so they don't trip over themselves. A few years ago, I had a couple people nearly have panic attacks from the crowds, which is why I switched the cemetery visit to the daytime.

CDMX also holds the huge Formula 1 races at the same time so hotels are overbooked. This raise prices & results in hotels making mistakes like not honoring room reservations, not including breakfasts, and sending people to rooms that haven't been cleaned yet. Who has to clean up these messes and resolve problems? Me.

Traffic is OUT OF CONTROL and is worsened by street closures during parades. Airport taxi wait times were about 90 minutes & I had two travelers stuck in a taxi for 3 HOURS to go a few miles to their hotel.

My group had a fun trip and I'm certain they had a better experience with me than they would've alone. It's my most popular trip & always leads to repeat clients but I just don't want or need this stress in my life so I will not be holding the trip again.

11/03/2022

A handful of pics from our day trip to Mixquic for . We toured the streets and cemetery and were invited into the homes of local families to see altars made for departed loved ones. Several women had their faces painted and were even interviewed by a local news station about their trip.

11/01/2022

Hello from , the 3rd largest pyramid in the world, where my group is touring ruins, having lunch at the home of a local family, and learning about the ancient art and craftsmanship that they still continue today.

10/31/2022

Here's a handful of pics from yesterday's bike ride through . I'm lucky to have an amazing group of travelers hailing from North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, London, and Amsterdam!

10/29/2022

My latest for The Daily Beast is about rafting the .

To really appreciate the Grand Canyon, you need to explore it from the water.

10/18/2022

If I get 11 more followers, I can create a custom URL on YouTube and officially join the cool kids. Please follow my YouTube channel even though I rarely post there. 😄

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

10/01/2022

How am I just now learning Disney tried to trademark "Day of the Dead" in 2013? Have others heard about this?

Is it possible to trademark the name of a holiday? The Walt Disney Company was interested in doing so.

09/30/2022

So I haven't been posting much since I'm busy finalizing details for my next trip to Mexico. It's the first that I'm running since the pandemic and it may be the last one I lead personally (though I'll still be organizing them and having my guides lead them). Registration closes October 5th so let me know ASAP if you want to join!

Join this small group trip to Mexico City in November, 2022 for an unforgettable Day of the Dead experience. Participate in an intimate altar building ceremony, visit with families as they celebrate in the cemetery, and enjoy parades, history tours, traditional foods, and loads of culture.

09/22/2022

Qantas Airlines is testing out a new idea that would allow passengers to book the seat next to them for as low as $20! You have to wait until 48 hours before the flight but what a deal!

Australian airline Qantas is allowing customers to guarantee they won’t have a seatmate by purchasing the empty seat next to them — for a price.

09/21/2022

Here's the 411 on rafting the Grand Canyon...
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PACKING
Rafting outfitters typically provide a tent, sleeping pad, & sleeping bag & send a list of items they suggest/mandate (specific clothes, toiletries, etc.). All your stuff needs to fit in the waterproof gear bag they provide (which is fairly large) but you can't bring everything. I prioritized bringing a bigger pillow to help me sleep while others brought iPads to watch movies.
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GEAR TRANSPORT
After the put-in, it's another 220+ miles before another road cars can access. All supplies travel on the raft so guides pack & unpack them every morn & night. At the orientation the night before, tour operators sell a selection of river items in case you forgot to bring something.
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CAMPING
We rafted 15-20 miles/day and camped at different sites each night. Some were sandy beaches, others were rock ledges. We set up our own tents, as guides are busy making killer meals and leading extra hikes. There weren't mosquitos but there were loads of biting ants and flies. Fortunately, they went to sleep around 8pm.
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FOOD
The food was actually really good and was the best I've ever had on a rafting trip. Shout out to ! Food needs to last 2 weeks (up to 3 weeks in the winter) so coolers w/ frozen meat aren't even opened until the 2nd week so they stay cold. Perishable items like lettuce & spinach are eaten first so we had lots of salads the 1st week. There was brat night, baked lasagna, French toast, Thai curry, tacos & more. YES, there were awesome vegan options!
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RAPIDS
The Grand Canyon has rapids of all different sizes and strength. Some can be ferocious so it's possible to fall out (this happened to a gang of people on my trip) but this is also normal. Typically, guides can pull you in quickly but there's always risks with rafting.
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Any other questions?

09/21/2022

Who's visited some of these streets?

Did your city make this year’s list?

09/13/2022

Who knew the Palm Springs airport was so cool?

Finally, an airport that’s actually worth hanging out in.

09/09/2022

Here's a handful of pics from a recent trip to , Arizona. I visited Montezuma Castle National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, and Wupatki National Monument to learn more about ancient life, history, and their cave, cliff, and rock dwellings.

08/30/2022

Looking to escape the crowds? These are some of the most remote hotels in the world.

We reveal the world's most remote and isolated hotels, in hidden corners and secret islands across the globe, from the Arctic to Australia

08/29/2022

Here's an awesome story on the first all-Black expedition to summit Everest.

At around 8:30 p.m. on May 11, the eight members of the Full Circle Everest Expedition reached their summit window, where they would begin the climb to the worl…

08/26/2022

I just spent 2 weeks rafting and camping along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Woohoo!
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It was in the high 90s - low 100s most days and we cooled off by jumping in the river. Nights were also usually warm and muggy so some of us (myself included) slept out under the stars, with nothing more than a sleeping pad and a pillow since tents felt like saunas. One night, I got completely soaked in a downpour and had to scramble to set up my tent in the dark and rain but otherwise, I LOVED sleeping without a tent. The flies and were horribly annoying and the biting red ants hurt like crazy but they went to sleep so they didn’t bother us overnight.
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Every day we rafted much of the day and spent the rest of the time hiking slot canyons, visiting waterfalls, scrambling up rock faces, and learning about pictographs made by the Native American tribes that lived in the canyons thousands of years ago (several tribes still live along sections of the Grand Canyon).
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14 days is a LONG time to be on the river. It a a long time to sleep on the ground, p*e in a river, p**p in a bucket, and have zero access to any plumbing, electricity, Internet, and access to family. Most people on the trip were ready to go by day 8 or 9. Did I mention that two people on the trip tested positive for Covid, one guy had to be emergency evacuated by helicopter due to back pain (preexisting), an older man fell walking at night and seriously busted his eye (near evacuation) and one woman became so anxious after falling into a rapid (a regular occurrence) that she decided to hike out on day 6 instead of finishing the trip? Yeah, it was a rough trip, especially for our wonderful guides. They said, it was an incredible experience.
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I plan to do another post about what to expect on these trips. What do you want to know about the rafting, hiking, hygiene, food, or any other aspect of the trip?

08/12/2022

Shout out to the beach. It’s hot and I just want to be in the water.
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Actually, I’m about to spend the next two weeks RAFTING IN THE GRAND CANYON! No Internet, no electricity, no phones, and no modern plumbing. It’s going to be epic.
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So long, suckas!

08/11/2022

Yesterday, I met an inspirational 79-year-old woman who's been volunteering at different National Parks every summer for 20 years. She's from North Carolina, started at Yellowstone, went on to Hawaii, and is now in . I want to be her when I grow up.

08/02/2022

My mother’s travel fiasco could happen to anyone.
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When my mother flew to visit me in NYC a couple weeks ago, her flight was cancelled at the last minute and she was rebooked through Boston, without us being notified. As she has some memory issues, we thought it best to check her carry-on so she didn’t forget it in Boston. As soon as my sister learned of the change, she asked for it to be checked but forgot to take my mom’s medication out. The carry-on-turned-checked bag was lost in Boston and it took over 24 hours to get it back.
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I spent four hours on the phone with , trying to get her bags back. My mom missed 5 doses of medication and became very weak and had a lot of difficulty moving around. Medication should never be packed in checked bags but considering how often carry-on bags are required to be checked at the last minute, this literally could happen to anyone.
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Traveling with a disability is hard enough even when planes run on time and baggage is not lost. Thank goodness my mom made it to NYC. Had her Boston connection been cancelled, she would have been all alone, with a dead cell phone and no credit cards since my sister and I handle all her finances.
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I’m planning on writing an article about the experience and would love to know of anyone here has questions, comments, or their own stories to share. If so, please drop a comment,
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My mom is still here with me in NYC, as caring for her here has helped me resume my life here while giving my sister a break in Milwaukee. After spending another 2 hours on the phone with Delta this weekend, my mom received a 60,000 miles credit (about $600). I’d rather she not to have gone through this but I appreciate Delta trying to make it right.
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Please advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and if you have the capacity to help someone directly in your life, please do. It would mean far more than you could imagine!

07/27/2022

Beginning today at 1pm today, you can book a stay in the Staten Island mansion the was filmed in.

A Staten Island mansion featured in "The Godfather" will be up for rent starting July 27 for a 30-night stay.