Tales from a far off land

What a holiday!

It was everything we needed - fun, laid back, and adventurous. The kids had an amazing time going on a plane for the first time.......but how was it for me? It's no secret that I was anxious about travelling again but I am pleased to say that it was great. Don't get me wrong, I had a couple of days when I was really tired, but the actual getting there was fine. 

The benefits of airport assistance

I'm so so pleased I was sensible and organised airport assistance. When we got to Heathrow airport there was a bit of a queue for it, so me being me, I thought 'hmm...maybe I can do with out it'. But we waited and I'm so glad we did. I had underestimated how big airports are. Once we had checked our bags in, we were given a wheelchair in Heathrow, and Si pushed me around. It meant we were still independent, and could have lunch which was good. I didn't get a sunflower lanyard in the end, instead I kept my stick on show so people knew I was disabled. This helped a lot when I had to ditch the chair and had to get a shuttle bus to the plane, because it meant someone kindly gave me their seat so I didn't have to stand. 

Bigger than I remember

The airport and IcelandAir were fantastic, and I felt well supported. When we arrived in Keflavik, there was a wheelchair waiting for me to take us to baggage reclaim, and again I realised how I would have struggled without the wheelchair. It was a long walk, and I'd forgotten how much standing around there is at baggage reclaim, and with no seats around it would have been tough. 

The airport assistance going back was great too. We didn't have to wait long for assistance, and we whizzed through security, which again is a lot of queueing I didn't have to do. We also got priority boarding onto the plane. 

So after all that worry, the elements I were most anxious about turned out to be a breeze.  

For the first time I don't feel scared of being out of my comfort zone. The kids were absolutely fantastic too! Not that I expected them to be otherwise, but now that they are older they knew the importance of us all sticking together. They loved the flight, but after the initial fun of taking off, realised that it was actually quite dull sitting on a plane. 

Once we got there though, we had a great time. The Airbnb was lovely (though we did have a few mishaps. Namely the shower being blocked and flooding everywhere on the first day, and Si getting locked in the bin store on the last day!) and was very central in Reykjavik. Just 5 minutes down the road from Chris and Bara's place which was really handy. Reykjavik centre itself is great, and everything we needed was within walking distance. 

Whale watching

One highlight was the whale watching excursion for sure. The kids, especially Ed, were overjoyed to be there, and it was a beautiful day. We saw humpback whales, and though I didn't get a great photo, it was a fantastic experience. It did tire me out though and I spent the next day in bed. I was so excited to be watching for the whales, I stood for a lot longer than I should have done, and paid the price. I wasn't too sad to be missing out on things though, because I knew it was for my own good. And the rest helped immensely. 

Lib whale watching

Humpback whale

Ed getting excited

I still managed a lot though, so all in all it was a great trip for me. We also saw the geysers, Gulfoss (or the Golden Falls) and Thingvellir National Park which was gorgeous. So I managed a great amount. :)

We also swam in the local pool, with different pools and hot 'pots' or hot tubs. There was also a steam room which I sat in for a bit then instantly regretted it. Tingles ahoy! I felt very tired the next morning, as relaxing as it was for me. The kids, of course, were in their element - they love a swim! 

I'd like to say a big thank you to Chris and Bara too, for helping us get around, and being so supportive during our week. It wouldn't have been the same relaxing experience without them!

New horizons

The thing I've learnt about the experience, is that with the right help and things in place, I should have the confidence to give anything a try.  Travelling with MS and bipolar is a challenge, but not one that can't be overcome. It's given me the confidence to do it again, and maybe even go somewhere warm (!).  The kids would be perfectly happy if all they could have done was swim every day so again, if I have things in place (namely air con!), there's no reason why I can't enjoy a warmish holiday somewhere. The kids would adore it!

Something to think about for the future, for sure. 

At Gulfoss