You can! It may not be like it is in the movies, on the post cards, or on the travel brochures, but it is definitely worthwhile! Long distance or short distance, it is something you can enjoy and remember with your kids for a life time!

We have traveled many places with our children, domestic and foreign. Regardless of the circumstances (or difficulties like unexpected illnesses while traveling) both Christopher, 8 years old, and Brin, five years old, have always amazed us. The change of scenery benefited all of us much more than we ever anticipated and taught us that just enjoying our experiences and lives is priceless! We encountered more support from strangers, friends, family, and service providers while traveling than we ever imagined. The hardest part is always getting over the fears such as; seizures, traveling with oxygen, and other medical complications.

Some of the places Christopher and Brin have enjoyed are:
Camping in our backyard
Local zoos, museums, and aquariums
Bandelier National Park, Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, New Mexico
Los Angeles and Orange County, California
Portland, Oregon
Tampa, Miami, and (Of Course!) Disney World, Florida
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Richmond, VA
Washington, DC
Bloomsburg, PA
Saint Thomas
Puerto Rico, and
Saint Barthelemy in the French West Indies

There have been times we have had to cancel plans, but that is why one buys travel insurance for the really expensive trips. One time out of ten is not so bad, and we would not trade any of the trips we took for anything, even those when one or all of us got sick or hurt. And yes, we have had projectile vomit on planes, equipment problems, back failure, and respiratory infections while traveling, but we still had a lot of fun. Those moments are now stories of survival and laughed about with much sarcasm.

Even if we didn’t get much beyond the entrance to the Magic Kingdom, we still had a wonderful time and many unique experiences. Many other children have said, "Hey, I never got to visit with so many characters!" You see, all the characters have visiting areas near the entrance that most families miss or run right past in the hurry to have fun. Our kids, who could not go far, got to really visit and play with them thoroughly.

After each of our trips, Christopher and Brin have come back with new skills, better endurance, higher stimulus tolerance and deeper perspectives. No amount of therapy has produced such results in so short a time. Both Christopher and Brin have always taught us to enjoy whatever our accommodations (varying from extremely rustic and minimal to very comfortable) and surroundings (quiet, beautiful, but remote to densely populated, urban, with high over-stimulation intensity).

Christopher has never failed to show us many unique details about places we go, such as; the tiny mice located in Cinderella’s Castle, and the way the ocean tends to give and take toys! Because Christopher has limited mobility and cannot talk, he has taught us to notice and enjoy what is in our immediate view (even when lying on the ground). He has also taught us that we can communicate with anyone, regardless of language barriers.

Brin always makes new friends and shows us the best aspects and traits of people. We have made friends that without her we would have never met. She has a genuine smile of goodwill for anyone who crosses her path, including those most people overlook or ignore. Her personality, kindness, and confidence shine through the fears of others and overcome their concerns of differences.

Both Christopher and Brin always communicate to us after a trip that they want to go again, even if they seemed to have slept or just tolerated most of it.

Now, if only Chip and I can continue to grow and learn from our children’s fearless example and sense of adventure!