Travel is the Best Medicine

Why I Can’t Live Without Travel

What does travel mean to you? For me, it’s more than a chance to see new things and explore different cultures. And it’s more than an adrenaline rush and the opportunity to experience adventure. For me, travel is the best medicine.

When I turned 30, I got sick. Not your run of the mill, bad flu kind of sick. This was something different. My symptoms – a bad rash, fatigue, and low-grade fever – stumped every doctor I saw. As the weeks drew on and my symptoms worsened, I knew that something was really wrong.

I stopped working and moved back home with my parents. My hair started falling out and my joints swelled up. I could barely hold a toothbrush or open a bottle of water. I felt helpless, scared, and alone.

A few months later, I was finally diagnosed by a top specialist in NYC. The doctor, brilliant but lacking in bedside manners, curtly relayed my diagnosis over the phone. He told me I had Dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system becomes overactive, attacking the body. In my case, my immune system was attacking my skin.

Even though I was relieved to finally have a diagnosis, the journey of healing was just beginning. Because the disease is so rare, there wasn’t a set treatment plan. I felt like a guinea pig as my doctors tried various medications and protocols, all with limited effect.

At the same time, I also explored Eastern traditions and practices – acupuncture, Ayurveda, biofeedback therapy, yoga (when I had the strength), cranial-sacral massage, energy therapy, aromatherapy, and more. While these practices helped calm my emotional state, they didn’t help much physically. I was still in severe pain, scratching my skin constantly from the rashes, and living with constant fatigue.

To make things worse, I felt like I was on the sidelines of life, watching my friends’ lives progress and move forward. Some got married and had babies. Others moved out of the city or got new jobs. But for me? I was stuck in my childhood home. It’s not that I wasn’t grateful for the help, comfort, and love my parents provided. But I was a 30-year-old woman, used to traveling all over the world for work and pleasure, running marathons and spending nights on the dancefloor with my friends. Now, I just felt trapped.

How Travel Helped Me Get My Groove Back

That’s where travel comes in. Once the doctors and I managed to get a foothold with my treatment and things slightly improved, I knew I had to get back out there and live my life. Even though I still looked very sick, with extremely short hair, a red puffy face, and raw and chapped hands, I didn’t care. I was determined to buy a plane ticket and go somewhere new.

The first trip I took was to Ibiza. I know what you’re thinking. Of all the places I could go for healing and inspiration, I chose a party island? But let me explain.

My friends and I had dreamed of visiting this Balearic Island for years. We all love electronic music and Ibiza is ground zero for the world’s best dance music and DJs. In fact, we even threw bi-monthly dance parties in NYC celebrating this culture. We called ourselves meplus3, rented out rooms in dive bars, and spun our favorite tunes for our friends. So when we finally decided to plan this bucket list trip to Ibiza, there was no way I was missing it.

Even though I had challenges on that vacation, it taught me a valuable lesson. Getting out of my comfort zone made me feel better. Despite the physical symptoms and suffering, my spirit felt alive and free. Travel taught me that I could still find joy even though I was experiencing pain.

The best night I had on that trip was when we went to see a DJ we weren’t even that excited about. We planned to go to bed early that night, but as the DJ warmed up on the decks and played his tunes, we fell into a trance. The music carried us as we swayed to the beat on the dance floor, and the next thing we knew, it was dawn.

Travel does that to us. It brings us the gift of the unexpected. It heightens our awareness and engages all of our senses. Travel also makes us more mindful and appreciative of the present moment. So, I will be forever grateful for that trip to Ibiza, because it taught me that travel is the best medicine. And it gave me the courage to continue exploring the world despite my illness.

Want to learn more about how travel can help your mental health? Check out my post on The Benefits of Traveling and Trying New Things.

Now I’d love to hear from you. What keeps your spirits aloft when you are dealing with adversity? Do you agree that travel is the best medicine? Or do you have another passion that brings you joy? Please share in the comments below!