Solo Travelling even with Type 1 Diabetes
Hi my favorite diabuddies,
I am back with an exciting blog to share with you guys!
I really wanted to write about this subject last year but since travel was on hold because of the pandemic, I decided to wait before sharing it so more people could use my tips.
In the summer of 2019, I did something that I thought I would never be capable of doing, or even have the courage to do! I traveled alone for 2 months around Europe. Yep, your T1D woman did it! I wanted to do this my whole life and was always scared. I was scared about a lot of things: traveling alone with diabetes, traveling alone as a woman, traveling alone with anxiety, and you can imagine that the list can go on and on and on!
However, I did not let any of these ‘‘excuses’’ stop me. We always tell ourselves why we shouldn’t do something instead of simply telling ourselves why we should. I told myself that if anyone can travel alone, I could do it too! I started looking online for blogs, forums, anything that I could find about female solo travelers with T1D. To my surprise, the subject was not popular. Actually, it was almost nonexistent! Maybe I did not push my research to its maximum potential, but it shouldn’t be that hard to find something around this subject, in my opinion. Solo traveling with T1D should feel empowering! That is why today I decided to post about it because I hope that if someone is wondering, thinking, stressing about the idea of traveling the world alone but feel that their T1D is a limitation, they will find and read this article. I am telling you: IT IS NOT! DO IT! GO FOR IT! TRAVEL! Type one diabetes is here to stay (at least until we find a cure), so finding ways to overcome challenges will enable you to live your best life.
I have always wanted to travel the world but with a purpose. That’s when I found this program in northern Italy. You live with a host family for a month, they feed you, give you a place to stay, welcome you to their culture, and in exchange, you teach English to the kids of the family. I thought: LET’S DO IT! The program was also located in a small village in the mountains called Trentino. It was a beautiful escape in the heart of nature. After finishing my volunteer experience I decided to travel for another month. The countries that I chose were Switzerland, Portugal, and Scotland. I packed my bags (I will be writing about packing for 2 months with T1D), hopped on a plane and flew to Italy to make my dream come true! Now you may be wondering, ‘‘How did you do it with diabetes? How did you manage everything? How did the host family react’’? Diafriends, here is how I was able to enjoy my volunteering experience abroad while living with type 1 diabetes.
1. I had my Omnipod® with me
Sometimes, I look back and think that if I didn’t have the Omnipod with me the whole time I was there, I don’t know how I would have done it! As soon as I arrived in Italy, I realized that eating there was going to be challenging. I mean, it’s carbs literally everywhere: pizza, pasta, gelato, bread, biscotti, and that’s only to name a few! A lot of new food means a lot of trial and error with my insulin dosages. The first week was the hardest because my body was still adjusting to the time change, the new weather, on top of the new food. I was constantly adjusting my insulin and I was very grateful for my extended bolus feature. My Omnipod also gave me freedom since I was doing a lot of activities like biking and hiking in the mountains. The fact that it was so discreet also made my different modes of transportation way easier, like when I was hoping from one train to another. I was relieved to not have to find a place to inject insulin everywhere I went.
Interested in learning more about the tubeless Omnipod DASH® Insulin Management System? Register for a free Pod Therapy 101 webinar here.
2. I shared everything with my host family
The first day I arrived at my host’s family home, I shared a 3-page letter that I translated from English to Italian explaining my diabetes. The 4 members of the sweet family sat down with me in the living room and the mom read the letter out loud. They all seemed so curious and empathetic. They were so intrigued and asked me interesting questions, eager to learn more. Explaining diabetes to someone can be one thing, but seeing him or her live with it is a very different thing. That is why I was so grateful for this family. They were able to see that a day in the life of a person with diabetes is always different, and it constantly has its ups and downs! Writing about diabetes on 3-pages is clearly not enough. I could write a whole book about it, and it still wouldn’t be enough. There are so many different things that can happen and that affect our blood sugars, our insulin intake, our mood, our energy, etc. The family took the time to understand all of it and for that I’m eternally grateful! They would RUN to the fridge to get me juice whenever I was low. The mom would also carry juice in a backpack for me whenever we were doing outdoor activities.
3. My diabetes created special bonds
A funny thing also happened while I was living in the small region of Trentino. I learned that having diabetes can build connections ANYWHERE you go and sometimes in the last place you ever expected! One evening, I was taking a walk with my host family when we met a lady and her daughters that they knew. I was wearing my Omnipod and realized quickly (I mean, as a T1D you notice other’s robot parts PRETTY quickly!) that one of the daughters - who was around 11 years old- was also wearing an Omnipod! It’s hard to explain as it was such a strong feeling, but I felt so connected to this little girl right away because we shared something so unique. She immediately smiled because at that moment she felt less alone too. Her mom was so happy to meet me! She even came to visit me one day and brought me gifts. She asked to sit down with me and talk about diabetes. My host sister was there to translate our conversation from English to Italian and vice versa. We talked about the food in Italy and how her daughter managed the high carbs and about the Omnipod and the differences in the healthcare system between Canada and Italy. They even wrote to me after I came back telling me how I inspired them. The mother was overjoyed and encouraged to see a young woman traveling the world alone, not letting diabetes stand in her way. I still remember tearing up reading their message and at that moment I knew that I was not only travelling for me, but I was traveling with a purpose to inspire others to never let obstacles stand in the way of something we want.
Until next time,
Ciao!
Judy