Five Healthy Vacations, and a Story

Lee and I are away this week–on our magical tour of Great Caribbean Snorkeling Sites.  So while I’ve got vacation-brain, I thought I’d share some vacation advice.  We love to travel more than anything–anywhere, anytime–it’s all interesting.  One of the first hurdles we worked to get over after Lee’s heart attack was figuring out how to go on vacation without compromising his health.

Shall I tell a mildly amusing story about our first post-surgery trip?  Well.  Lee’s surgery was in August of 1998.  Bypass surgery, back then, required a 6-week recovery period–no lifting, no physical strain (it might be different now; I have no idea).  Delaney was only a year and a half old, so clearly we couldn’t manage flying/luggage/toddler/rambunctious preschooler if I was literally going to have to do all the lifting.  So we hung around home for the first couple of months.  One day in October, I had wrestled Toby (not quite 5 years old, and soap-averse) into the shower, where he proceeded to have a conniption fit.  I was horrified to see a bulge (the size of a pecan, maybe?) on his groin when he screamed.  Uh-oh.  I bundled him off to the pediatrician, who confirmed a hernia, and referred us to a surgeon.

Let me point out, here, that this was roughly two months after my husband’s quintuple bypass.  ’98 was not our year.

The surgeon said we could wait a few weeks to schedule the repair–Toby had just started on his first soccer team, and we figured if we waited till the Thanksgiving break, maybe he could have the procedure, heal over the holiday, and not miss any soccer.  He just said, helpfully, to keep an eye on the lump, and if it ever seemed to get stuck, to call him.  Also, he said if Toby ever doubled over with sudden pain, to go straight to the emergency room.  Apparently a hernia can, you know, cause sudden death under certain circumstances.

In the interim, we celebrated Toby’s 5th birthday with a little weekend getaway, to test out our post-bypass travel skills.  Glamorous, exotic destination of choice:  Huntsville, Alabama.  (Note:  in 1998, it was IMPOSSIBLE to eat tasty, healthy food in Huntsville, AL.  Lee was stuck with nothing but salads all weekend.  I have no idea what it’s like now, but I don’t think I’d go back.  Ever.)

We hung out at the Space Center (yes, that’s why we went to Huntsville for Toby’s 5th birthday–he was obsessed with rockets.  Seemed like a good idea at the time) on Saturday, then went back to our questionable motel and managed to get two kids to sleep.  Later, just as we were settling down ourselves, Toby woke up.  Screaming.  Inarticulate.  Doubled over.

Did I panic?  Yes, I believe I did.  I called the front desk for directions to the nearest ER while Lee jammed his feet into shoes.  He was half-carrying, half-dragging Toby to the door, when I said, “Wait–make him pee first.”

The last time we had taken Toby to the ER (yes, it was a semi-regular occurrence when he was little), he had peed all over Lee while they waited.  Being soaked in urine always makes a bad situation worse.  So we convinced him, through the screaming, to pee in the potty.

And miraculously, he stopped screaming.  Yes, we nearly took our child to the emergency room in the middle of the night while on vacation BECAUSE HE NEEDED TO PEE.

See why we had to test our ability to travel post-heart-attack?  Sometimes our abilities are . . . questionable.

But I digress!  I promised you vacation advice, so here it is.  A list of vacation ideas that will leave you healthier than you were when you left home.  These are guaranteed–I’ve done them all.

1–A bike tour.  These are loads of fun, and if you choose the (pricier) fully-supported and guided version, all you have to do is pedal and soak up the scenery.  Try  Backroads Tours, or, for the less-cushy adventure (the one I’ve done), check out something like Cycle North Carolina.

2–A yoga trip.  Stretching, om-ming, communing with the earth.  We spent a week in Mexico on a family yoga retreat, but there are get-aways for couples, singles, knitters, runners, writers–yoga for all.  I promise you’ll be able to touch your toes by the time you get home.

3–A long weekend in the city.  Any big city with an interesting downtown will do.  When you get there, put on some comfortable shoes and walk everywhere.  As long as you don’t eat at every single food stand, you’ll burn more calories than you consume, and you’ll feel fitter.  You’ll see more, too–a city is always more interesting up close.

4–A Caribbean beach.  Long walks in the sand, swimming in the azure water, snorkeling, scuba diving–and those are just the obvious ideas.  You can rent a bike.  Learn to kiteboard.  Hike to the local waterfall.  Ride a zipline through the jungle canopy.  You wouldn’t believe the active entertainments you can find on a lazy beach vacation if you look for them.

5–Go on a walking tour.  Okay, we haven’t actually done this (instead, we go car-camping and hike during the day–a whole different concept), because I don’t think I could handle the whining that would ensue, but as soon as these children leave home?  We’re going for a long, long walk.  Here in the States we have extreme craziness like the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, but in Europe–those folks know how to walk.  Roam the scenic countryside during the day, then retire to a quaint country inn for an elegant dinner and a restful sleep.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

I have lots of other ideas:  a kayaking trip, surf camp, a week of volunteering for something like Habitat for Humanity–but I haven’t done any of those things.  Yet.  I’ll let you know when I do.