What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Wellness doesn’t always receive the priority it deserves in our busy lives. Cancer makes us realize just how important self care really is.
Everyone needs a restorative break from life on occasion. From life with cancer, many of us need more than simple restoration. We need a deep mind-body-soul period of reflection and introspection. Here are three very different wellness destinations that offer a reprise and perhaps a bit of adventure. They’re on my bucket list!
Thailand
“Healing is the definition of reconnecting with ourselves”
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
This year the Sierras have had record breaking snow. The ride up Mt. Rose Highway is like driving through a tunnel, with well over ten feet of snow on either side of the road. Lake Tahoe has seen more than 25 feet of snow since New Year’s Day, and more is on the way. Renown meteorologist Chris Tomer is predicting 350-400 inches this season!
Squaw Valley hosted the 1960 Olympics and it looks like they had their share of snow that year as well:
Squaw has grown a lot since 1960. In 2011 it merged with Alpine Meadows, although each area retains it’s own identity. A single ski pass and a shuttle bus give skiers access to incredible terrain. Combined, the area provides visitors with over 6,000 skiable acres, eight peaks, 44 lifts, and 270+ trails.
The relatively recent addition of villages to each mountain has expanded the social experience on the hill. Shopping, wine bars, beer pubs and an array of other shops and restaurants offer skiers sustenance and amusement without leaving the ski area. And this year’s snow fall offers simply epic skiing!
Squaw’s original design was modeled after European ski areas and was very avant garde for the Sierras at the time. Alex Cushing, a Harvard trained lawyer who was instrumental in bringing the Olympics to Squaw, located the original restaurant, skating rink and pool at High Camp, at the top of the 2,000 foot tram that brings skiers up the mountain.
Outside the village, the Resort at Squaw Creek is a sleek modern building with 5 restaurants and all the amenities one could wish for. It hosts an annual food and wine event as well as numerous other summer events such as wine walks, concerts, yoga and writer retreats. And don’t overlook the spa! It’s a perfect way to indulge yourself with some TLC.
Squaw has always had prestige. It’s expensive, and it has a history that no other area resort can boast. But with the merger, I sense that a bit of the “je ne sais quoi” may be dissipating. The aura of exclusivity seemed just a little less so. Neighboring Alpine Meadows, which has traditionally had more of a family orientation, now boasts a beautiful Ritz Carlton slope-side for ski in/ski out dining and socializing.
The merger of the two areas (plus Homewood which is now owned by the same corporation) bodes well for winter sports enthusiasts. The combined terrain is simply unparalleled, and the recreational opportunities are stunning. But with the merger, a bit of that unique identity of each area is given up to a larger collective. Not good or bad, it just is.
And it may be in anticipation of hosting a future Olympics. A local exploratory committee had hoped to bid for the 2026 games, with the idea of utilizing much of the existing Tahoe infrastructure to create a profitable Olympics. But rising costs, uncertainty regarding snow and limits of the lake’s transportation infrastructure (there is just one two lane road that circles the lake, and it is often closed at Emerald Bay due to avalanche concerns in the winter), plus the politics of the event, make such a bid uncertain.
If the Olympics come, Squaw’s place in sports history will shine even more. But a bit of that old time mountain character will be lost. Get to Squaw now, and enjoy a bit of past and present on a marvelous ski hill.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Sean Swarner is a serious adventurer and a two time survivor of childhood cancer. A a result of his treatments, he only has one functional lung.
But cancer didn’t slow him down. On the contrary, it’s given mission and drive to his life. On this trip to the North Pole he’ll be carrying a flag with the names of people whose lives have been touched by cancer. If you want to support him, click here.
For Sean, this is the final road trip in a saga that has taken him to the seven summits and both poles. The Explorer’s Grand Slam includes Everest, Kilimanjaro (which I think he’s summited 17 times!), Denali, Aconcagua, Vinson Massif, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Kosciusko, Carstensz Pyramid. He’s climbed them all. Plus the South Pole. Now only the North Pole remains.
One of the interesting facets about an expedition to the North Pole is that this pole is really a floating ice pack. That means that you may travel 20 miles, only to float backwards ten!
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Tahoe is simply spectacular, and I’ve been lucky enough to call this area home for nearly 20 years. Skiing, hiking, golf…you name it, Lake Tahoe has it.
For me, Tahoe is a place of peace and healing. When I moved here, I found countless places that were special for me. Tahoe tends to have that effect on people.
See if you have what it takes to know Lake Tahoe! (If you score less than 100%, I recommend a Tahoe vacation!)
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Conquering the world has nothing on conquering cancer!
For some, adventure suggests uncertainty. Insecurity.The unknown! Compared to cancer? Hah! Cancer is the ultimate unknown! Let’s compare:
Fun vs. Suck
Adventure is fun. It breathes life!
Cancer is not fun. Not at all. Not in any way. Not any day. It sucks life.
Exploring vs. Exhaustion
Travel means new things. New experiences. Energy!
Cancer means curled up in bed. Barfing. Beat.
Vista vs. Wall
Travel means new sights. Amazing vistas of new terrain.
Cancer is four walls and a bed.
Fresh Air vs. Med Air
Travel is being outdoors. Breathing life. Alive.
Cancer is hospital air. Filtered. Restricted.
Don’t wait until you have cancer to do what you want to do. Carpe diem–Seize The Day– is my official cancer battlecry.
Light vs. Dark
Travel is restorative. Light. Easy. Fun.
Cancer is heavy. Dull. Sad.
Love vs. Fear
Travel is loving life. Tasting, thinking, trying.
Cancer is about fear and loss.
Participation vs. Isolation
Travel is about new people, new cultures, new places.
Cancer is about being very, very alone.
Presence and Awareness
In spite of the ups and downs, cancer is an experience that has brought much greater compassion for others into my life; it has sent me on a quest for greater meaning; and it has caused me to cultivate the skills of presence and awareness, through meditation and yoga. I am actually grateful for these perspectives and grateful for the opportunity of #CancerRoadTrip. I may not conquer the world but I do hope to explore it.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Three Healthy Food Hacks!
How does one eat well on the road?
My diet has gone through an evolution since a cancer diagnosis and travel can wreak havoc with healthy intentions. I don’t do fast food; I don’t eat processed food; no whites (sugar, flour, pasta, rice); prefer organic; avoid dairy; avoid mass produced meats; lean towards vegetarian.
That means I usually look for salads, soups, and fish. No quick dish of yogurt (dairy plus sugar = no thanks!) No mystery meat burritos. No fluffy whipped drinks laced with sugar.
That being said, I’m not perfect and I don’t need to be. But I try to stay fairly close to a vegetable based, low glycemic diet.
Here are three quick travel hacks that I use to keep me on course:
Snacking
Fruit: The original fast food
Depending on the locale, I look for an organic market or farmer’s markets. Here in the States, I’m a fan of Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I usually pick up some organic fruit-apples are great-and keep it on hand, for snacks during the day and to assuage a sweet craving at night. Berries are great anti-cancer foods. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries also make for a great breakfast.
Veggies and Hummus
I love vegetables and even if they’re not organic, pre-sliced veggies are readily available. Hummus comes in a variety of flavors and it stands up well on a warm day. It does need to be refrigerated, so I try to be sure I’m staying somewhere with a frig. Ditto for a kitchen. Given my druthers, I’m happy to cook a few meals so I know where my food is coming from.
Green Tea
I travel with my own teabags. Organic + green = anticancer healthy. Green tea is really a remarkable food. It is full of anti-oxidants and high in EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate). I’ve recently switched my morning tea to a matcha latte (with almond milk and a bit of honey). It’s delicious, filling, and richer in EGCG than just tea. EGCG has been linked to a variety of health benefits including inhibiting angiogenesis (blood vessel formation to the cancer cell). Tea times two for me!
Eating out: Not as hard as you think!
Think Thai
Thai food offers some great options ranging from fresh spring rolls to broth and coconut milk based soups. There are almost always vegetarian options available, and you can often opt for brown rice (rather than white).
Think Fish
I love fish! Fish tacos, grilled fish, sushi (yes sushi may have white rice–it’s more in the treat category or I go towards sashimi.) I steer clear of fried fish and look for something fresh.
Think Soup and Salad
Vegetarian–or nearly vegetarian–soup is not hard to find. And a green salad, preferably with a nutrient dense green like arugula is fairly common, particularly in the States.
Eating a healthy diet on the road may not be a slam dunk, but it’s not that difficult either. The more you know about your food and food sources, the easier it is to make smart choices. For more information on smart food choices, visit Anti-Cancer Club and subscribe to their weekly mailings. They offer one food, flavor or nutritional idea each week to help you craft your own anticancer diet.
Looking to learn more about healthy eating? Check out Rebecca Katz’s excellent on-line class and community.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
A tweet on Twitter today got me thinking: I used to be a lot of fun.
I was always serious in my own way, but I was also the one who was always curious and game to do something. Go to Napa. Seek out that new, hot restaurant. Fly. Hike. Travel. Entertain. I never wanted to sit still.
Between cancer, surgery, house floods and business betrayal, fun has simply not been part of my repertoire for the last several years.
I want to laugh and explore. I want to forget about cancer, for an hour, a day, a month. I want to feel light and full of energy. I want to feel possibility and joy back in my life!
I want to slow down enough to feel. To not think. I want to be in love with life, with MY LIFE, again.
I want to feel light. Unencumbered, yet totally connected. I want to trade the trappings of the perfect suburban life for some adventure. I want to trade home maintenance for being homeless; worry for curiosity; disaffection for connection.
“We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” -Joseph Campbell
Chanel went to her new home last weekend. It will take some time for everyone to adjust. For me, I find myself without the responsibility of another living soul for the first time in 35 years.
And much to my surprise, it is positively liberating.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Ok. I am confident I’ll make a safe landing. (Sort of!). Things to be done:
List House: This should be done this week. I’m waiting on an appraisal; the (minor) repairs should be done in the next several days; I need to buy a warranty that can be transferred to the new owner. I am listing on Zillow, and plan to cooperate with the local realtors. Everything that I don’t give away can go into storage. I hope one of the local wine stores will buy whatever is left of my wine cellar.
Princess Chanel: Plans are to send her to her new home next weekend. I want to spend as much time with her this week as I can. She is my only family. I will miss her, but this is a good move for her. She needs friends and more activity than I’m currently providing. And she prefers comfort over adventure.
Health on the Road: This is going to be challenging but it is an absolute priority. As part of my own anticancer lifestyle, I’m a flexitarian (mostly vegetarian with some fish and occasional chicken) who cares about the source of my food (otherwise, adventuresome and a total foodie). I don’t do fast food.
The routine I’ve set up is geared towards health. I typically have a matcha latte with almond milk (for all the health benefits of matcha) in the morning and try to get some turmeric into my diet daily. I also meditate and do some basic yoga. I think the key will be to set up a health-first schedule, and stick with it!
I also plan to try to stay somewhere with a kitchen. I love to cook and this gives me control over what goes into my body. (With cancer, you become very aware of such things!). And as a bonus, it will give me a chance to check out the local farmer’s markets.
Oncology Visits: I’ll get blood work done before I leave (please let it be ok because there’s no turning back on #CancerRoadTrip!) and I’ll talk to my oncologist about getting blood tests on the road. If I can’t, oh well. I’m sick of living in 6 month increments anyway! If I feel the tumors growing again, I’ll figure out what to do at that point.
The medical care in Reno/Tahoe is fairly middle of the road. If my cancer transforms, or comes raging back again, I will go to an area with outstanding lymphoma care and transfer my health insurance to that location. Please let me have a bit more time in remission!
I also need to take along some asthma meds. I order them through the Canadian pharmacy (for about $60 versus over $300 through my health insurance!) and they deliver anywhere. The problem will be one of timing since it can take weeks before it ships, but a post office drop box can solve that. I’ll probably need one for other mail anyway.
Camera: I think I’ve decided on a GoPro to start. I’m not an avid photographer (yet) and I think the reality of the GoPro film experience should work well for #CancerRoadTrip. Did you know that you can mount you GoPro on a drone! Too cool! Now I need to research drones!
Layered Clothing: Once I leave, I’m officially #HomelessWithCancer, so I need to have a fairly flexible wardrobe. If I go to Australia/NewZealand after Hawaii, I’ll need winter clothes. How to pack for so many eventualities? Or do I just stay in the same hemisphere for at least 6 months?
Electronics: My MacBook Air is obviously coming with me, as is my phone. I am setting up a cloud based backup for all my data. I’m going to have to look into sim cards when traveling overseas for affordable cell coverage. Do I keep my US plan? Questions abound.
Travel Purse and Computer Bag: While I have tons of handbags (part of my external obesity is I’m a bit of a leather junky), I want something with RFID protection and something sturdy. Also something that can really get knocked around a bit. I think I’ve decided on a Travelon. I’ll also need a small carryon bag where I can put my computer, camera and some basic items. My current luggage is on it’s last legs, and I want to put some serious thought into what I buy. I need as much space and organization as possible.
Vaccinations: This one makes me a bit nervous. I am very hesitant to put anything foreign in my body. Depending on the vaccination requirements and my health, this may or may not be a limiting factor. I can get vaccines done in Hawaii once I figure out my next step.
Travel Insurance: A necessity. Stay tuned as I check this out. I’ll share my findings.
Legal and Financial: In addition to settling legal matters, I need to get a privacy policy put together for the site (per the terms one of my affiliate relationships) and set up basic book keeping accounts (ugh!). I also want to coordinate my credit cards to max out my travel benefits. Once I reveled in such details. These days, after chemo et al, my mind doesn’t work in a linear fashion and I find this endlessly tedious. But when the going gets tough…I’ll figure it out.
We participate in a number of affiliate programs that pay a small commission any purchases made through the site. Your support supports #CancerRoadTrip. Thank you!
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
I wake up many mornings overwhelmed by everything that is going on. By Chanel’s imminent departure; by the legal situation; by the sale of my house.
Deep Breath.
And then it occurred to me. As usual, everything I needed to learn, I learned flying. (Some people learned in kindergarten; I was a slow learner.)
If I would pause and think for a moment, I would realize that this was just another landing. And I know how to land.
When I was flying, I had a landing checklist that I followed faithfully: UFFSTALL
Undercarriage (Putting the gear down is highly recommended)
Flaps (Short field? No problem. This plane has serious flaps!)
F (This F was for emphasis: You f*$%*$g stall, you die. Now onto airspeed which will prevent me from stalling on approach.)
Speed (A critical component for obvious reasons)
Trim (Make your life a bit easier)
Attitude/Altitude (This goes to overall awareness of the plane and it’s positioning in the sky and vis a vis the runway)
Look Out! (Don’t bury your head in the cockpit! Remain aware of your surroundings like the power plane on final trying to cut you off!)
Land (Self Explanatory)
Any landing you walk away from is a good one. -Pithy Pilot Sayings
Deep breath. It’s all going to work out. I just need to keep my eyes out of the cockpit, look out and land. The rest is set.
I remember landing one day. I was in my early forties at the time. I was getting the plane positioned on final at Minden, coming in nicely, even with a “bit” of crosswind. I always fly more by feel and touch than instrument, but on final I am always checking my instruments, particularly my airspeed, as the plane descends.
Landing is always a time of intense concentration. There are no go-arounds in a sailplane. I was looking out at the horizon as the runway moved ever closer. I glanced at my instruments, but my eyes wouldn’t refocus that quickly. I couldn’t read the information I needed!
No sweat. Just keep you eyes on the horizon and fly the plane.
When the going gets tough, the tough go traveling!
An excerpt from Adventures By Sailplane
B.S. (By Sailplane) B.C. (Before Cancer)
July 1995
I am nervous, afraid. Sometimes I wonder if I have lost my mind. I have lost everything else that ever mattered to me, but somehow I don’t think that I have parted with my sanity. At least not yet. Parting with that is, however, always an option. One which some would suggest I am exercising now.
I run through my checklist. Clothes for three months, a newly purchased and hurriedly programmed notebook computer, books to read, and my airplane. Whiskey Oscar. I am taking leave of my life and perhaps my senses. I am taking my glider cross country to fly, to travel and to see what I may see.
Leaving behind a perfectly good job, a nice house, a settled life. I guess I appear to be a bit erratic. But au contraire, what you are witnessing is actually a brave act of sanity in an insane world. I am leaving behind all the social mores that bind me; the senseless power struggles of the work-a-day world and the cruelty and betrayal that passed for my marriage. Poof! All Gone. It is all behind me, like clutter in a closet, and I am closing the door.
As I close the door to my house, I am ready to leave. But I am not. I fear going, I fear staying. The fear of the known, of the endless dull litany of a life not mine is greater than fear of the unknown, and that differential as much as anything seals my fate. I will go.
My stomach announces its misgivings. Am I making a reasonable decision? Have I lost my mind? The line between sanity and insanity, between acceptable an unacceptable, no longer exists and I no longer know.
My mind has been in a state of disarray since the night my husband informed me he was in love with his nurse. I have been unable to make sense of things. Of the many years we spent building a life together. Of all the little moments, of the difficulties, of the insanity of it all. Nothing has quite fit or flowed since that evening and now I realize that I cannot live the rest of my life this way. But I have no where to go, no one to go to. I need to find a place for me, a place that is mine, without the memories of my past staring at me daily.
But where to?
I haven’t a clue. All I know is that when the going get tough, the tough go traveling and that is exactly what I intend to do. Three months on the road and in the air, to see what I may see. I put the key in the ignition and a song comes over the radio:
“We gotta get out of this place If it’s the last thing we ever do We gotta get out of this place Girl, there’s a better life for me and you…”
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
What's on your bucket list?
Thank you for stopping by!
CancerRoadTrip is about making lemonade out of lemons.
As you read my story, you may want to start at the beginning to "grok" how CancerRoadTrip came to be. You can click here to start at the end (which is actually the beginning) and read forward! The posts are chronological, with the most recent posts appearing on the front page.
The relatively recent addition of villages to each mountain has expanded the social experience on the hill. Shopping, wine bars, beer pubs and an array of other shops and restaurants offer skiers sustenance and amusement without leaving the ski area. And this year’s snow fall offers simply epic skiing!
merger, I sense that a bit of the “je ne sais quoi” may be dissipating. The aura of exclusivity seemed just a little less so. Neighboring Alpine Meadows, which has traditionally had more of a family orientation, now boasts a beautiful Ritz Carlton slope-side for ski in/ski out dining and socializing.
Fruit: The original fast food
Green Tea
List House: This should be done this week. I’m waiting on an appraisal; the (minor) repairs should be done in the next several days; I need to buy a warranty that can be transferred to the new owner. I am listing on Zillow, and plan to cooperate with the local realtors. Everything that I don’t give away can go into storage. I hope one of the local wine stores will buy whatever is left of my wine cellar.
I want to spend as much time with her this week as I can. She is my only family. I will miss her, but this is a good move for her. She needs friends and more activity than I’m currently providing. And she prefers comfort over adventure.
vegetarian with some fish and occasional chicken) who cares about the source of my food (otherwise, adventuresome and a total foodie). I don’t do fast food.
GoPro to start. I’m not an avid photographer (yet) and I think the reality of the 
is obviously coming with me, as is my 
. I am setting up a cloud based backup for all my data. I’m going to have to look into sim cards when traveling overseas for affordable cell coverage. Do I keep my US plan? Questions abound.
I want something with RFID protection and something sturdy. Also something that can really get knocked around a bit. I think I’ve decided on a 
. I’ll also need a small carryon bag where I can put my computer, camera and some basic items. My current luggage is on it’s last legs, and I want to put some serious thought into what I buy. I need as much space and organization as possible.
