Travel Made Easy: Go now

Posted by Kate DeLosso on November 27, 2017

First, here come the excuses: You are too old, you have a mobility issue, and you don’t have the flexibility you used to have with food or time change. Pick one or all of the above for an answer.

Now, some advice: It’s time to get moving and do the things you’ve always wanted to do but put off for a multitude of reasons. Can you travel the way you used to? Maybe not, but I’m going to share with you the things I can still do; some challenging and some I couldn’t do without my favorite traveling companion, Tony. Mobility issues; age; medical conditions – yup - all of those things have not stopped me from continuing to travel the world and encouraging others to do the same.

Not long after I turned 50, I had a stroke that left me paralyzed on the right side. I had so many things to re-learn, I didn’t even think about whether I’d ever travel; I couldn’t even walk. After learning to walk again with the help of a brace and cane, re-learning how to type and drive, I’ve gone on to rediscover my love of travel. I have visited 27 countries in the years since my stroke.

After traveling extensively in China, I was appointed travel advisor for Shandong Province in China. The Shandong Province is truly an undiscovered gem and I was invited to look at the things the province needed to do to increase Western tourism. If you have ever visited Asia, you know that one of the obstacles is the Asian-style toilets or “squatty potties.” Now, this Asian-style toilet presents many challenges to a Western tourist but a host of additional challenges for me. Sorry, no further details to be shared – use your imagination. When our little group would find a Western-style toilet, that site would be named “Kate Approved.” So “Kate Approved” became my mantra for places you can visit with mobility issues.

This travel column will talk about things I’ve done as a person with “issues” that may deter others to travel and fulfill life-long dreams. I know this can be done because I’ve done it! Come along for the journey and I share some of the experiences I’ve encountered along the way.

Travel Tip Live: Don’t wait. Go now. Let your future hold dreams of the places you want to see in the world.

About Kate DeLosso

Kate DeLosso is a travel professional with over 20 years of experience traveling the world on land and by ship, visiting over 30 countries with an emphasis on travel in Asia. Kate DeLosso Travel is a home based travel agency that helps individual travelers and groups explore the US, Europe and Asia. A number of years ago, Kate had stroke and had to re-learn how to walk, type and drive a car. With a mobility handicap, she became aware that travel was “different” for people with physical challenges. One of her missions has become to share the knowledge accumulated after 20 years of traveling the world as a mobility challenged person. Kate DeLosso is a Certified Travel Counselor, Special Interest Travel Specialist and an Accredited Cruise Counselor and founder of Kate DeLosso Travel. She has lived and worked in Chadds Ford since 1999.