Travelling can be burden for a carer… or a great opportunity.

There can be a lot of travelling involved for carers which can be a burden at times.

My suitcase used to be almost as tall as me and had my worldly belongings in it. I lugged it on and off trains for seven long years, struggling up and down the stairs at tube stations, with the occasional help of a stranger, until I bought my second-hand car.

Then my life changed dramatically and I took great pleasure in travelling around the country to different destinations.

I was born in the UK then emigrated to SA for thirty-odd years. I came back in 2007 because I needed to work and that was the beginning of my carer journey. I’ve seen more of the country since my return and have visited some beautiful places. I don’t think I’m the only one that thought I would just be here for a couple of years.

I remember a specific booking in my early days in a remote village somewhere in the south where the nearest local shop was 2 miles away and I wasn’t allowed to use the client’s car. My two-hour break was taken up walking there and back on a hot summer’s day.

I was a smoker in those days and was running low hence the trek, only to be told that they don’t sell cigarettes, then it was panic stations which was soon resolved when we went to the supermarket.

I had an urgent call from my agency when I was due for a week off asking me to do a 5-day booking on the Isle of Wight. I quickly changed my plans as I thought it was a golden opportunity to go and see the little island. The client lived in Seaview just a two-minute walk to the sea so I thoroughly enjoyed my break every day. I was a little nervous about driving to the supermarket by myself but you can’t really get lost on such a small island. It’s just a pity I didn’t have more time to explore.

I’ve had a few bookings in Scotland, one was at Rosehall near Lairg which was a 2-hour train journey north of Inverness. My client was a ‘lady’ and her family owned half of Scotland in the 1700’s. The land was gradually sold off to pay debts.

I had to push the wheelbarrow up the slope to collect firewood every day, clean the grate and make up a fresh fire, rolling pages of newspaper to fit in between the logs. She loved giving me cooking challenges, partridge being one of them. I made a lovely orange sauce to go with it. Every morning I had to ask if she would like duck, chicken or quail egg and would she like it boiled, fried or poached.

On my time off I’ve driven to see friends during their break. They have willingly given me a guided tour of Winchester Cathedral, then high tea at a local posh restaurant. Another friend showed me around Chichester Cathedral.

I worked in Wells so enjoyed walking around the local markets and the Cathedral. Going to all these lovely places tends to make us want to walk and explore the surroundings. Some carers ask their agency for bookings in certain towns or villages that they want to visit.

One of the carers moved to Scotland from a pretty mundane job in London and her life has totally changed for the better. She now also owns a camper van which has widened her horizons in major ways. She’s busy writing her story for me so that you can all see what is possible.

I love reading her stories of all the fabulous out-of-the-way places that she’s visited.