3 subjective reasons to travel | The Family Without Borders

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3 subjective reasons to travel

Barcelona (Spanien) Reise mit dem Rollstuhl, thefamilywithoutborders.com

I took my brother and my sister for a tiny trip to Barcelona not only to just be with them, but also to show them 3 things, which make that I love travelling so much. 

1. Fulfilling dreams.

You always wanted to go to Paris? When you were a kid you wanted so much to ride an elephant? Or meet a Maya person? Or visit an old friend, who moved to Australia? Or to try octopus? Or – like my brother Kuba – you simply wanted to put your feet into the sea in February in Barcelona?! It can be a little thing, can be a stupid thing, without a reasonable explanation. But once you reached this moment of fulfilling even a tiny dream – you know what I mean. Usually there are problems on the way, this is totally normal. You need money for a ticket to this Paris. You need courage to sit on this elephant. You maybe need a language to talk to your Maya friend. But… if you really want those problems are just challenges. And with a little help of people (and people usually love to help!) you can get all that you want, in this or another way. Do you think it was easy with Kuba’s wheelchair on that sandy beach? Do you think it was easy for him to walk some steps? Do you think there is anything more beautiful to see than his smile when he was shaking from cold, dipping those naked feet in the freeze water?? Nope!

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

2. Trying something new.

Something which you always have seen as impossible! Or something that everybody around tells you it’s impossible for you to do.

While hanging out in Barcelona, we reached the top of Montjuïc Castle, on the hill, with an amazing view on the whole Barcelona. I mean, we almost reached. It’s already quite a challenge to get to the castle itself. I was pushing Kuba, my sister Agata was pushing me, both using words, which are maybe not very proper for a 13-year-old girl ;). Was a good training, a gym for free, in a nice, Spanish sun. Once we reached the castle, we asked the stuff working there how to get up, with our wheelchair. Maybe 5 people in red sweaters, friendly and welcoming. – With this?? – they asked looking on the wheelchair. – Impossible!

– Ughghghghgh – I’m literally boiling inside when I hear such a sentence. And if it is about my brother and about just the last steps to reach the aim, I’m boiling even more.

Of course we found some guys willing to help us (if you are in 4, everybody can easily carry Kuba!) and we went to the roof. Oh my god, what a view! What a feeling with the wind on our faces. And this is what Kuba was supposed to miss, while sitting on his wheelchair this 30 stairs below??

Have you ever dance on the roof of the Spanish castle, when everybody told you that you even cannot get there? Kuba has!

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

3. Meeting lovely people.

Maybe I’m already boring with those meeting great people but I’m over and over again surprised about it. – Is it always like this, when you travel? – my brother and sister were asking. – That you go to meet a stranger and you are friends on the next day? And you would like to see this person again and again?

Hmmm, yes.

In this 3 days we had this situation 3 times. Anna (and her boyfriend Roger), at whose place we stayed was our 3-day-long angel. Not only couch, not only cakes with nutella for breakfast, but also time and attention, and care and love. And still two presents for our girls in the suitcase on the way back. Then, another Anna, met by accident in the train (we had a little crazy idea to get to a special place in the mountains outside of Barcelona). We would have never managed it and waste a day (an amazing hostel in the forest run by only disable people), if Anna didn’t change her plan, got a car and took us there (the hill was too steep for our sisters’ power). And then still Monika and Paweł with little Max, Polish couple living in Barcelona, who took us out for a dinner. Paweł overtook Kuba’s wheelchair immediately, they told us stories about the region (and the nicest beach in the world, in Castelldefels – Poles can check out their blog: www.zbarcelony.pl) and we simply had a very good time together.

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Barcelona (Spain): With the wheelchair in Barcelone: Photo: Alboth; thefamilywithoutborders.com

Of course there can be still more of important reasons to travel: discovering new places, yourself, learning new things (my sister said she had quite a school those days: geography, history, English, Spanish, Catalan, preparation for living in the family, management, sports, music…), widening your opinions, getting more healthy, practising the language, bringing common memories (and something like thousand reasons more), but those 3 things… those 3 things are already totally enough for me. And you know what? The Family Without Borders is starting their 3rd huge trip in already… 18 days! I have just realised it. Holy shit! ;))))

This post is also available in: German Polish


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17 Comments

  • Wojtek
    Posted February 13, 2014 at 15:54 | Permalink

    Jak zawsze u Was wszystko jest możliwe. Macie mój wielki szacunek i życzenia wszelkeij pomyslności :)

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 14, 2014 at 10:43 | Permalink

      Dziękujemy! Pozdrowienia!

      Reply
  • Posted February 13, 2014 at 16:43 | Permalink

    No i się poryczałam. 3 wystarczą! :)

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 14, 2014 at 10:45 | Permalink

      Nie rycz, Ola, nie rycz :) Buziaki!

      Reply
  • Ania
    Posted February 13, 2014 at 18:18 | Permalink

    I love this post:), how sweet is the smile at Kuba’s face and to see all of you sooo happy:). You’ve heard already that you’re sooo inspiring, haven’t you? :) Here is my story…
    I used to believe that when someone says that something is impossible, it would mean that he or she is right, and I would walk away with my head down…and I’ve started to read this blog, about how you are managing to organize those trips (even if the people around might say: come on, travel with kids?, Come on, you can’t just travel with Kuba like that? and other stupid things) and I saw that they are all wrong, because it’s so easy to stay at your own comfort zone without taking any risk at all. About one year and a half I left behind my job which I hated, friends and family whom I love, and went to a 18 000 village in Northern part of France in order to join my boyfriend. Yes it’s true, it wasn’t easy. And to make this long story short: In just one year and half I managed to learn French, received some financial help from French government to be able to live without job, started some HR course (yes I want to work in it), now we finally moved to a bigger town (200 000 people), and after about a 4 month long struggle with French companies that would never hire me due to my accent, that they would always find someone else, better, smarter etc… I’m about to start a week internship in a recruitment company and afterwards another 3 month long internship in another company in HR department (and hope to get job after). And what about my boyfriend (who is not French neither)… we got engaged and we are getting married (maybe in 2015):). And do you know what I heard from some new made Polish friends once I got to France? Don’t you hope that here you will even find any good job (you can pick up tomatoes if you want, but no more than this ). Thank you, guys:)

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 14, 2014 at 10:50 | Permalink

      Good luck, with everything, Ania!

      Reply
  • Posted February 13, 2014 at 18:56 | Permalink

    Uwielbiam Twoje wpisy. Jest w nich tyle pozytywnych emocji. Cudownej podróży Wam życzę. Tacy ludzie jak Wy przyciągają tylko dobrych ludzi. Pozdrawiam serdecznie z Wiednia
    Kasia

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 14, 2014 at 10:51 | Permalink

      Dzięki! Pozdrowienia do Wiednia!!

      Reply
  • Ericka Jones
    Posted February 13, 2014 at 20:35 | Permalink

    Your blog is my most favorite thing to read on the internet. Maybe even my favorite of stuff not on the internet? And everything you post about Kuba makes me sob so many tears of overwhelming joy. It is all just so beautiful!

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 14, 2014 at 10:51 | Permalink

      Thank you, thank you, thank you.

      Reply
  • Hanka
    Posted February 14, 2014 at 07:38 | Permalink

    Aniu, jesteś niesamowita – kipiąca energią, pozytywnymi emocjami, zawsze wszystko na TAK! cudownie, zarażasz tym, dziękuję bardzo! Mnie się właśnie ten Paryż od dawna marzy…

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 14, 2014 at 10:52 | Permalink

      No to czekam na pozdrowienia z Paryża!! :) powodzenia!

      Reply
  • Kamila
    Posted February 23, 2014 at 11:37 | Permalink

    Absolutely amazing!!! You really show best characteristics of who we can live -passion for life, kidness, love, hope and faith.all the best.xx

    Reply
  • Posted February 27, 2014 at 20:57 | Permalink

    Awesome. Meeting strangers and having these moments really make traveling worth it.
    And this really makes me want to visit Spain this year!

    Also, any hints on your next trip! I’d love to hear about it!

    Reply
  • Magdalaena
    Posted October 13, 2014 at 20:07 | Permalink

    Przeklejam mój komentarz z gazety:

    “Ale jeśli naprawdę czegoś chcesz, to wszystkie te problemy są do pokonania.”
    Nienawidzę takiego motywacyjnego bełkotu. Jeśli naprawdę czegoś chcesz, to albo to Cię spotka albo nie. I w wielu przypadkach bardziej liczy się los, przypadek i inni ludzie niż Twoje własne starania.
    I wydawałoby mi się, że jeśli ktoś ma w rodzinie osobę poważnie niepełnosprawną, to jest świadom tych realnych nieprzekraczalnych ograniczeń. Które lepiej zaakceptować niż z nimi walczyć.

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted October 13, 2014 at 21:24 | Permalink

      A jak ja nie wierzę w los i przypadek? :) (a o ludziach, którzy wspierają tu jest dużo!) Mogę sobie akceptować albo nie to, co chcę? Bo dla mnie to jest właśnie *lepiej*. Dzięki! I dzięki za komentarz!

      Reply
      • Magdalaena
        Posted October 13, 2014 at 21:49 | Permalink

        “A jak ja nie wierzę w los i przypadek? :) ”

        IMHO to tak jakby nie wierzyć w grawitację ;-)

        “Mogę sobie akceptować albo nie to, co chcę? Bo dla mnie to jest właśnie *lepiej*.”

        Oczywiście, że możesz akceptować to, co chcesz.
        I z tego co, co piszesz wynika właśnie, że bierzesz pod uwagę realne ograniczenia swojego brata np. przed lotem zaznaczałaś, że jest osobą niepełnosprawną, wybrałaś miasto przyjazne wózkowiczom. I super, że dobrze się bawiliście.
        Ale nie mówiłaś sobie, że za rok Twój brat na pewno będzie zdrowy i wtedy pojedziecie razem do dżungli.

        I w Twoim artykule przeszkadza mi nie tyle sam opis podróży, co taka motywacyjno – hurraoptymistyczna gadka. Bo zawsze jak coś takiego słyszę, to podawane przykłady są mocno naciągane, nie dotyczą rzeczy naprawdę niemożliwych według współczesnej wiedzy, ani takich które nie zależą od woli danej osoby.
        Nie wiem, dlaczego podróże właśnie często występują w roli takiego pozornie niemożliwego marzenia, a nikt nie pisze o zdrowiu czy relacjach społecznych. Przecież w dzisiejszych czasach podróż to tylko kwestia pieniędzy (czasami niezbyt dużych) i organizacji (w granicach możliwości przeciętnego Polaka).

        Jako przykład z drugiego końca skali podam brak rodzeństwa – jestem jedynaczką i w pewnej chwili uświadomiłam sobie, że już nie mam szans na brata albo siostrę. Mówi się trudno.
        Tak samo ze zdrowiem: choruję na celiakię i wiem, że aktualnie na tę chorobę nie ma lekarstwa. Zamiast się miotać, akceptuję to i staram się ułozyć sobie jak najwygodniejsze życie na diecie bezglutenowej.

        Reply

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