Why We’re Here
Living with a chronic illness can feel like life has suddenly shrunk. Travel, joy, adventure — they all seem out of reach. But I believe life isn’t over with a diagnosis, even though that is how I felt after receiving my diagnosis in 2014. What will your new life be like? Simply put, you will learn to pack differently, both mentally and physically. This space is about finding freedom again: in small trips, in healing music, in community, and in the rhythm of carrying love wherever we go.

This is my story of life with chronic illness travel — finding ways to see the world even with CLL.

How It Came to Be
When I was diagnosed with CLL, my world tilted. Plans changed, energy shifted, but my spirit still wanted to wander and create. I felt tied to short trips, never to far from my oncologist and healthcare team. But then the first of my nieces was getting married, in Germany. For many reasons I wanted to go (and through these pages you will find out why). But how was I going to take a journey that would take almost 24 hour of travel there and 24 hours back. Not to mention the energy I would need to really enjoy family while there.

That trip became proof that travel with chronic lymphocytic leukemia was still possible. So it began, with the help of, yes, AI, research, and a lot of Amazon shopping I gathered information and with three weeks of preparing (remember most of my days are marathons, not sprints) I booked a flight. On the way home during the long flight, I began to think that all of the research shouldn’t go to waste. So I began shaping this project — part travel guide, part healing journal, part creative playground. Life & Luggage with CLL was born out of the question: How do we keep moving forward, lightly but fully, even when our bodies ask us to slow down?

Meet Oscar
Every adventurer needs a wise companion. Mine just happens to be a grey tabby cat with a Zen streak. Oscar has a knack for showing up with the right kind of calm, a flick of the tail, or a stare that says, “Slow down, breathe, notice the moment.” You’ll meet him often here — sometimes as a teacher, sometimes as comic relief.
Read Oscar’s Story →

What You’ll Find Here
• 🧳 Travel Tips with CLL or any chronic illness – planning, pacing, and enjoying the journey without burning out.
• 💡 Practical Resources – guides, ideas, and tools for living well with chronic illness.
• 🐾 Zen Cat Wisdom – Oscar’s light-hearted lessons on balance and presence.
• 🎶 Healing Through Music – a guided journal and reflections on how sound soothes the spirit.

Come Along
Grab your bag (and maybe a cup of tea). Life is lighter when we travel together. Here, you’ll find encouragement, stories, and a rhythm to keep moving forward — not despite illness, but alongside it.
Start Exploring by using the navigation at the top.