For Susan DeMersseman, having a core group of friends that help each other navigate traveling, health issues and aging makes all the difference.
When our group of friends have gotten together over the years, we’ve often shared different kinds of travel recommendations for things like where to go for museums, where to hike and where to eat. These suggestions have always been very helpful when going someplace we haven’t been before.
We offer each other advice as we navigate a “new territory “– age (OK, old age). Some have complained about how much of our conversations are now concerned with issues of health. They call it the “organ recital.” Looking at it in a different way, we are just creating maps for each other as we enter this uncharted territory.
For example, the conversation about my neighbor’s knee pain guided me to try injections. It was a good path for me. I have shared about health-related places I’ve trekked. Some were worthwhile and some were not.
When I share about my health “travels,” I try to frame it in terms of what could be worth “visiting.” Physical therapists are my new travel guides and heroes, so my friends know that I might have some helpful suggestions to pass along in that region.