Before my stroke, planning a holiday meant finding a destination, booking tickets, hotels, packing a bag and heading to the airport. The only thing requiring extra consideration was how many clothes I needed to take (much to John's dismay).

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These days it's different.  

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Before booking something, I have to look at how accessible the location could be. I have to consider transport, assistance at an airport, finding accessible accommodation, whether we need parking, if there's a lift or any potential distances I end up walking. These would have never even registered before.  It's better to find out about a problem before you book, rather than when you get there with your suitcase.

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It's no longer about a bag big enough for my clothes. I had medication to pack before my stroke, but I feel like I've become more paranoid about potentially being stuck without any. I also make sure I have my anti-sickness pills and a change of clothes in my hand luggage. I know the likelihood of it happening again is minimal, but considering everything started on a plane, it makes me less nervous.  When I think about my clothes, I have to make sure I have the right shoes for where we are going. I have a plastic folder for my hand luggage that I keep all my travel documents in, including my travel insurance policy, flight tickets (if we check in early), hotel reservations and tickets for any activity I booked. I also pack my headphones and their charger, as ever since my stroke, I've fallen asleep listening to meditation-style music. 

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After the flight to Barcelona, John and I now check that airport assistance is booked. Unfortunately, you have to be prepared for it not to turn up. We will always contact the hotel shortly before going to make sure that we have definitely been assigned an accessible room. I've gotten to the point where it's better to check something multiple times rather than chance it. 

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Planning as much as possible doesn't guarantee everything will go right. There's always the unexpected!