Have you ever wanted see the sunrise from the top of a volcano? Or swim in the bath houses in Budapest? Or how about drink wine with a fourth-generation wine maker in Tuscany?

I’ve been lucky enough to have these opportunities and more. But it didn’t start out that way. Growing up, I never really imagined my life as a world traveler.  I don’t know if some people are born with wanderlust, or if the desire to travel comes from the experiences you have in life. For me, the itch to experience new places didn’t come until later. I was perfectly happy with my little Arizona bubble. That’s where I was born and raised. It wasn’t until college that I met a lot of people who had lived or traveled all over the world and I realized there was so much more out there than my little bubble.

Still, something was holding me back.

Part of it was fear. Being in my comfort zone in the land of familiarity was so much easier.

Part of it was not knowing where to start. I didn’t even get a passport until I was 22.

Part of it was this little voice in my head reminding me that I have Type 1 diabetes.

Yep. Diabetes pretty much sucks. Some people are hesitant to do certain things living with diabetes. And I’ll admit, I used to be one of those people. I used to be worried about what I would do in an emergency in an unknown or foreign place, so I found it easier to just not. I was raised by parents who always encouraged me to follow my dreams and I grew up believing I could do anything I set my mind to. Still, I had a lot of hesitations about being able to do certain things with diabetes. But I am here to tell you that diabetes doesn’t have to prevent you from going places or having amazing experiences.

A long time ago I set my fears aside and decided that I wasn’t going to let my diabetes control me and determine what I can and can’t do in life. Best. Decision. Ever.

How was Have Pump Will Travel born?

I have considered starting a blog for a while now. When I first started traveling, I didn’t know where to find resources for traveling with Type 1 diabetes, or if they even existed. Today, in a world where the internet is a first-line source of information for people, there are more places to go to get ideas about traveling with diabetes. I want to be a resource for people to get first-hand knowledge of what to do and not do when traveling. When you want to know about carb counting in Europe, I’ve done it. If you’re not sure how to travel on an airplane with diabetes supplies, I’ve got you covered. If you need information on what to do when you drop all of your diabetes supplies in the ocean in Mexico, now there is a place for you to go. Yes, that happened.

The last several years of my adult life have been an adventure to say the least. I want to share my experiences with you so that hopefully other people can feel like they can do anything they want in life, with or without a chronic illness. I hope that sharing my experiences traveling with diabetes will empower young diabetics to realize that they can do whatever and go wherever, and hopefully my experiences and mishaps will help someone else along their way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I definitely don’t have it all figured out. I still have my own worries and hesitations, but I am taking it one day at a time. I am going outside of my comfort zone and forging my own path.

This blog will be a lot about traveling, going on adventures and just living life. You will find tips for traveling, off-the-beaten-track experiences, and diabetes related travel tips.

Now, let me tell you about myself…

When I’m not traveling, I work full time as a pediatric ER and trauma nurse. It is truly the most rewarding profession, and it is what I was born to do. Every day I work, not only am I able to save lives, but I also have the opportunity to keep the magic of childhood alive, even if an illness is trying to squash it. I work with diabetes education at my hospital, and also with a camp for diabetes every summer.

Meet my hubby, Connor

Connor has been my partner since Freshman year of college at the University of Arizona. He’s a pharmacist (which comes in handy when I have to visit the pharmacy in a foreign country).

He also super funny and unbelievably supportive in work, life and health. His heart has always had big dreams to travel the world, and when you share your heart with someone, your dreams tend to rub off on each other. He’s the brains to my free spirit, so we make a great team when traveling. He’s also a bargain traveler, so stay tuned for tips about how we afford to travel all of the time!

And this is my pup!

Meet Winston! He’s an Aussie doodle who is clumsy, crazy and a little fluff monster who is too smart for his own good. I’ve been working to train him to detect my low blood sugars and respond when I need him. He comes on a lot of our adventures. You’ll hear all about Winston and probably see him in his service dog vest!

Welp, that’s us in a nutshell. Welcome to my life. I look forward to sharing about myself and my adventures, and hopefully empowering you to get out there, be bold and decide that you can do what you want in life, no matter what challenges you face.

If you have a pump and will travel, subscribe to the blog. Even if you don’t have diabetes, if you love traveling and like my story, I would love to share my advice and adventures with you. If you think of something you want me to talk about, comment or message me, and I’ll do my best to answer questions and share my experiences.