It’s Possible- Feature by Sabs Markos
It’s Possible!
I took my 1st ever vacation to Europe from Toronto, Canada. Italy has always felt like a place that I could only experience in movies, never did I imagine it would be wheelchair accessible for me to capture it in person. This past September, what I had only seen in movies and social media became my reality. It has always been my mom’s dream to go to Italy, and once I discovered that I could go, my mom was the 1st person I wanted to take with me.
Italy has never been a place I imagined myself going. Being a wheelchair user, there are so many places that I automatically thought were not wheelchair accessible and therefore I could not go. In 2017, I joined an accessible travel group on Facebook and I was blown away by what I saw and read! People in wheelchairs, not just a manual wheelchair but people with power wheelchairs living their best lives traveling all over the world. Places I had never imagined were possible! As I saw people posting pictures of those places, my world got much bigger and my mind extended! It was incredible! I saw people, soooo many people posing for beautiful pictures all over Italy. At 1st I was really emotional because I was seeing something I had never seen before! Disabled people traveling to Italy in power wheelchair as well as manual wheelchair. I thought if it’s possible for them it’s definitely possible for me.
I started planning my trip to Italy in 2019. I contacted everyone on that group who had gone to Italy and messaged them nonstop!! My trip was scheduled for April 1st, 2020. I had booked hotels, tours and flight tickets were bought. I had spent an entire year planning for Italy and then covid decided to show up and ruin my year plans. We had to postpone, but I knew that I would eventually go to Italy. In 2023, my dream became a reality, and that trip was successful, and it might even be better than the original trip. In the original trip Venice was not on the itinerary and now I can’t imagine visiting Italy without seeing Venice, which has become one of my favorite places. Luckily, I had saved the all the information from 2019 so when it was time to try again, planning took a bit less time. All I had to do was add Venice to the list. The trip was 2 weeks.
We flew into Venice and stayed there for three days, which I think was perfect. Then we took the train to Milan stayed there for two nights which I also thought was enough time. After Milan, we took the train to Florence and stayed there for 5 days, which was not enough time for me. Florence is a place I could see myself living and I wish that I had built in more time there. While we were there we drove to Tuscany for a day, another place I would have liked to stay longer. Then we were off to Naples. I could have gone to Italy without seeing Naples, but we were there because it seemed cheaper to drive to Amalfi coast from there. I have been manifesting Amalfi coast for three years. I would post videos and pictures on my Instagram for the past three years so when I actually got there, it felt like a dream. I booked a driver from Naples to Amalfi for a day tour and I wish I could have stayed in Amalfi for an entire month. I did not get enough from one day. Our last stop was Rome. We were in Rome for 4 days and it was enough!
Manual vs Power Chair?
A big hurdle and decision I had to make was whether or not I should take my power wheelchair which weights 300lbs but it gives me my most freedom and independence, or my manual wheelchair which has power assist. In the end I decided to take my manual chair and boy am I glad that I took that wheelchair. It’s 50lbs but it helped me so much when I was stuck in Venice. In Venice we had go everywhere by Vaporetto. Our hotel was right by the water which was very convenient, but different Vaporetti had different times, and we did not know that some of the lines only run certain times of the day. It was 9pm and my mom and I were ready to go back to our hotel, so we went to the stop to wait for our Vaporetto. No one was waiting with us which was very strange because there are always people waiting for Vaporetto. Finally, someone who works at one of the restaurants said “you have to go there” he was pointing to the bridge. He said it like he was not aware that I was sitting in a wheelchair. The bridge had stairs! How Did he expect me to get over to the other side? Then my mom asked someone else to help us get to our hotel which involved getting on a Vaporetto. The person my mom asked told her the same thing! The Vaporetto we are looking for is over the bridge which is covered by stairs. While figuring out what to do, some very nice people came along. The guy my mom asked said he would help us carry my 50lbs wheelchair over the bridge. I’m grateful that I am able to walk but even if I couldn’t walk, there were people there that saw the stranger carrying my wheelchair offering to help him. I think they would have carried me as well if I was unable to make it across. We got to the other side, got on the Vaporetto and got to our hotel! I’m sure that will be a memory I never forget. I am very grateful that I had my manual wheelchair. I think we would not been able to get to our hotel if I had brought my 300lbs power wheelchair to Italy. There was no way anyone would have been able to carry that chair over that bridge. That was really our biggest challenge in our 2 week trip.️
-“The World is Mine to Discover!”
Every place after Venice was so easy. I mean yes, places like Florence, Tuscany and Rome and even Amalfi Coast are not ideal for riding a wheelchair, but they were all absolutely doable and manageable! I’m really glad I had my power assist; it gave me freedom to roll the streets of cobblestone by myself.
Would I do Italy again? Absolutely! Would I bring my manual wheelchair again with the power assist? Absolutely.
Everything worked out so well. I surprised myself over and over! I was so worried about so many things one being language barrier. I was worried for nothing, everyone spoke English. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to see Italy. Now I can say, dreams do come true!!
Article written by Sabs Markos about her first trip to Europe. Sabs is a Life Coach and an incredible person! Check her out on her website: Home – Sabs Coaching Biz – Life Coach in Toronto, Canada or check out her out and give her a follow on her social media.
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P.S.
This trip to Italy would not have been so successful if it wasn’t for Missy. I was in contact with her for months and months asking her about her experiences when she went to Italy. How she
managed and how she booked the trains and other things. Which by the way, gave me the most stress but luckily, I had Missy to guide me through the process. I met Missy in the Access Traveling group. She was one of the people that I kept going back to for advice, suggestions and guidance. She was always there, open and ready to answer all my Italy questions. But she did so much more than answer my questions, she made me a spreadsheet of everything I wanted to do and see. Wrote out my hotel details and address. She is really someone special. I’ve never known someone
who was so geared to seeing someone succeed. I even contacted her from Italy asking for her help. So grateful to have met her. So grateful to have her help me with my biggest trip yet.
Thank you so much Missy. Somehow thank you doesn’t seem enough for all you have done for me and to make my Italy trip so enjoyable. But I’ll say it again, thank you Missy you truly are so amazing.
I’ll be coming to you about my next trip…Spain!!! I’m just following all the places you go then packing my bags!
