Vienna

We have been planning a trip to VIENNA for May 2024 since February 2022. Ken has been working hard, and we have been using his summer school pay to help with the weddings of our two daughters, the weddings just 27 months apart.

Before the decision Ken was fascinated with the idea that he could do his job anywhere in the world as long as he had an internet connection. He wanted to go to VIENNA for a month. I said two weeks. He said four weeks. I said I could consider three weeks. He said four weeks. So, it was decided—we would go for four weeks. His dream.

It was a gift to him. VIENNA is his favorite city. He studied there as a Fulbright scholar. He wanted to show our daughters, sons-in-law, and our grandson the city he loves. Plans started. When do we go? We wanted time to enjoy the city ourselves, a place familiar to us both. Ken considered the city to be his second home. When will the kids come so we can experience VIENNA together? I kicked into planning mode, researching flights, where to stay, river cruises, tour guides, all of it.

Not long after the decision, Ken comes to me and says he has been thinking about VIENNA and a month is too long. Maybe we should do a week or two weeks or ten days. What?! This is not his dream. He had negotiated and won! One month in VIENNA. It was hard for me to hear him give up on a dream.

“Why?” I asked. We have saved the money specifically for this trip. It’s a little about being good stewards of our money, but mostly it is about him. He doesn’t want to be too tired to show the kids VIENNA or not experience all the joy of our grandson’s first international travels. He doesn’t want to be the burden. He doesn’t want to need to sleep or rest and hinder everyone else with his needs. The discussion was long, and he won again. Our VIENNA vacation will be cut short, most likely in half. Not his dream, not our plan. We continually learn how to adapt our lives on our ever-changing journey with Parkinson’s.

Edit note: We took that trip and you will hear about it later.