Reclaiming Freedom (and my passport) after cancer ✈️
From the Sunday Self-Care Chronicles | 8/17/25
This week’s Sunday Self-Care Chronicles is a reflection on one of my core values—FREEDOM—and how travel has become one of the most meaningful ways I reclaim it in survivorship. From the Europe trip cancer forced me to cancel, to the once-in-a-lifetime adventure that took me all the way to New Zealand, this issue is about finding safety, confidence, and joy in traveling again.
This week’s issue touches on:
✨ How my cancer diagnosis disrupted my sense of freedom—and how I got it back
✨ Why travel has been a powerful part of my survivorship and self-trust
✨ The importance of self-care tools when you’re away from home (and away from your care team)
Read the full email below - and if something speaks to you please feel free to comment, share, or reach out!
Hey sweet friend,
As I shared last week, one of my core values is FREEDOM—and for me, that often looks like a boarding pass in my hand and a new adventure on the horizon.
But in 2017, cancer tried to take that from me.
I had to cancel a long-planned European trip when my diagnosis and treatment schedule hit.
In the blur of surgery, recovery, chemo, and endless appointments, travel felt… far away. Not just physically, but emotionally.
Because here’s the thing: traveling after cancer isn’t just about booking flights. It’s about feeling safe enough in your body to go.
For a while, I was afraid future travel would feel impossible. What if something went wrong while I was gone? What if my body couldn’t keep up? What if I needed care and it wasn’t there?
But part of survivorship—at least for me—has been reclaiming that freedom.
And I did it the same way I’ve learned to reclaim so many parts of my life: by knowing how to understand and care for my body.
When treatment ended I started with small steps - a low-key girls' week in Florida followed by spending Thanksgiving with family in Aruba.
The key to these was knowing my limits and respecting them. Shorter walks on the beach, longer naps in the afternoon, limiting my sun exposure and increasing my hydration.
As I got comfortable with being away from home and trusting my body and my ability to take care of it without the proximity of my professional care team, I was able to explore farther and longer.
Leaning into things like self-lymphatic drainage and breath work helped me manage physical considerations as well as mental and emotional ones.
Each trip got bigger and better and even farther away! Europe eventually gave way to New Zealand and Australia. Halfway around the world.
And you know what? I felt ready, not because I knew nothing would happen, but because I knew what to do if it did.
That’s what self-care gives us: not just comfort, but confidence. Not just pampering, but preparation.
And it’s not just about your travel plans.
Sometimes your care team is unavailable—whether they’re on vacation, at a conference, or booked solid—and you need to keep yourself supported in the meantime.
When you have tools and rituals that work for you, you’re less dependent on always having professional care available.
Which brings me to now.
Next weekend, I’m heading out on another adventure (this one involves the Italian Alps and a paraglider… more on that soon 👀).
For the next few weeks, instead of my usual long Sunday emails, I’ll be popping in with short check-ins and resource highlights—little things you can tuck in your back pocket for when you’re traveling, busy, or between appointments.
I'll be sharing some of my adventures and lessons learned when I return to the office but in the meantime I invite you to read some previous emails or my longer, educational blog articles.
💭 Something to consider:
If travel (or even the idea of travel) feels overwhelming after cancer, you might want to check out my 3-part blog serieson traveling confidently in survivorship:
Start Here: Traveling After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis - Part 1: Planning and Packing
☕️ I’d love to hear from you:
What are you most concerned about when it comes to being away from home in survivorship? Is it the fear of something happening to your body? Missing access to your care team? Not knowing how to care for yourself if a symptom shows up?
Hit reply and let me see if I can offer a bit of guidance or advice.
Here’s to freedom—on the road, in the air, and in your own skin. Always in this with you…
ps. If you want self-care tools that help you feel confident wherever you are, my Self-Care E-Book and Dry Brushing Workshop are great travel companions.
pps. If you like what you read here please consider sharing forwarding this email to a friend or sharing it on your socials.