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Some people asked me what about traveling or flying with a concussion? Is this even possible? My answer is YES. There are things to make it easier and that's why I want to share my experience in this blog.
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Okay, first our flight from Bali to Hong Kong. This was a flight with Singapore Airlines, and we had a layover in Singapore. I actually wanted to fly directly with another (cheaper) airline, but Bas (my boyfriend) insisted on flying with Singapore Airlines. He said, “I want to arrive safely.” Well, alright then haha.
Flying with a concussion
For everyone who hasn’t flown after their concussion, I’ll mention a few things that might help:
Make sure you have transportation arranged to the airport (it saves a lot of stress regarding public transportation).
At the airport, you can request special assistance or choose priority booking (this costs extra, but you get access to lounges where you can sit quietly, and you can often skip the lines).
Try to travel without checked baggage. Then you can check in online in advance and don’t have to go to the check-in desk. It’s also nice not to have to wait for your suitcase upon arrival; you can walk straight out. It saves time.
Bring your noise-canceling headphones or earplugs. They are a lifesaver.
An eye mask can also be useful so you can isolate yourself during the flight.
For seat selection: on short flights, I always choose a window seat. I know I won’t need to go to the bathroom (I find it annoying to disturb people, and I’d be thinking about it the whole time). On long flights, I choose an aisle seat. This way, I feel less trapped and can get up whenever I want.
When you arrive, you might want to go to the prayer room for a few minutes of meditation; it can work wonders.
Also, make sure you have figured out the taxi or public transportation options upon arrival. It’s best if someone is there with a sign with your name, especially if it’s your first time.
If you’re in a country with a different currency, withdraw some cash at the airport to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Okay, that's it about flying with a concussion.
We arrived in Hong Kong
It was a long day, but fortunately, everything went well, and when we arrived in Hong Kong, we could go straight to bed.
We stayed in a friend’s apartment in Hong Kong. It’s very expensive there, and I think that without this apartment, we would never have gone to Hong Kong. The apartment had three bedrooms (two for the kids) and was quite small, but I was glad we had a place to sleep and could have some privacy instead of being on top of each other all the time.
Bas and I always have the same pace on vacation. Often, even before I say it’s enough, he already says, “I think it’s enough for today.” I’m so happy about that.
I’ve traveled with people who wanted to visit every single sight and be on the go all the time. That didn’t work out, of course. After experiencing that a few times, I started traveling alone. So it’s incredibly nice that this goes well with my boyfriend.
So, what did our days look like?
We made sure to do the grocery shopping on the first day. Another tip: try to stay somewhere with a fridge/kitchenette so you don’t have to go out immediately in the morning. We always had our own breakfast, which was very nice. This way, I could start the day calmly. We also sometimes had lunch at home by simply cooking an egg.
Every day, we went out for a few hours and then came back home.
We would have breakfast at home, then I usually did some work for the community, and then we went to a bakery to have coffee and a croissant. After that, we’d do an activity such as visiting a museum, shopping, going to botanical gardens, a short waterfall hike, things like that. Then we’d go back to the apartment for a few hours before going out for dinner.
Dinner mostly took around 1-2 hours, and we always went early. I like that because it’s less busy, and you have the evening to unwind.
That’s what traveling with a concussion in Hong Kong looked like. Hong Kong was the most relaxed part of our trip.
After being in Hong Kong, we went to Macau (China).
This is also in China and is often called the Las Vegas of Asia. I’ve never been to the real Las Vegas, but I was mainly curious about how they replicated landmarks like Rome, Venice, Amsterdam (see photo below!), etc.
The journey there went fairly well. We were just surprised that Macau has its own borders and currency. In short, we had to go through border control, which was a hassle. We took a boat there, and we weren’t too worried, but the return journey was more complicated as we were flying out from Hong Kong three days later.
We thought we could simply take a taxi from the hotel to the airport, but all taxis aren’t allowed to leave Macau, so that was impossible. Our return journey from Macau went like this: first, we took a taxi from the hotel (at 6 AM!), then a bus from the bus station to the border, then another bus to the airport, and finally the flight to Singapore, where we took a train to the hotel. It was too much!!
How was Macau?
I wouldn’t go there again or recommend it to people. In hindsight, we could have skipped it. It was nice to see, but given the circumstances and hassle, two nights were too short. I felt like I was in survival mode the entire time because after two days, I had just gotten used to it, and then we had to leave again.
In Macau, we stayed in a hotel. This means a smaller room of 20m² for the two of us. Now, we always get along well and didn’t have any arguments. We know what we need, and Bas also always needs rest and me-time, so he fully understands. I’ll make a podcast about this later. But what I missed was the ability to isolate myself for work.
So, if you’re traveling with post-concussion syndrome and you're with someone, I’d recommend finding an apartment where you can retreat. If you’re traveling with a friend, perhaps something with two bedrooms so you have your own space. Also, having a kitchenette/fridge to prepare your own breakfast or book breakfast at the hotel. It saves a lot of stress and searching. Or bring breakfast for the first morning. If you arrive in the evening, make sure you have some food with you so you don’t have to go out again.
The last five days were in Singapore.
I had been there briefly for one day, so it was nice to have more time now. After two nights in Macau in survival mode and flying again with a concussion, I needed REST. We arrived around 8 PM, and we spent the first day in Singapore in the room, not doing anything. So I can recommend that too. If you arrive somewhere, make sure you don’t plan anything for the first day and don’t have to do anything. If necessary, book your vacation one day longer so it doesn’t feel like a wasted day. This really makes a difference.
After this day, I felt good again, and we could go out. Here too, we followed the same rhythm as in Hong Kong. First, we had a leisurely breakfast—we had a fridge and a small kitchenette—and then we went out. Singapore is a really fun city, so clean, safe, and diverse. Sometimes, after just ten minutes of walking, you find yourself in a completely different culture. We stayed in Little India, and if you walked ten minutes further, you’d be in the Arabic area, very special.
How 2 weeks of traveling with a concussion really felt?
I must say, after 2 weeks of traveling and not really having my own place, with little time for myself, I was really looking forward to going back home to Bali. I was also done with city life and needed more nature and peace.
What would I do differently next time?
I definitely wouldn’t plan three destinations in 2 weeks. Also, I would choose a destination preferably without a layover. And if I’m not traveling alone, I’d book a place that’s a bit bigger so I can retreat and not just a small hotel room. In hindsight, with all this traveling and little time for myself, I felt overstimulated, and I know I could have prevented that.
So this trip was actually a learning moment for how to do it differently next time. I would plan at least one week at a destination and choose an apartment. Plan the time so you don’t have to do anything for a day.
After all, vacations are about enjoying yourself and not rushing from one thing to another.
The Difference between traveling before the concussion and after
My vacations before my concussion were like that, but my way of traveling has changed a lot. And I don’t mean that negatively; I enjoy the moment more now, I don’t travel in a hurry, and the vacations where I plan the least are often the best.
This is also what I hear from other people dealing with concussion symptoms. It might be a different way of traveling, but it doesn’t mean it’s less fun. Often, I hear that they actually see more, and I don’t mean in terms of sights but really more in the present moment. They see more of the culture, the small special things in a place, and discover things they would never have seen otherwise.
Enjoying certain buildings, nature, history, museums, or streets and squares that you wouldn’t have noticed with your busy schedule from before.
What about you?
I know I’m writing this blog and won’t get a response now, but I’m very curious how you experience traveling. Have you already had a vacation after the concussion, or are you thinking about booking something?
I’m really a fan of slow travel, as they call it nowadays. Let me know on Instagram (@theconcussioncommunity); I’d love to hear from you.
Curious about how I am able to travel again?
In my free masterclass, which I’m hosting twice a week, I’ll share the 2 researched methods that helped me the most in my recovery and were a turning point for me (and now also for thousands of others).
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