Pensacola Road Trip

 As soon as my family told me we were planning a summer beach vacation I had my doubts that I would enjoy it.  As everyone knows getting around in sand or snow is a difficult task.  When you rely on mobility devices to get around it seems almost impossible.  After researching we found the tools we needed to make it a great family trip.  We set off on a 14+ hour car adventure to get to our destination.  This was our first long car ride with Tibbs ( and he did amazing!).  We stopped at many rest stops to stretch out along the way. When we finally got there it was night and we were so tired.  You could smell and see the ocean from our hotel.  We all slept soundly anticipating the beach day the following morning.  

We woke up early! Tibbs never wants us to miss his breakfast time, and my family were eager to go and eat by the ocean. We gathered our beach gear and headed to the ocean. The beach where we stayed was only service dog friendly. Tibbs loved walking on the sand beside me.  We built an awesome sandcastle and watched the waves roll in.  Tibbs got a sandy nose taking in all of the ocean smells.  Our beach morning was interrupted by a little rain so we headed back to clean up.  By the time we got cleaned up the rain had cleared and we went shopping.  Souvenir shopping is always fun.  Tibbs is a great shopper and loves to help me find unique things from the area. We saw lots of cute shops and stopped in to see what they had. 

That evening an awesome power sand chair we rented for the trip was delivered to the hotel.  We picked our vacation spot because it was available to rent there.  It went so fast on the sand!  It drove differently from my power wheelchair so it took a while to get used to driving it. Tibbs and I were able to take long walks on the sand and find some neat seashells.  After a short while on the beach I start to get uncomfortable.  Tibbs and I both enjoyed relaxing by the pool or cooling off and resting in the hotel air-conditioning.  We were able to have this routine for a few days.

Pensacola is a very dog friendly spot.  At every restaurant my family went to they loved seeing Tibbs.  The waiters always offered and brought Tibbs a water bowl.  The only problem with it being such a dog friendly spot is that many people forgot to ask to pet Tibbs.  He was a very good boy and tried hard to not get distracted and look for my directions. Tibbs enjoyed seeing all the sights and new experiences with me. We were able to navigate new places with each others help. We were able to go out on a pier and see sea turtles and dolphins.  We got really up close to a pelican sitting on the pier, and fish that were caught by men fishing on the pier.  Going to new places has always been difficult because you can not plan for all the obstacles you will encounter.  For my first vacation with a service dog I do not think it could have gone better.  

 

I did not think I would enjoy a beach vacation, but Tibbs and I are already planning for our next beach vacation. 

Tune in for my next post on our visit to Fort Pickens

Welcome to Eye Level with Kass and Tibbs

For my first post I want to tell you a little bit about my life and what Eye Level with Kass and Tibbs means to me.  As far back as I can recollect I have felt different from my siblings and my peers.  I was never able to keep up, I always felt tired, and was always out of breath.  When I was about four years old I found out that I have a very rare form of Congenital Muscular Dystrophy.  Collagen 6 Congenital Muscular Dystrophy is a rare disease that causes muscle weakness. There is currently no treatment or cure for this disease.  While some that are diagnosed never gain the ability to walk, some others lose the ability as they get older. Those affected  often have respiratory insufficiency, failure to thrive, contractures, and scoliosis.  Although at age four I probably did not fully understand what my diagnosis was, I know that is when we were able to start getting the help and answers to make me feel the best I could. Getting the right doctors, breathing support, mobility devices, nutrition, and dog support all have all been steps in helping me.  I now understand what it takes to feel my best, and also live life to its fullest.  Before I got Tibbs (my service dog from Paws Giving Independence) when I met people they always asked questions about my wheelchair or disability, or avoided me altogether.  As soon as I got Tibbs people were eager to interact with me.  People tend to not know how to interact with individuals in wheelchairs. I understand that a wheelchair can look intimidating, or you may be nervous that you might say the wrong thing. Individuals in wheelchairs want to be treated just like everyone else.  Everyone tends to know how to interact with a cute dog.  Tibbs tends to break the ice in opening conversations.  He has led me to meet all kinds of interesting people. Tibbs also supports  me and allows me to have more independence than I have ever had in my life. I want to use this blog and share stories and videos about Tibbs and I's life together and our many adventures.  I hope you will follow along with us. Maybe you will learn something new, or maybe you can give me some ideas for our next adventures.