Greece 🇬🇷 Turkey 🇹🇷 Italy 🇮🇹
Traveling with Matthew requires a lot of planning. As an accountant, I’ve become pretty good at building itineraries, mapping routes, packing essentials, checking them twice, and organizing everything as if our vacation is about to undergo an audit. After surviving countless audits, I’ve learned that the best way through one is preparation. Traveling with Matthew is much the same. We do our best to leave as little room for error as possible.
Medicines to bring ✔️
Weather at each destination ✔️
Excursions that fit our family’s needs ✔️
Contingency plans if things go sideways ✔️
No matter how much I prepare, there is never a perfect trip because Matthew is always “subject to change.” What Mike Cook and I have learned over the years is the importance of partnership. We divide and conquer. As long as we meet the essential requirements, everything else is flexible.
As we move through airports, Dad’s job is often making sure Matthew doesn’t have a “Sweet Caroline moment”—touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you. He also helps prevent the “elephant” from being unleashed, especially in crowded spaces where too many people and too much stimulation can become triggers. Like many fears, sometimes the only way through discomfort is exposure and practice. We hope that each experience builds coping skills and confidence. Sometimes it works. Other times, calming the elephant means simply removing the mice from sight.
Over the years, we’ve learned that RV travel and cruises work best for our family. Cruises, especially, feel like a true vacation. Dad doesn’t have to drive all day, and Mom doesn’t have to cook or clean.
Greece has always been on my bucket list, so when the opportunity for a Mediterranean cruise came along, we took it. It was the result of nearly a year of planning. Once we finished the Ireland portion of our trip, things became a little easier, and our focus shifted to relaxing and enjoying what we could control. During the cruise, we attended several shows—some more than once—and of course, no Cook family cruise would be complete without karaoke. Karaoke gave us another opportunity to watch our Angel shine. Matthew may not always verbalize words clearly, but he understands the melody, follows the rhythm, and connects with music in a way that continues to amaze us. It’s as if music speaks a language all its own.
We also wore our Angelman Syndrome shirts throughout the trip because we wanted to spread awareness. We were pleasantly surprised by how many conversations they started. People stopped to ask about the shirts, greeted Matthew at dinner, and wanted to learn more about Angelman Syndrome. Every conversation became an opportunity to educate, advocate, and share Matthew’s story.
This trip was truly a win-win. We experienced places we had always wanted to see while making the best of our unique circumstances. There were great moments, good moments, and a few challenging ones, but every part of it became a memory we’ll carry for a lifetime. For our family, that’s what success looks like.
