Cross-Country Trip Plan

Now that I'm out of the prison that was the post-trip struggle, the desire for the cross-country trip is stirring again. This plan was conceived based on the observation that when I move to a new place I tend to walk further without getting sick. So why not move around and see what happens? The plan also got to do with the fact I'm fairly useless since I'm not working, so I may as well make a good use of my down years and travel around.

That was why I moved to Seoul for a few years.  I not only got to see the country that I haven't seen in decades, I also found an eminently walkable city. SF was swell, but I walked all over it and I was in need for new, exciting routes by then.  Moving was a breath of fresh air and I was practically in a disneyland.

The trip across the US won't be the same. For one, it is of a vastly larger scale. I won't be able to make much of the trip since I'll have to limit my walking to 1 mile per day. No way I can fully see national parks with that. But it will be exciting enough nonetheless and that may prove to be enough.

The thanksgiving trip to Socal has put a damper on the plan, however. If I  have to pay with 6 weeks of struggle for a week of romping, it just won't be worth it. I'll have to strictly stick to the limit and do not walk more than a mile a day and give a full rest every 2 days.  And we'll have to stay put in one place longer. Beyond that, I'll have to play by the ear listening to my body very carefully.

Tesla opened up its flagship store last summer just a few blocks from my apartment. I was already on the waiting list for the Model 3, so I figured I'll pay them a visit and test-drive their current model. I liked it so much I switched it to Model S. More expensive, but it has a lot more utility.

It is a perfect car for a CFS patient. It must stop every couple hours and recharge for 30 minute or so. CFS patients need to stop and rest after every 2 hours of driving anyway so it is a perfect match. That should be enough to recharge me and I should be able to drive for extended period without stressing. Model S can actually fit a twin size mattress in the back with the backseat folded down. I could climb back and take a nap. Its Autopilot feature could relieve the stress of driving too, though it may kill if I become too complacent.

So my next plan is to travel around the country in a Tesla this summer. I'll check out of this horribly expensive city for a few months and the saved rent alone will finance the trip. The fuel cost will be zero since the use of  Tesla chargers is included in the car's price, so the cost will be only lodging and food. If you don't count the price of the car, that is.

That is all 6 months way, anyhow. For now, I am going to try to replicate whatever I was doing before the improvement appeared back in June. They are:

• No Internet, commute to Peet's for the connection
• Strict brown rice diet
• Isometric exercises
• Sudafed, twice a week

I went through my log again, and I noticed that I switched isometric exercises from pushups. I figured that would lessen the muscular microtear and therefore possibly lessen the post-exertional sickness.  I didn't feel any difference so I went back to regular pushups soon after the improvement appeared. I don't know if that was the reason for the improvement, of course, but I'll add it back to the mix and see what happens.

Chances are all these are no more than coincidences. And if you put them to the test, they are likely to not work for you, just like none of the methods reported by other patients worked for me.