Holiday Travel Considerations
Christmas used to be my favorite holiday, and it still is to some extent.
Christmas was my Dad’s favorite holiday, but after he passed away, the first Christmas was rough. My mom and sister and I decided to try something different the year he passed away, so we decided to rent an Airbnb.
Not an asthma-friendly stay
Let’s just say that the whole experience was pretty awful, but what made it worse was the overwhelming “Christmas smell” that emanated from every surface in the house.
There were candles everywhere, air fresheners in the bathroom, and I swear all of the linens were washed with a Christmas tree. And on top of it all, the house was heated with a wood burning stove. My family is no stranger to wood burning stoves, it’s what heats my parent’s house. But there are stoves that ventilate correctly, and ones that really, really do not. And this particular house had a very old wood burning stove that was not insulated correctly and I cannot even begin to tell you when I thought it was cleaned last.
Fortunately I had to work on and off through most of the week we had the Airbnb rented, so I was not subjected to it for the entire time we were there, but boy it was hard to deal with.
I was using my rescue inhaler more that week than I had in a long time. Overall, it was one of the worst christmases of my life, for more reasons than one, and while I’m glad I got to spend time with my family, it was just not the least bit enjoyable.
What holiday travel considerations should you make if you are traveling with asthma?
So, if you decided to get away for your Christmas season, make sure to let the host know that you have sensitivities ahead of time so they can try to make some accommodations!
Have you ever gone away for the holidays? How did traveling or staying in different accommodations impact your asthma? Share in the comments section below or share your story with the community by clicking the button.
Join the conversation