In the early dawn light of May 23, 2016, Susan Straley completed the task of packing up their green Chrysler mini-van.
George helped the best he could. He lifted a suitcase from the living room floor, carried it to the van and placed it on top of the other items. The seat of his orange custom-painted Catrike Expedition tricycle was piled high. He stood watching, arms slack at his sides, while Susan removed the suitcase in order to rearrange the stack.
George was 68 years old and diagnosed almost one year before with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease. Susan’s plan for this 40th Wedding Anniversary trip was to grab as much of living out of life as they could with their time remaining together. They would do this by riding bicycle trails they had not ridden, seeing new sites, and visiting friends and family. She had always desired to travel, and didn’t know if she would be brave enough to do it on her own, but she could do it with George, even as George was disappearing into a fog of cognitive mist.
Alzhiemer’s Trippin’ with George, written as it happened in a daily journal/letter to friends and family, is accompanied by lots of descriptive and sometimes quirky photos. Susan’s story is an irresistibly charming look at the joys of travel while experiencing the challenges brought on by dementia symptoms.