… And So It Begins!

Well, it’s official: for the next 30-ish days, I will be temporarily unhoused. Our house is completely unlivable at the moment, as it has no walls, no lights, and (most importantly) no stairs to get up to the only bathrooms! My parents have graciously opened their home up to us (thank goodness for that village, right?), and for the next month or so, Nate, Baer and I will be bunking with them. Meanwhile, a team of contractors, electricians, drywallers, plumbers, and a whole other assortment of talented people will be working to bring the home that has so far only existed on blueprints into fruition. And I will be attempting to not stop by that house every. single. day. to see what’s going on because I truly don’t want to be That Person!

Packing and moving (or traveling) is something that so many people do, and something that so many of us take for granted. They are so common that they would be considered Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Yet, as practicing occupational therapists, we rarely write goals for them. Perhaps that’s because we don’t often see patients that say, “I like to pack!” or, “Moving is one of my hobbies!” Travel, though, is an increasingly common hobby, especially as the Boomer generation continues to retire and Gen Z and Millennials seek out both occupational and physical therapy. So, what are some of the components of packing, moving, and traveling we can focus on to write both short-term and long-term goals for? Let’s take a look:

• Functional balance

  • Static

    • While packing a box or a suitcase

    • During TSA pat down or similar situation

  • Dynamic

    • Reaching up or down into a cabinet to get items out

    • While waiting in line at an airport, train station, etc. to check in, board, etc.

• Functional mobility

  • Mobilizing from dresser to suitcase, both with clothing in hands and without

  • Mobilizing while pulling suitcase or other luggage

  • Mobilizing while toting carry-on and/or purse

  • Mobilizing in a crowd

• Cognitive components

  • Planning a trip

    • Looking at the calendar

    • Picking a flight

• Choosing an airport, including any connections

• Renting a car

• Hotels

• Planning an itinerary

  • Matching

    • Pairing of socks

    • Matching bras and underwear

    • Putting outfits together (I admit, this is a bit of a stretch!)

  • Counting

    • Underwear for ten days, shorts for ten days, etc.

  • Making a packing list

  • Packing similar items together in moving boxes and labeling them accordingly 

• Fine motor

  • Fasteners

    • Buttons, snaps, laces, zippers

  • Gross motor

  • Packing

    • Folding, rolling, stacking, placing in suitcase

And these are just some I came up with while thinking about what I need to do to run away from my construction zone of a house and go on vacation myself! Plus, these are really just short-term goals. Truly, there are so many more you could come up with if you sat down and put pen to paper. So, I’m curious: what else would you add to this list? Shoot me an email or a DM and let me know!