There is rarely a straightforward path when traveling with health challenges.

I’m Sarah Mason Walden, an artist, author, and lover of solo travel, even though my body doesn’t always cooperate with my ambitions. I created Penumbulate for those of us who struggle with the everyday guidebook, where the questions that matter most to us rarely get asked: Are there chairs? Are there elevators? How loud is it? Will they get irritated if I need to substitute ingredients?

Let’s explore the world together and chart our own paths through spaces not designed with us in mind. I’ll never tell you to “push through” or “tough it out.” This is about honoring our limits and seeking out the places, tools, and people that empower us to venture on our own.

You won’t find jungle treks or tropical getaways here. I travel during the calmest seasons, staying aware of illness spikes in both the world and my own body. I won’t tell you how you should travel… just what I’ve learned that makes it not only possible, but able to come home in one piece and mentally energized, with minimal physical recovery required.

Here’s what you’ll find:

• Well Equipped: Curated product recommendations for beautiful, functional, comfort-maximizing travel… plus my personal packing lists and strategies.

• Well Traveled: Reviews of hotels, cities, and itineraries through a lens of accessibility, history, restfulness, and grounding rituals.

• Well Fed: Restaurants that accommodate special diets, with a particular fondness for afternoon tea on every trip.

• Well Advised: Reflections on traveling with health challenges, disability, and a passion for beauty and history.

I believe traveling alone with chronic illness can still be a meaningful, empowering, and wondrous experience. Penumbulate is here to offer tools, insight, and community for uncommon people, seeking uncommon experiences.