The Story Behind the Sky Roamer: Finding Beauty in a Slower Pace
Hello, and welcome to my corner of the internet. I’m Skylar.
It feels almost surreal to sit in front of this screen, opening up my heart to the world and letting you truly see me. For the past seven years, I have been quietly battling Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. It has been a deeply challenging, painful journey—one that is difficult to speak about, but one that I know my fellow RA warriors will understand right down to their bones.
Before my diagnosis, I was a classic “Type A” personality. I was a force of nature, living on just four hours of sleep a night. I spent my days teaching piano, managing properties, and juggling the beautiful chaos of raising three teenagers. Eventually, we moved to a new country and built a bustling boutique café business from the ground up. My life was packed, busy, and incredibly fulfilling.
Then, everything changed.
When the Music Stopped
It started subtly, and then hit all at once. One morning, I couldn’t move my arm. Next, it took over one of my knees. Soon, every single joint in my body—from my jaw down to my toes—began to scream. I quickly reached a point where I could no longer move without experiencing excruciating, blinding pain and total physical exhaustion.
Three years into building our dream café business, I had to call it quits. I simply no longer had the energy to stand, let alone think.
What followed was a blur of doctors, endless appointments, a revolving door of heavy medications, and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic right in the middle of it all. Eventually, the disease took my mobility entirely, leaving me wheelchair-bound for two long years.
During that time, I became completely shut-in, antisocial, and deeply depressed. The constant fatigue and pain were suffocating, and I found myself asking God to take me home more times than I can count.
But I wasn’t fighting alone. My sweet husband—so endlessly patient and strong—literally carried me on his back, lifting me everywhere and carrying me up and down the stairs. My children stepped up seamlessly, working at our shops just to give me a chance to rest in the car, and cooking for me after their school days. Seeing their fierce dedication and unconditional love, I made a promise to myself: I would keep fighting. I wanted to see them graduate, watch them walk down the aisle, and hold my future grandchildren. I wanted to be there.
A Second Chance and a New Horizon
Looking for answers, we made the pivotal decision to move back home to Canada to consult with specialists and explore biological medications. It has been over a year now since I started taking a medication called Rinvoq, and it has completely changed my life.
It wasn’t an overnight miracle; it took about seven long, patient months to see the much-needed changes. But gradually, the heavy brain fog lifted, the dark depression dissolved, and I could finally see life and hope again. I thank God every single day for giving me this second chance.
Because of the delay in finding the right medication, the joints in my left fingers suffered severe, permanent damage. Today, I have a very difficult time playing the piano. But over the last year, I have focused on building my strength. I am so incredibly proud to say that I can now walk on my own, navigating the world with just my trusty cane.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:9
I may not be able to play the piano like I used to, and I still choose to avoid overwhelming crowds, but my spirit is completely unbroken. I want to reach out to anyone sitting at home right now dealing with chronic illness: finding the right medication is possible, and you do not have to walk this path alone.
Savoring the Next Chapter: Empty Nest Adventures
I am no longer angry at the hand I was dealt. Instead, I have learned to deeply appreciate the small, quiet moments that I used to rush past. I love the slowness of my life now. It has granted me the ability to truly see, feel, and appreciate the present moment exactly as it happens. Life is unspeakably precious.
We are officially stepping into our empty-nest chapter, and I am ready to share it with the world. Alongside my best friend and husband, I am setting out to experience all those beautiful travel photos I used to clip out of magazines when I was stuck in my wheelchair.
I know my physical limitations intimately, and I will only ever do what my body allows. But now is our time.
Through Vivacious Sky Roamer, I am inviting you along to savor my favorite moments:
- Skylar’s Postcards: Honest, real-life travel snapshots and pacing strategies for exploring historic cities and coastal escapes comfortably with a cane.
- Cafe Culture: A cozy tribute to my coffee-shop days, sharing boutique cafe findings and signature barista recipes you can recreate at home.
- Vibrant Living: My peaceful sanctuary for mindful meditation, joint-comfort routines, and exploring the beauty of slow-paced midlife hobbies.
To all my fellow RA warriors out there: keep fighting. Travel and explore whenever and wherever you can—even if it just means taking a portable fan, sitting mindfully on a bench at your nearest park, and soaking in the warm summer breeze.
Let’s savor this beautiful life, one mindfully paced moment at a time.