They say we’re living in the golden era – a time of endless connection, instant answers, and convenience beyond anything we could have imagined. And honestly, they’re not wrong.
We have technology that lets us speak or type a question and get an answer in seconds. We can watch movies from any generation going back 60 years, on demand, from the comfort of our homes. We can book flights, trains, cars, and motels from a phone while half-asleep. If we want to go somewhere, see something, or learn anything, it’s all there – right at our fingertips. and scroll endlessly through videos of cats playing the piano. We’re living the life we dreamed about when the millennium ticked over.
But there’s a catch no one talks about. For some of us, the golden era arrived – and still left us behind.
Because while the digital world has sprinted ahead, the real world can still feel like a maze of barriers. You can have all the apps in the world, but if your body doesn’t cooperate – or if the equipment you need doesn’t exist, or isn’t portable, or isn’t funded – you’re stuck. Watching life play out from the sidelines.
That’s why, six months ago, something changed everything for me: I got the Kera Travel hoist.
It’s hard to explain how much difference one piece of equipment can make until you’ve lived without it. For years, I had to navigate every outing, every overnight stay, every hotel room or friend’s house, with a mixture of hope, improvisation, and crossed fingers. Could I get into bed safely? Would someone be able to help me without hurting themselves? Would we be stuck on the floor at 10pm, exhausted and out of options?
But now – that fear’s gone.
With the Kera Travel, I can transfer safely and comfortably wherever I am. I don’t need a full team or a hoist mounted to the ceiling. I just need one caregiver or one friend. And from that moment, choice returned. Freedom returned. The ability to say yes to life returned.
These past six months have been fantastic. I’ve felt more at ease at home, knowing I’m not relying on awkward or dangerous manual lifts. And I’ve felt more confident planning trips, knowing I won’t be stuck or embarrassed or at risk. But, of course, these six months have also coincided with winter.
And winter is slow. It's grey. It’s the kind of season that makes you want to stay home, wrapped up, waiting for something warmer to come. Travel plans stall. Energy dips. You find yourself looking out the window more than looking at booking pages.
But staying home hasn’t been wasted time. It’s been planning time. Dreaming time. A quiet season of getting ready.
Because summer’s coming – and this time, I’m ready to meet it.
I’ve already booked tickets to the World of Wearable Art show in Wellington. This time, I’m not worried about how I’ll get in or out of bed at the hotel. The hoist is coming with me. I’ll be travelling with a caregiver, but not out of fear – out of freedom. The kind of freedom that lets you look at a show in another city and think, why not?
Later in the season, I might head to Thames for the Steampunk Festival. I’ve heard good things about the accessibility there – even a scenic train ride I’m keen to try. These are things I would have talked myself out of before. Now, I talk myself into them. Because I can. Because I’ve got the tools. Because I’ve got the support.
Because I’ve got options.
With the Kera Travel, these aren’t pipe dreams. They’re real plans.
And that’s what this golden era means to me – not just having the latest tech or the fastest broadband, but being able to live fully. To say yes more often. To go where I want with the people I care about, and not worry that the trip might come undone because of a bed that’s too low or a lift that’s too risky.
I don’t want to just watch the world. I want to be in it. And finally – I can be.
So yes, we’re living in a golden era. But for me, it truly began when one clever piece of equipment turned maybe into definitely. When travel stopped being a risk, and started being a joy again. When safety met spontaneity.
This is what living the dream looks like – not just online, but out in the world. And I’m ready for every minute of it.
Mark Williams is a Kera Travel user, Investor and National Sales Manager in HT Systems.
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