Travel things.

It’s been a busy few days. Traveling up to Salford from london for work meetings.

Here are some notes.

Good things.

I am traveling with a friend who is helping me as I’m finding travel really hard at the moment.

Traveling with someone I know really well is very very helpful. He knows all of the quirks of how I think and act and that’s very useful.

On the train we got a table and drinks. I’m feeling a little bolder / finding more things hard at the moment so I went with my sippy cup for drinks on the train and that helped a ton. No one seemed to care either. My friend pushed me a little (I was at first not going to drink on the train due to worries about spilling drinks on lion) and I am glad he did. 2+ hours without drinking was a daft idea. We just poured the drink into my sippy cup and got on with it.

I have brought 3 different sensory related things with me.

1. my sensory vest. It inflates to apply a pressure. A bit like a hug but more awesome! I have been wearing this while traveling and around work. It’s great (look out for full review soon!)

2. fidget - fidgit was (sadly he’s just got broken!) a small bright green wiggly sensory toy! He’s good to have in my hands when traveling or generally to keep my hands busy and my brain focused.

3. weighted blanket - I’ve not had mine long but I am super happy we brought it with us. It’s helping to make the hotel beds feel like ‘my bed’ and that helps a ton. I have found the blanket pretty damn effective. It’s action is more subtle than the vest but works a very similar way!

Another thing we have done is to move the furniture in the hotel room so my bed is against a wall. My friends referred to is as more a nest than a bed.

Bad things.

The last few days have been very hard with my speech. Not only in not being able to verbally express anything but also in my understanding.

I have always tended to take things literally. However at the moment it is really bad. Taking things literally is heavily interfering with my work and that is getting intensely frustrating.

I am often finding myself misunderstanding things which are plausible.

However sometimes they are kinda funny. On the train my friend lent over the table and said ‘I’m going for a wee’ to which I replied with alarm.

He meant he was about to leave to go to the toilet. However from what he said, I thought he had told me he was weeing in the seat.

I am not finding the very literal understanding of stuff as bad at home so I assume it’s just something the travel is making worse.

I have emailed my team some suggested strategies to help.

I’m excited about next week and the new babysitter starting. We’re planning stuff now and it looks very promising.

It’s been a tough week. In 48 hours time I start week 4 (!).