Leo in Bloom Magazine

Travel always provides perspective about our limitations and the associated lies we tell ourselves. This is particularly true for those like me that continue to be defined by our limitations. As we embarked on an ambitious travel project that involved flights and transits that literally took us around the world via the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans, the stage was set to challenge assumptions about ourselves and the world.

The likelihood of finding a supporting crew was increased when we decided to share our story proactively. Same with co passengers as well. Angry glances would become supporting nods. Light dysregulation would move a crew member to bring a snack. General apathy and indifference would become genuine curiosity to learn our lives. Judgment would give way to appreciation for fighting the odds. Fear and apprehension about travel would be positively upstaged by a celebration of humanity. 

The airports were harder to control. We had some really seamless experiences where I felt supported and understood by the airport staff and several other challenging experiences with long avoidable delays as well as rough handling of my wheelchair or my body during security checks. It gave me a front row seat to how far we need to go in being able to understand all humans.

Overall the trip was a really positive experience. I am grateful for what I was able to overcome with the support of so many while also gaining a deeper appreciation for how far my body needs to go to meet the world where it is. If one thing was clear it is that we are unlikely to meet halfway soon.

Editor’s note: Swarit Gopalan’s words and insights have been a regular joy for those of us who attend I-ASC’s Neurolyrical Café, and Danny and I are so pleased to see his poetry and essays travel ever further via the internet! We reprint his essay, “Travelling the world as an autistic,” from a recent blog post on Kind Theory, an organization dedicated to education about neurodiversity and which is led by the experience of neurodivergent people (https://kindtheory.org/blog/traveling-the-world-as-an-autistic/). Swarit embodies this spirit and demonstrates in his essay how sharing our stories, and teaching those around us, enables us all to understand and support one another. His poem, “Nonspeaking Traveler,” reverberates from his essay and might serve as a benediction for our travel issue. – Nick

ABOUT SWARIT

Swarit Gopalan is an 11-yr old speller on the Autism spectrum that started his spelling journey in June of 2021. He and his family moved to FL in Sept of 2021 to join the community of spellers there. Swarit loves writing poems, playing soccer, listening to music and being in water in general. You can follow him on Facebook and Instagram as he shares his thoughts!