Having a dog can be a good thing. For some, it is a smoother, more effective way of travel. For others the cane is by far the better option. Both are perfectly valid experiences, what works for one blind person doesn’t for another. I have come to loathe the perception that my life must have…
Studying in Spain: an unforgettable experience
I’ve been back in England for 3 days now which is a bit hard to believe. Studying abroad has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I’m so glad that I made the decision this time last year to investigate it. It took almost 6 months to organise and I had no…
Diversity in Literature: Disabled Characters and their Impact
I find bits of myself in all kinds of characters. Not just girls, not just white girls…not just white girls with a disability. But just because I see myself in people who don’t fit my demographic doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t diversify literature. I am always so hopeful, hopeful but nervous, when I buy a…
My isolating experience in a guide dogs support group
I joined a guide dogs facebook group and it was a mistake. A really big one actually. I recently decided to join an informal guide dogs facebook group. I’ve always been interested in finding out more about my dogs parents and a friend suggested that perhaps some people there would have heard of them. So…
The first month in Spain and a strange exchange
I’ve been in Spain almost a month, which is crazy, really crazy. I only have 4 months left here and it already feels like it’s going to go so fast. At first, there was only 4 of us, including myself, in the class. However by week 2 2 more people had joined us, and now…
A Friday Update
So I have the afternoon free and thought I’d write an update. Today I went to the school again, this time on my own. Previously I’ve been doing it with the person I am working with from ONCE, but I wanted to do a couple of things. I put more money on my card for…
My Disability is no cause for Inspiration
I’ve written about my identity as a blind person before, then as a teenager, and how I dislike the label of bravery being applied to me. All of that still stands, but today I was thinking about it a lot more. In truth, I’ve been thinking about it a great deal recently, as I notice…
Talk about drama
So, things had been going really well in Spain. The person from ONCE who is working with me is good, and she will be working with me again next week, to show me how to find my classes within the school building. I’ve also got most of the things I need for my room, and…
Hello From Spain
Last Saturday I arrived in Valencia after a very long day of travelling. I got up and started to get ready at 4 in the morning, feeding Isla and packing my laptop bag. Me and my dad left the house at half 5 so that we would be at the airport in plenty of time….
It’s Official: I Decided to Study in Spain
Everything is ready to go, I booked my flights last weekend. I’ll be going to Valencia for 5 months where I’ll be studying Spanish. It’s actually an interesting choice of place, seeing as Spanish isn’t the only language spoken there. I still have things to do, like figure out what I need to take with…