It is less than 72 hours to launch. Today is Monday. Thursday I start on Sue’s Great Adventure. Oh, boy. Can you say ambiguous? Also, after a year and a half of COVID existence, it does not seem possible I will be getting out of town. Alone.
God helps fools and children. I meet one of those criteria.
God helps those who help themselves. Working on that one, which brings me to the topic of this page; how am I supposed to pack as a visually impaired person? Excellent question. My answer: I have no idea, really.
The problem with being visually impaired – or at least one of the problems – is stuff. I have a lot of stuff. So far I have thrown several vision aides into my bag. I have a handheld electronic magnifier and my Max TV glasses. I have a small monocular to wear around my neck.
I also have my iPhone, the Swiss Army knife of modern existence. On my phone, I have Google Maps. Google Maps can give me walking as well as driving directions. If I put where I started from in and program it for a return trip, Google Maps will return me to my starting place. Good for those of us with questionable senses of direction, not to mention an inability to read street signs or paper maps.
I also have Be My Eyes on there. If I call up Be My Eyes, a volunteer will answer to read things, identify things, just generally to be my eyes.
Not only is my iPhone camera a camera, it is also a QR code reader. We will be touring at least one national park. The United States Park Service is moving towards accessibility through labeling all sorts of interesting things with QR codes. With my phone and its QR code reader, I will be able to read all about it without having to put my nose on the sign.
Then there is my iPad, of course. I seem to have lost my second pair of AirPods, so I think I will take a pair of headphones to listen to books and TV in the airport and on the plane. Sometimes I wonder how I lived without my iPad.
A trick I always used is marking my luggage with something distinctive. I have used colored duct tape or a big, bright bow. I try to make it easier to find MY hunter green, canvas bag as opposed to the other 36, hunter green, canvas bags on the luggage carousel.
I will be meeting my friends in baggage claim in Denver. If I cannot make it easy for me to see them, I guess I will have to make me easy to be seen. Maybe my tie-dyed hoodie or a bright orange sweater?
Those are some of my ideas about packing as a novice, solo traveler. Maybe I am on the money, maybe not. Dunno. I guess I will find out as I go.
written August 31st.