[Blindtlk] Cool news during Christmas

[Julie J.]

That deserves a high five!   Way to go!

I've been traveling independently a long time and this is exactly what I 
would have done to get to an unfamiliar place.  The process pretty much 
stays the same, but it does get way less stressful as you gain experience.


Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now 
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
Visit my new website on developing courage and living authentically:
http://www.falling-up.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Tom Cramer via blindtlk
Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2014 1:14 PM
To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Blindtlk] Cool news during Christmas

Hello.

I wanted to write the list to let you know about something cool that
happened Christmas eve!  It goes back to a conversation we had on the
list a few weeks ago when I was asking about canes and independent
mobility.

I needed to buy a final gift for a family member and Amazon told me
they wouldn't deliver till after Christmas.  Since it was a CD I
figured that some nearby stores would have it.  My parents were
working and I didn't have much in the way of quick transportation and
would have to take a taxi or something to get the CD, and the more
stores I called the less luck I had.
I finally got one store that had it but it was on a different side of
town.  I figured I'd put my travel skills to use, and I called to find
out what buses I'd need to get to that store.  Turns out that if I
took onebus, it would turn into a different number at some point and
literally take me a couple of blocks from where I needed to go.  Why
not?  I needed to practice doing this anyway.

With cane in hand I found my way to the us stop and took the bus to
where I needed to go.  I walked the way I was directed and did get
slightly confused, but someone helped me out. He even made sure I
crossed a pretty long street.  I continued asking people along the way
when I needed clarification and found the music store.  I went in and
they had the CD waiting for me.  I even got another one for me.

Before  I left I asked about how to get out of that weird parking lot,
and following the directions they gave me I made my way back to the
street and sidewalk and back to the bus.  I did worry a little bit
because I thought I had missed the stop due to walking a long time and
not exactly knowing where the stop was.  As I began to second guess
myself, I found the gus shelter and asked a passer by if I was where I
needed to be.  About ten minutes later the bus came.

I was home before the rest of my family came back from work.

When I told my family, they were surprised.  I'm on my way to being a
better traveler!  I need to practice a lot and not just wait for o&m
instructors to come every once in a while.
My mom and sister are still apprehensive.
That was the coolest Christmas I gave someone this year.
Tom

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