[nagdu] getting around in places you don't know

[Stephanie]

Hi all,
Hope you are all well. I have decided to write about some challenges I am having, even though I am feeling rather embarrassed to do so. But I am feeling a little restricted and want to know if any one has some ideas for my situation. As background to the following, I am hearing impaired as well as totally blind.
I'd like to know how to navigate places I don't know. I never did this much with my cane, but Gypsy has changed that for me and I'm finding I want to get out more. I want to do things like go to concerts at the melbourne recital centre and St pauls in Melbourne. Problem is,  I don't know   how, and getting a taxi from the station to  those places is not possible due to the short distance. I could  ask the public but that's taking a risk.
I contacted my guide dog school and they sent an instructor out. But we just didn't jell. He couldn't seem to understand that I cant hear the audio lights, unless I'm touching it which is not possible when a lot of people are around. They also gave me such a huge amount of info like the whole route in one hit and I couldn't follow the directions due to struggling to process his info in a noisy train station. And to top it off, Gypsy seemed to pick up on all this, stopped and wouldn't move with out a lot of coaxing, and the instructor told me I wasn't supporting my dog. Gypsy has never reacted like this before or since.
I'm thinking of contacting the alternative school just for o and m purposes, or finding another solution on my own that will actually work for me.
Even catching trains can be a challenge although I have my systems in place. I always ask for assistance from the station as I cant hear the anouncements.
Thanks for taking the time to read my rather lengthy email.
Steph