Member-only story
ADHD & Autism Road Tripping
It Started With An Alert
Just recently, my family and I concluded a trip to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville, TN area. While it was a great one, we received an alert regarding evacuating part of Wears Valley (where we stayed), which made us return early to finish packing and leave before possibly being subject to mandatory evacuation. While we arrived to smoke nearby, we left accompanied by growing flames in the distance.
Notwithstanding the above introduction, there were many good experiences. I thought to share this account of my first large post-diagnoses road trip.
Ahead of Sunrise
My family and I left Michigan around 5AM to, hopefully, arrive just after being able to check in. The night before, we gathered our bags, so that we could quickly load them into my in-laws’ car (with whom we traveled).
All the way there, I rode in a full backseat with my backpack (filled with some paperback books and my Kindle) on my lap. If it were up to my neurodivergent self, I would have read to help pass the time between occasional stops. However, I made the effort to talk to my son and mother-in-law, as I was concerned about appearing antisocial though nobody gave me a reason to believe this. Still, I thought it better to be safe than sorry.
How many of us have done…
