(Except I know exactly when I’ll be coming back. 😉 )

So, back in November/December, I applied to be a member of Autism Canada’s ASD Advisory Board. On my application, I filled in that I was interested both in being part of the planning for a conference specifically for autistic adults (AKA a Canadian version of Autreat), and as a stakeholder in discussions, polls, surveys, etc. The latter has gotten me involved in CASDA (Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance) as a stakeholder for the Canadian Autism Partnership Project (CAPP), a Federal initiative whose goal is to: “address key issues such as information sharing and research, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and supporting families” (quote from Canadian Autism Partnership: Canada’s Economic Action Plan).

The first face-to-face meeting of stakeholders is going to be in Halifax next week. (I’m rather looking forward to it.)

And even more, because my sister and my oldest niece and my nephews all live in a suburb of Halifax, so I’m going to be spending some time with them as well.

I leave on Thursday afternoon, which gives me a few days (including the weekend) to spend with my sister’s family, then I’m back with them after the conference. I’ll be arriving back the end of February.

It will be the first time I’ve left St. John’s since having moved here, which is another reason to look forward to it. (I’ll miss Imber-kitten, but my parents will be looking after her.) With the exception of ear pressure issues (packing wine gums!), I quite enjoy flying, including the takeoff and landing. Vestibular and proprioceptive stims, here I come!

And I’ve never seen my sister’s house, nor have I met her best friends (one couple of which has a non-verbal autistic child, so I’m looking forward to meeting them for more than one reason!). If the weather’s nice in Halifax this coming weekend, we’ll go to Peggy’s Cove (with the kids). We’re also going to have one night where we make sushi for dinner, and one night going to a sushi restaurant. Yum!

Hugely excited to be going, and I’m very glad that the opportunity for this has come up, out of my determination to become an autistic advocate (not just for myself, but for others as well). And I get to see my niece and nephews! (See post Guest Post: My Sister for images thereof. 🙂 )

Just thought I’d share my excitement with everyone, especially given the reason behind my ability to make this trip.

🙂 tagÂûght