The first thing most ccomputer programmers learn to code is a simple way to output text. Most beginning programming manuals, especially those from when I was young, taught new practitioners how to write “Hellow World!” in whichever programming language they were using. For me, the first time I encountered “Hello World!” was when learning how to write batch files in MS-DOS 6.2.
Like a youngster learning how to program his first line of code, a newcomer to travel has to look beyond themselves and learn to say “Hello World!” with arms wide open. Travel is about embracing the new, the different, and the daring. It’s about re-programming your own perceptions of life and culture. It’s about coding your life to respond positively to change.
For people like me who are blind or visually impaired, these things can be scary. I was once a shriveled introvert and I used to be afraid to leave my comfort zone, meet new people, or explore my surroundings.
I’m still an introvert and I have learned there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s that shriveled, scared little person inside me that had to be reprogrammed to embrace the world and its surroundings. I learned that I don’t have to be outgoing to meet new people, explore new places, or have life-altering experiences. I just have to be willing to step outside my comfort zone.
In many regards, going blind was one of the best things that ever happened to me. When I was forced to learn to travel independently and to ask strangers for help when I needed it, I realized I no longer had the luxury of sticking to myself all the time. I also learned that strangers are often kind, well-meaning people… even if they aren’t always perfect.
Over the last fifteen or so years, I have learned much about how to travel the world as a blind individual. Over the next 15 years, I hope to learn a great deal more. I’m inviting you, dear reader, along for the ride. Won’t you join with me in saying “Hello World!”?