#significantstep

t is now 15 months since we went into our first lockdown in March in the UK, having initially heard about the pandemic in January 2020, and I am finally adapting to living around the Covid-19 pandemic.

Having ordered some clothes on line that didn’t fit, I arranged for those to be returned to the store by courier. We missed the courier as he arrived when we were having lunch outside, so instead of me organising another pickup, we took a trip to the store. Without thinking about the fact that I was taking a trip out, we drove to the store, to take the clothes back.

The sun was shining and it felt normal to be out. Waiting in the car, I didn’t feel anxious, even though people were walking past the car with me inside it.

My first trip out of the house in 15 months is a small but significant step, but I hate how through autism, it takes so long for my brain to normalise things. I want to be able to adapt, cope and think like everyone else without a disability.

It is a continuous mental and emotional battle, but this is is my reality because I deal with a disability. What matters is that I finally managed to achieve a step, 15 months into the pandemic.