Lost in a backyard

I timed 42 words a minute last week in Braille. I am definitely reading in
the forties now. It is nice to feel my fingers slide more quickly and
smoothly across the dots and to hear my own voice reading the story out
loud with emphasis and expression-- the ability to read with ease for the
first time in my life.
My goal is to reach 60 words by the time I graduate from LCB.

I am working hard in travel class. I now have two extra cane travel
classes a week, which means that two days a week I have four hours of
travel, two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. I also
walk to school every morning with my shades on to get as much practice as
possible.

I did a repeat route on Tuesday on West California Street. The first time
doing this route I wasn't able to find the address, but this time I found
it. It was a doughnut shop. I treated myself to a cinomyn twist and a cup
of coffee. The man who worked there asked me where I was from. My Canadian
accent gave me away. They tease me here about how I say words like "out"
and "been" and "again." This man told me about a man who frequently comes
to the doughnut shop who lived on Vancouver Island for 25 years and worked
as a mechanic. He called this man on the phone. I spoke to him. He is 72
years old and he knew about the Empress, Warf Street and even Campbell
River." I must be getting nostalgic for home.
That same afternoon I went on another travel route and searched up and
down the same block for 45 minutes, but could not find the address.
Finally, frustrated, hot and exhausted and lost in a backyard, somebody
found me and helped me back to the sidewalk. He said " I know we aren't
supposed to help you, but I saw you looking around for so long..." I
thanked him profusely. It turned out I had accidentally been given the
wrong address. Oh well, I sure know that block well now.

I went on bus travel yesterday to Monrow. We took a bus to the mall and I
practiced finding my way around the mall looking for specific shops. My
teacher asked me to find "Pay less Shoes," Radio Shack," and "Yankee
Candles." After some searching and requesting some assistance I found all
three stores. I need more work in malls. Traveling in open indoor spaces
takes a different skill. You listen for openings and must stay by the
perimeter of the store as you walk. One important thing I learned that I
wished I'd learned years ago is when you ask a sighted person for
directions and they say left or right.., it helps to point in the
direction they are saying. Often the direction they have told you isn't
the one they really meant, and when they see you pointing it helps them
get it right.
"It was an adventure and of course gave me an excuse to buy some things.