Do people with Asperger's or autism often have any problems about the idea of travelling overseas? - that is, to another country whose culture and way of life, and possibly language too, are very different from those in their own country?
I am curious about this, because a few years ago an uncle and aunt of mine who live in Spain (whereas I live in Australia) invited me to go and stay with them for a couple of weeks and see various parts of Spain with them. I thought the cost would be a problem, and said so; but they offered to pay my air-fares to and from Spain, and also to cover any costs while I was with them. (This was an extremely generous offer, but they are wealthy and are able to do this.)
But I really had doubts about whether I wanted to do this, largely because the idea of going to another country whose language, culture, way of life, and so on are very different is a bit scary to me. In short, I am a bit afraid of leaving Australia at all, especially if I didn't go with someone.
It wasn't the flying that bothered me - I read someone else on this forum who said flying greatly bothered them and wondered if this was an issue for many A.S.D. people; but it isn't an issue with me, as I actually enjoy flying, and once had about 45 hours of flying lessons before I had to stop for a few reasons - it was just going to another distant country for two or three weeks that bothered me - even though I would have been with my uncle and aunt, whom I do know and like, since they visit Australia every few years. Apart from the possible culture shock, just the idea of being away from home for weeks at a time and so far away vaguely bothers me, too.
I never told my uncle and aunt I wouldn't do it, and didn't actually feel definitely sure I *didn't* want to, but just unsure if I wanted to - and although a few years have passed and they have asked me a few times since the original invitation when I was coming to Spain, I still haven't done it, and don't consider it likely I ever will. I just sort of don't feel I'm in the right mental space to encompass such a thing so foreign to my experience up to now (I have never left Australia in my whole life). Some people are quite surprised to learn that I wouldn't jump at the chance to go on an overseas trip.
I once raised this issue of anxiety at leaving one's own familiar country on a travel message board, thinking that others there might have some understanding of the issue, and who might be able to tell me what it's really like to go to another country; but the responses were not really all that helpful. They either said, "Yes, do it; it'll be great" (I suppose they were travel enthusiasts - that's why they were on a travel-related forum - so they wouldn't think anyone could think otherwise); or else a few people took my doubts as complaints and grumbling, and just said "Stay home - we have enough whingeing Aussies here already" or "I think you're just caught up in your own rhetoric", and otherwise showed a lack of understanding or acceptance of the issue I had been trying to raise. Perhaps it wasn't the right place to raise an issue such as this.
So I was just curious to find out if this sort of thing is common with people with Asperger's or autism, and whether this had ever been an issue with anyone else here.
How many here have been to another country, especially one very different, and did they like it, or find it stressful? How many have no desire to travel far from home?
Regards, Michael.
22 Jun 2009, 11:35 pm
