Autism Over The Years

It’s the last day of pride month, and I wanted to share this blog with y’all. 

There are many different parts of my identity. I’m a girl, I’m autistic, and I’m also biracial. Those are all important parts of myself that I’ve always been very open about. Something that some people might not know about me is that I am also bisexual. 

If a person identifies as bisexual, it means that they are attracted to more than one gender. It can mean just two genders, or it can mean more than two. Four years ago, I came out as bi to my family and close friends. 

In sixth grade, I learned about the LGBT+ community and a bit about what the label “bisexual” meant. I realized that I was attracted to other girls, as well as boys, when I met a girl at my school in seventh grade, who I’ll call Liana. Liana was a few months older than me and, since I saw her at breaks and PE class, I got to talk to her a bit. I started to develop a crush on her. It was my first time knowing that I had a crush on a girl, and it was a big deal to me. I constantly wrote in my diary about my huge crush on Liana. 

I suspected that maybe I could be bisexual, but it was only one crush. I didn’t know if I was really bisexual or if it was just a “girl crush,” like some people refer to a girl having a crush on a girl in a non-serious or platonic way. I wonder though, if a girl had a crush on a boy for the first time, would it be called a “boy crush?” It seems a bit like a double-standard to me.

Soon enough, I realized that the label “bisexual” fit me. I was attracted to both boys and girls, and I realized it was part of who I was. While not everyone likes to identify with labels, knowing there was a name for how I felt was amazing, and knowing there were other people like me was amazing too. It’s similar to how I feel knowing that I’m autistic and that there are a lot of other people out there who think like I do and experience some of the same things. Before coming out to other people, I had to come out to myself, which meant embracing it as a part of who I am. I don’t see “bisexual” as a bad thing. It’s just a part of me, like having brown eyes or glasses. I also learned that it was always a part of who I am, but I just had a name for how I felt.

I told my classmate and friend, Cady, about my crush on Liana. They were supportive, and they didn’t judge me for having a crush on another girl. Though they were a bit unsure what to make of it when I told them I had a crush on a girl, Cady was supportive and they sometimes teased me about my crush on Liana in probably the same way that they would’ve had my crush been on a boy. Even though some people find it unusual for a girl to have a crush on another girl, talking to my friend and having them tease me about my crush made me feel like I was just a normal teenage girl who had a big crush on someone and had no idea how to flirt.

When I learned that I was going to be in the same class as my crush, I was so excited. I wrote in my diary about how excited I was to be in the same class as her, and how I hoped to get to know her better. 

On my first day of classes with Liana, I was so nervous and excited. That day, I made sure to pack my hairbrush and lip gloss so I could look nice for my first class with her. I told Cady about how excited I was, and they were excited for me! While we were in the middle of class, Cady whispered in my ear, jokingly, “When’s the wedding?”

However, I learned that when I spent time during break and transition period primping for my class with Liana, it made me late to class. My teacher let me know that she noticed that I was late to my classes and told me that I should stop primping before class. It was rather embarrassing having my teacher point this out to me. Caring for my appearance is important, but it shouldn’t be prioritized above everything else and it shouldn’t be all about trying to impress another person. After a while, I lost interest in Liana, but I’ve had plenty of other crushes to replace that one!

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I feel fortunate to have friends and family members who are understanding and accepting, and when I shared that part of my identity, I was at a place in life where it was safe for me to come out. However, that’s not the same for everyone. Many people don’t understand what it means to be part of the LGBT+ community, or they think it’s something wrong or shameful. I felt nervous posting this blog; I was worried that people wouldn’t want to hear what I have to say or they may judge me. However, those are not the people I want reading my blog or book or attending my presentations. By coming out and sharing my own story, I think I can help other people realize that they’re not alone.

It’s similar to how I learned how to share my autism diagnosis. If someone isn’t supportive of autistic folk, or they don’t want to hear about autism from autistic people, they’re not the people I want to be around. I’m not going to hide my autism diagnosis from anyone. However, for many people, it’s unsafe to be out as a part of the LGBT+ community. If they come out and live as who they are publicly, it could mean that they lose their job, friends, and family, or they could be exposed to external danger if they live in an unwelcome and unsafe environment. This is a huge problem because it means that people will be isolated and it affects their self worth. I think that if I had been raised in an environment where being bisexual was stigmatized, it would have tremendously affected my self esteem and self worth. I would have felt isolated and ashamed just because I’m attracted to more than one gender. It makes me sad to know that there are people like me who have to live in fear and can’t openly embrace who they are. In many parts of the United States, where I’m from, it’s becoming less safe for LGBTQ+ people to live authentically and be themselves, especially for transgender people. 

I consider myself an ally to the transgender community, and I try my best to be open to learning so I can support the people in my life who are transgender. When one of my friends came out as transgender, I watched videos about what it’s like being trans and read books and articles.

Based on my experiences, here is some advice for embracing yourself and your identity and for being a good ally:

• Know that you are who you are, and you can’t change your sexual orientation or gender identity. 
• You might change how you communicate your sexual orientation or gender expression, but you can’t change your identity. For example if a person comes out as bisexual but after a while they realize that they align with a different label, that’s fine. 
• There’s no quota that you have to fill to be “bi enough.” You can prefer one gender more than the other, and all it means to be bisexual is that you’re attracted to more than one gender. Sometimes I wondered if I was an imposter because I didn’t fit a lot of the stereotypes associated with being bi.
• Find support networks online or with your friends.
• There’s no pressure on coming out. You can come out to people at your own pace.
• It’s okay if you don’t understand what it means if someone comes out to you, and don’t be afraid to ask questions about what it means. 
• However, at the same time, some questions are just impolite to ask and shouldn’t be asked. If you don’t want someone asking you rude or overly personal questions about your romantic or sexual choices, activities, or identity, don’t ask those questions to other people. 
• Do your research and watch videos, read books and articles about the LGBT+ community if you’re interested or confused.
• Depending on your relationship with the person who comes out to you, whether they’re a close friend or sibling, sometimes joking around about it breaks the ice and normalizes it. When my friend, Cady, teased me about my crush on Liana and we would talk about crushes together, it made me feel accepted and comfortable.

In my experience, I’ve learned that it’s important to embrace who you are and the many facets of your being. When you value and share your whole self, it can have a positive effect on you and people around you!

I know, I know, it’s been a very long time since I posted. I’ve wanted to keep a consistent blog about traveling, but it just hasn’t worked out. A lot has changed since I first started writing this blog. I’m now sixteen, I’m learning how to drive, and I’m learning life skills that will be useful for when I’m an adult, one of those skills being how to set boundaries.

Boundaries are an important issue for everyone. When going about life, you have to set boundaries so you can protect yourself and feel secure. When someone crosses those boundaries, it can make you feel uncomfortable and in some cases, unsafe. Boundaries can be especially difficult for autistic people who have been taught how to act according to the norms of the world, even at the expense of their own well-being. Just like with non-autistic people, sometimes feeling a bit awkward in a social situation is inevitable. However, for many of us, it can be hard to gauge what is a reasonable boundary to set vs what is unreasonable.

Many autistic people have been taught how to blend in with the rest of society, which means staying in a space even when it is overwhelming, refraining from stimming, and maintaining eye contact. Oftentimes, autistic people have been taught from a young age to suppress their needs in order to fit in with societal norms in a world that wasn’t built for them, which can lead to becoming a people-pleaser. Growing up, I’ve learned that sometimes you have to advocate for yourself, especially if the situation is going to put you in danger, but sometimes it’s normal to experience discomfort for the sake of the group. For example, if you go on a long hike with a group and you step in a puddle and your shoe is wet, it would be unreasonable to make everyone else go back just so you can get a pair of shoes. However, if you get bit by a wild animal on a long hike and you are bleeding profusely, it would definitely be reasonable to make people go back so you can get help from a medical professional. So ask yourself- is the situation you are in a puddle or a wild animal bite? 

I think that women and girls are often taught to be polite and to refrain from speaking up when they feel unsafe or find themselves in an unpleasant situation. While there is a cultural shift for women to be more assertive, many girls are taught from a young age that they have to be polite no matter what. For autistic women and girls, this can present a greater issue. Oftentimes, autistic young girls are taught to be accommodating to others and ignore their social needs. Too often, they are taught that other people can trample their boundaries and they have to be okay with it. Frequently, they aren’t taught how to manage unwanted social situations while still being decent or how to assert their needs. Even though my parents and teachers have tried to teach me how to advocate for myself, sometimes this is hard.

Setting boundaries has been something I’m working on. As an autistic girl, setting boundaries can be more difficult, but luckily the world gives me ample opportunities to practice. For a few months this year, I attended a social skills group that worked with autistic youth and young adults. In this social group I met a guy, let’s call him Peter. Peter was in college and he was four years older than me. He seemed nice and at the end of the group meeting, he asked for my Snapchat. I was unsure of what to make of it at the moment, but I gave it anyway, since I could end communication easier with a social media handle than a phone number. 

We started texting over Snapchat that evening, I felt pretty good about it and it was fun that evening. However, I didn’t want to communicate with Peter long term. He seemed nice, but I wasn’t interested in pursuing any kind of friendship with him. He complimented me a lot, but it felt like he complimented me way too much. We did call once for about twenty minutes, but it was kind of awkward and I didn’t want to call him again. 

I asked Mom for some advice on what to do and I let her look through the texts. She concluded that Peter did not seem to have malicious intent, but rather that he was socially awkward. She also said that I don’t have to be polite to people I don’t want to talk to, and that I should set communication boundaries. For example, I can find ways to decline talking to someone on the phone. Mom also said that I can let someone know if they are making me uncomfortable when they are being over effusive. 

Later on, I ended online communication with Peter by texting something like “I might delete Snapchat since I don’t use it very much but I’ll see you at group.” This experience taught me about setting boundaries, that you don’t have to give your social media information to anyone and that you don’t have to be friends with everyone. Even though this experience was hard, I’m glad I stuck up for my time and didn’t fake a friendship. 

I think that setting boundaries is very important, especially for autistic people. I think it’s important to stress that while people need to make social sacrifices, it is important to set boundaries so that you can maintain a level of comfort. Making small talk with people can be awkward (and pointless to some people), but it is also what’s expected. As you can see, it is essential to set and respect boundaries. In a society where people’s boundaries often aren’t respected, it can cause people to lose hope and give up on advocating for their needs. I hope that by reading this blog post, people can be more understanding about the issues many autistic people face and respect their boundaries. If you are a parent, make sure to teach your kids to advocate for themselves and support them when they set a reasonable boundary, such as not wanting to hug someone. Also, the next time you experience some discomfort, ask yourself: is it a puddle or a wild animal?

When a person hears the word autism, the first things they may think of are one of two stereotypes. One thing that may come to mind is the smart, quirky boy who is obsessed with trains but lacks empathy, emotions, and the ability to flirt. One may also think of a person who needs to live with a caregiver or requires more assistance and accommodations in life. Autism isn’t just one way, but rather a spectrum. However, there is more to this. Yes, many autistic people may need more support than a neurotypical and able-bodied person, and there are also many autistic people who don’t need very much support and are able to live in a society that caters to neurotypical people. Many autistic people dislike functioning labels (i.e., low functioning, high functioning) and see the autism spectrum as a color wheel rather than as a linear function. 

WHAT IS AUTISM?

If you’re unfamiliar with what autism is, it is a developmental disorder that shapes the way one thinks, acts, learns, communicates, socializes, and perceives the world. Autistic people can have difficulty with socializing, processing sensory information, and communicating. Autistic people can speak early, late, or not at all, and things such as reading social cues, understanding sarcasm, showing emotions, and understanding intentions can also be challenging for them.

I was diagnosed with autism when I was two-and-a-half years old and spoke much later than other children around me. I was fortunate to get diagnosed at an early age because it allowed me to get the intervention and support I needed. Unfortunately, most autistic girls tend to be diagnosed later in life. I think that this is because of stereotypes created about autism and gender roles in society. In our society, boys are often conditioned to be vocal and rowdy, while girls are often conditioned to be quiet and polite. If a boy’s speech is delayed, it’s often considered a problem sooner. However, if a girl’s speech is delayed, it doesn’t necessarily raise concern because people expect girls to be more quiet and shy. 

The autistic community is a diverse community. There are autistic people who identify as part of the LGBT+ community, autistic people of color, and people who come from many different backgrounds. Many forms of media such as what you see on television and what you read about don’t really take this into account. When I want to see a TV show about autism, I want to be able to see diversity in who is represented. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an autistic person of color in a show and I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve ever seen an autistic woman or an autistic person who is part of the LGBT+ community portrayed in the media. 

TRAITS OF AUTISM

Autistic people can get really into specific topics. The autistic community refers to these topics as “special interests.” A special interest is an intense interest in a topic. Interests can be really narrow, anything from reptiles to a specific movie or TV show. It looks like obsessions to non-autistic people, but these special interests can help autistic people cope. 

Something that is usually hard for autistic people is taking perspective and predicting social reactions. For example, understanding intentions can be very hard for autistic people and this can make socializing very difficult.

It’s also common for autistic people to have trouble with sensory processing. People with Sensory Processing Disorder may be very active, or may dislike certain textures, foods, tastes, smells, or may prefer their clothing to be made of a certain fabric. 

Some autistic people engage in self-soothing behavior, also known as stimming. Examples of stimming include flapping one’s hands, rocking, humming, and many others. Autistic people are also known to repeat words and phrases and perseverate on specific topics, often in line with their special interests. Stimming and repetition can help autistic people regulate their emotions and stress, calm down, and manage sensory input. 

SHARING MY STORY

When I was twelve, I wrote, illustrated, and self published a book. My book, Autism Over The Years: A Twelve Year Old’s Memoir, is about growing up as an autistic person. It is available on Amazon and on my website, micaelaellis.com. In my memoir, I wrote about how activities such as playing and communicating with other kids were hard for me. I also included memories of behavior that people probably thought was weird, but in my perspective, totally made sense! As I share with readers in the closing pages of my book:

“I wrote this memoir because I want to show people how I see the world, as a person with autism. I want to explain how my life has been different from many other people’s lives, and how certain thoughts and ideas came into my mind that other people did not understand. I want to share why I did things that seemed strange to others… I want to put an end to the idea that autism is a disease that needs a ‘cure.’ I want to put an end to autism being a taboo subject.”

After publishing my book, I started presenting about autism to parents, professionals, kids and teens, graduate students, and school administrators. I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to give presentations and to do magazine and radio interviews.

AUTISM ACCEPTANCE

Since April is designated as Autism Awareness Month, many members of the autistic community and allies are working to change it to Autism Acceptance Month. A lot of autistic activists don’t like the idea of “awareness” as it has connotations with the idea of autism being a disease that needs to be cured, when in reality, it’s not. It’s a core part of who I am and if someone ever gave me the option of a cure for autism, I wouldn’t accept it.

Although there are some challenges with autism, and it’s considered a disability, I still think autism is a great part of who I am. I’m proud to be autistic and to be part of a community where we share the same struggles and have some of the same strengths.

So I said I would write every week. Not! So recently, I’ve been pretty busy, and the free time I’ve had was spent pretty much doing nothing/watching Netflix/reading. Every night, my family’s been watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, and we’re on Season 3 currently.

In Costa Rica we stayed in a turquoise house, Casa Turquesa, in the jungle. We stayed near a beach town, Manzanillo, where there are lots of people and vendors selling handmade items.

When we left the San José airport in Costa Rica after our arrival (this was about five weeks ago), we stopped at a soda and we were getting food. Since the man at the counter didn’t speak English, Mom and Dad were making animal sounds to identify what they wanted. The man at the counter was explaining a pork dish in Spanish and since I forgot the word for “pig” in English (when I’m thinking in one language, I really can’t think of other languages, otherwise I’m just confusing myself), so I snorted, trying to explain what “puerco” was in English. So my explanation turned into Mom and Dad trying to order their food by making animal sounds.

We spent six nights in Costa Rica, and as we stayed there, we saw sloths, bats, raccoons, leaf cutter ants, howler monkeys (they sounded more like lions according to Mom), and smaller monkeys.

So our first full day there, after a good night’s rest, we went to Puerto Viejo, and there, we had breakfast at De Gustibus Bakery (at 2 p.m. ????).

After breakfast (or lunch?), we walked around Puerto Viejo, and we saw many things. We stopped at the beach and waded in the ocean a bit, and the water felt amazing on such a hot day!

I noticed how Puerto Viejo had been influenced by America. Many stores and shops in Costa Rica take US dollars, and that there’s a lot of American “food” (Lays Chips, Planters peanuts, Skippy peanut butter, you name it and there’s a 50 percent chance it was there) in the Supermercado we went to later that day. I said that America colonized grocery stores.

Besides finding all that, I found these super cool popsicles that are all natural; they use plastic-free packaging, and they still have some of the natural fruit pieces. I got a Mango one and it had those little stringy mango bits in it (am I making sense?).

The next day, we went to the local beach, Punta Uva after spending a late morning at the house. The water was too dangerous to go swimming for a long time, but Dad and I swam a bit (I think Mom got scared after a while).

At the beach, there were people selling empanadas, pastries, and Argentinian churros. We didn’t end up buying any though.

Later, we headed back to have a relaxing evening at the house. I spent some time doing schoolwork, and think maybe I tried making a blog post.

The next day, I got pretty sick. I had some sort of stomach bug, and I spent the day lounging around the house and getting sick. Pretty much what I did that day was try to hold food down, read, and watch Riverdale (don’t worry I’m not going to give any spoilers).

That night, when I felt better, Mom, Daisy, and I watched Gilmore Girls on my phone.

The next day, we went to the Gandoca Manzanillo Refuge, where we saw monkeys in the trees. We turned back after a while (half an hour?) because the rest of the trail was “dangerously slick and muddy,” as Mom said. It was pretty muddy! Besides that, the trail was very beautiful! We walked back so we could drive to town.

For dinner, we went to a Caribbean style restaurant called Mr. Maxie’s in Manzanillo. We had Caribbean dishes for dinner and outside, it was raining.

On our last full day in Costa Rica, we drove 45 minutes in the northerly direction (it was Dad driving, but I wish I was behind the wheel personally) to Cahuita National Park. There, we saw sights of bats, monkey families, sloths, raccoons, and leaf-cutter ants! We said it was like we were in a nature documentary. Daisy had her spyglass that I got her for her birthday, and she used it to get a better look of the monkeys.

We waded in the ocean there a bit, but since there was debris and the waves were rough, we didn’t swim for a long time.

Later, we went to the ice cream shop in the town of Cahuita and I got mango sorbet (mango sorbet is one of my favorites), and we walked around Cahuita. It was warm out, yet it felt good. We noticed that there were a lot of stray dogs in Cahuita, and Daisy thought every one of them was cute.

Later, we headed back to Puerto Viejo and we spent a bit of time at the beach. A man was selling Argentinian churros, and of course, I couldn’t resist. We were all hungry from the day’s adventures, so I got some churros. We waded into the ocean a bit; we couldn’t really go swimming because we had to get to the car soon so we could go back to the house.

That night, we enjoyed our last dinner in Costa Rica and we packed our things for the next day. The next morning, we would have to leave at 5:30 am, since San José was five hours away from the house.

The next morning, we woke up at 4:45 a.m. and we packed up our stuff and went to the car. Dad drove for a while and he got coffee at a soda and he gave me a sip (I didn’t want a whole coffee).

We finally got to the airport after five hours of driving and after getting our stuff done, we got on the plane to Guatemala!

We’re now in Costa Rica again after five weeks, but I’m trying to catch you up here.

So a few weeks ago, my family got back from traveling around the US and Canada, and in a while, we’re getting on a plane for a late night flight to Costa Rica and a four-hour layover in Mexico City (the plan already sounds tiring).

For the next six weeks, I’ll be traveling around Central and South America with my family. I’ll also try to post more often.

As I travel around Central and South America, I’ll be studying the history of chocolate, the growing process and science, and how it’s incorporated into many cultures. I’ll also study the child labor that many big chocolate companies try to cover up.

I’m also planning to make a presentation for an international school in Guatemala. I’m looking forward to presenting at the school and being able to say that I did presentations outside of my country.

Right now I’m at LAX so I’ll try to write about the beginnings of my trip soon!

P.S. I prepared for a long flight. I brought peanut butter cups, Sea Salt and Vinegar chips (thanks to my grandpa), and some gum. I also bought myself a music album and downloaded some movies.

I haven’t written for a while so I’m going to catch you up on what happened. I’m not able to fill you in completely, since that would be a lot of writing, but I’ll tell you what’s been happening recently. First, I turned fourteen on September 21! Also, I crossed into Canada and I stayed in Canada for two weeks!

So on October 14, we crossed the border from Michigan into Ontario, Canada! In Ontario, we went to Niagara Falls (the Canadian side), and we visited a town called Niagara on the Lake because Dad wanted to go to Strewn Winery. At Strewn Winery I got some dark chocolate, since I’m too young to get wine. Mom and Dad were going to buy me some chocolate, but they said I’d have to share it. So, I bought my own so that nobody else could have any.

After Niagara, we went into the province of Quebec and we explored Montreal! There, we went to a museum where we learned about French colonization and the beginning of Montreal. In Montreal, we also went to a restaurant where we had lunch and Mom got me a cookie that looked like a giant Oreo.

In Quebec, all of the street sighs are in French in order to keep the French culture and influence dominant there. Also, in Quebec, a lot of people speak French as their first language, and English as their second.

After Montreal, we stayed a night in a motel in Quebec City. The next day, we FaceTimed the class from Old Town Quebec City. We told them about the culture in Quebec and about the French influence there. After FaceTiming the class, we went to a restaurant where I had a savory salmon crepe for breakfast and a side of poutine.

At the restaurant, the bathrooms were in the basement, and there was graffiti on every wall, but the graffiti made it look cool. And the sink was a bathtub with water spouts from above for your hands.

After Quebec, we went to New Brunswick and we stayed in the Kouchibouguac National Park for three nights. In Kouchibouguac, we explored near the lagoon, biked, and saw the bogs. The bogs were very interesting; there are carnivorous plants that eat insects such as mosquitoes.

Our dinner on the last night was tacos and quesadillas, and that night, I think I lost the chocolate from Strewn Winery that night because right now, I can’t find it. 🙁

Besides losing my chocolate piece, that night, dinner was nice. I enjoyed my dinner, and afterwards, Daisy and I went stargazing.

When we went back to the camp, Daisy and I went to the fort we had built near our campsite. It was night, and we took some Luci-Lanterns and lit up our fort we had made with branches and a tree. We stayed there for a bit until Daisy got scared.

The next morning, we packed up and headed to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, there’s a small store called Farmer’s Daughter. There, I purchased a banana bread made with chocolate chips. Of course Daisy wanted some, so I gave her a bite on the way to camp. We would’ve had more, but Mom told us not to have anymore, since we were going to have dinner at our campsite.

When we got to camp, Daisy and I helped Mom and Dad set up, and since we didn’t have any firewood, I helped Dad by gathering branches to heat the chili we got from Farmers Daughter. At dinner, we had chili with biscuits. The biscuits were amazing, they had cheese and other things, and I’d say they were some of the best biscuits I’ve had.

The next day, it was very windy. The staff at the visitor center said the winds were going to reach as high as 50 miles per hour, but our trailer was probably going to be fine.

That day, we did a nice drive on the Cabot Trail. It was really beautiful, and the color of the ocean was so lovely. The ocean was dark blue, and the ride was amazing.

After we did our drive, we went on a walk near the ocean. It was my first time in years seeing the Atlantic Ocean, since I haven’t been on the Atlantic Coast since I was a baby. The walk was nice, even though it was cold.

After our walk, we had lunch at a sheltered picnic spot, and we had sandwiches while the wind blew outside.

On the drive back, I was allowed to read my book that I downloaded on iBooks, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han. If you love cheesy teen novels, as Mom calls them, you’ll love the book. I’d say it’s way better than the movie, but I’m sure there are people out there who say the movie is better.

Later that day, we had dinner at a sheltered picnic place and we had a strange combination of an Asian-Mediterranean dinner. We had an appetizer of Kalamata olives and Parmesan cheese. For dinner we had noodles with soy sauce with roasted vegetables. It was salty, but delicious and warming.

After dinner, we went back to camp, fighting strong winds. We immediately got bundled up and we went to bed.

The next day, we had a relaxing morning at camp, and that afternoon, we hiked up part of a five-mile loop. It was super pretty, and Daisy was obsessed with picking up acorn caps, since she can use them as whistles.

When we got to the viewpoint, we had snacks and I had bell pepper and pistachios. I like to use the bell pepper as a bowl and put the pistachios inside.

Later, Mom, Daisy, and I relaxed in the trailer, and I read for my Language Arts class. I bundled up in Mom and Dad’s bed (I think Daisy took up our whole bed that day), and Dad went out to get pizza. For dinner, we had pizza; Daisy and I had a veggie pizza, while Mom and Dad had a seafood pizza.

The next day, we left Cape Breton and headed for Lunenburg, a small town in Nova Scotia. It was super beautiful, and we stayed at an airbnb called the Ahoy Matey. The house was very nice and homey, and we stayed there for five nights.

For our first night in Lunenburg, we went to a place called The Knot Pub, and their food was delicious! For dessert there, I had an ice cream sundae (it’s been years since I’ve had an ice cream sundae).

That evening, we walked around Lunenburg and we walked to a beautifully lit gazebo. Daisy loved the gazebo. I think she felt like a princess while she was there.

The next morning, Daisy and I had cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, and as usual, we didn’t leave until late morning to noon. Our morning was spent touring Lunenburg, with Mom and Dad showing us the places they had visited in the past.

That afternoon, we went to a store called The Atlantic Superstore. The Atlantic Superstore is pretty cool. We got the stuff we needed, but once we got to the frozen food/dessert section, We went all out. We got a box of sixteen Eggo Waffles. We got so many, Eleven would be jealous (Stranger Things reference)! We also got three flavors of ice cream! We usually never get that many; two is the maximum we usually get.

The next few days, we explored places around Lunenburg. We went on different bike paths and Dad, Daisy, and I also explored a couple of museums in Lunenburg. One of them was called the Fisheries Museum, and the other was a museum about the railroads and trains around Nova Scotia.

The Fisheries Museum had different sea creature exhibits and there. We saw a blue lobster. I didn’t know that lobsters can be blue, so I thought it was super cool to see.

Next, we went to the Halifax & Southwestern Railway Museum. I loved how engaging the man who ran the museum was (Daisy, Dad, and I were the only visitors at that time). They have a model of the railways built with LEGO pieces and some other things. It was so cool!

At the end of the museum trip, Daisy and I looked around the little gift section. Daisy found a pin to add to her pin collection, and I found a pair of beautiful earrings. They had porcupine quills and light blue beads. They were made by the man’s wife, who is Mi’kmaw. His wife makes authentic Mi’kmaq jewelry and she hand makes it with high quality products.

The items were about twenty-five dollars together, but since his wife made them and all, he gave me a discount on the pin and earrings. Dad didn’t have cash and I only had $10, so he only charged ten dollars, and of course, I thanked him very much.

The last day we were in Nova Scotia, we went to the Kejimkujik National Park. That day we went biking! One of the bike paths we went on had a great view of the lake!

The bike ride that day was really nice, and later for lunch, we had a picnic near the lake where Daisy and I looked for small fish.

That night, I sadly packed my clothes into my suitcase, and my family and I played a couple last rounds of Dog Pound (a game that was at the house).

The next morning, we packed up, and I finished the ice cream Daisy picked out (she didn’t like hers), and because Dad wanted me to “burn off that ice cream,” I took a walk to the water to take a last look at Lunenburg. I was sad to leave such a beautiful place.

Mom, Dad, and Daisy came by in the truck, and we drove to Peggy’s Cove where there is a beautiful lighthouse. The logo of Mom’s business is based off of the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse.

Since I really wanted to try maple taffy, we decided to go to the Bubba Magoo’s candy store after going to see the lighthouse. At Bubba Magoo’s, there was lots of different candies and gifts, so I decided on some maple candies and maple taffy. Daisy decided on some cherry candies, and Mom got some chocolate fudge and maple fudge. I was so happy!

Later, we came to New Brunswick and we had dinner at the Hilltop Grill. The atmosphere was cool, but the waitress seemed very annoyed that we accidentally spilled a cup of water on the table and floor. Dad says that the people of New Brunswick aren’t as nice as the people of Nova Scotia.

After dinner, we stopped at Tim Horton’s so we could take Timbits across the border into the United States. Timbits are like donut holes, but they’re called Timbits at Tim Hortons. I got a Kit Kat donut with caramel, they didn’t have my favorite flavor, Canadian Maple.

We drove for about an hour until we reached the border. They let us through, and I took out the box of Timbits. I was sad to go.

My two weeks in Canada were the best two weeks of my life. I loved meeting different people, trying new things, and seeing the different cultures.

Mom says it sounds like I’m a junk food glutton with all the desserts and sweets I mentioned, and that she and Dad sound like bad parents for letting me eat so many sweets. But I made sure not to eat too much junk food in a day. When I bought Justin’s peanut butter cups one day at the store this month, Mom said I cannot buy anymore junk food for this month. So don’t worry, she and Dad are being good parents and not letting me buy too many sweets.

To see the full story of what happened between the California Redwoods and Canada, read Mom’s travel journal at lighthouseworldschool.com.