Welcome to this interview series with fellow autistic adults. Some will be guest posts, and others will be interviews on the highs and lows of autistic travel and everything in between.
Alex Stratikis Bio: Alex received his autism diagnosis at the age of six, a pivotal piece of conscious knowledge that has profoundly shaped his identity. Initially pursuing a career in linguistics, Alex studied and trained as a Japanese translator. However, he eventually chose to leverage his own experiences as an autistic solo traveler to drive meaningful change in the tourism industry. He founded “Autism Adventures Abroad,” a platform dedicated to providing insights, personal experiences, and tips on accessible travel for autistic people through his writing, consultations, and destination marketing collaborations. In 2024, Alex joined the GetAboutAble team as an Access and Inclusion Consultancy Officer, where he continues to promote accessibility and inclusion in travel within Australia.
1. Tell us about your background.
I’m Greek/Scottish, though I have lived in 6 countries in total and am now settled in Melbourne, Australia. Originally, my goal was to stay in Japan and become a translator. While I technically achieved both of those goals, life had other plans for me. Since COVID, I have been engaging with accessible and inclusive tourism.
2. When did you realize you were autistic?
I was formally diagnosed twice at the age of 6, so it’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I cannot separate my existence from my autistic experience; it’s always been part of my consciousness.
3. Do you have any special interests you want to share?
I get a new special interest every few months or so, though quite often I revisit some that I haven’t explored years after I last looked at it. Having said that, I do not feel like they are as intense as when I was younger, and I am much more reserved about sharing them than I was when I was younger when I just didn’t care as much. Some of my past special interests have been travel, flags, countries (literally all aspects of other countries, especially ones I haven’t yet been to), tornadoes, conveyor belts, archaeology, music sampling, 80s music, hippie culture, octopuses, insects, The Lion King, the ocean abyss, rollercoasters, and theme park rides, to name a few.
4. Has your sensory system fluctuated over the years? For example, has your hearing become more acute (and noise more unbearable)?
It definitely has in some respects. There are some things I used to tolerate well when I was younger that I just find unfathomable now. An example would be nightclubs: extremely loud, usually cramped, and people constantly pushing you, an overreliance on body language as opposed to speech, and lots of different bright flashing lights happening all at once. When I was at university, I would barely bat an eyelid at these kinds of environments, but now I know to try to stick to bars if it’s a drinking and/or socializing kind of event.
5. Did you move homes much as a child? Did your family take trips?
I grew up in a fairly international family and lived in several homes throughout my childhood (in both Greece and Scotland). I left to move abroad by myself to Japan at 19 and have lived abroad ever since. I often took family trips growing up too, throughout Greece, Scotland, England, and Spain (where our close family lived). We never took any trips that weren’t to visit family (I was only able to do that after I moved to Japan).
6. Do you like to travel? What kind of travel do you like?
I love to travel, though I’ve really slowed down lately to get other aspects of my life back on track. I still have a bucketlist worthy of becoming a novella, however. As for what type of travel I like, I would have to say spontaneous travel, preferably solo. It allows for so many freedoms and possibilities that you can’t get with other kinds of travel.
7. My special interest is packing. Do you like to pack or have any packing tips for other autistic travelers?
Write a list of everything you need for every trip, no matter what. As well as another list with all the things you’ll need to pack based on the climate (and any other factors you might want to consider). I find packing a stressful experience, and there is always without fail something I forget in the end if I don’t have a list handy to remind myself of what to take. The list itself can be updated and adapted with each new trip; it definitely gets easier the more you travel!
8. If you like to travel, how do you deal with the uncertainty? Or anxiety?
This one has been a gradual process; I don’t think it’ll ever stop evolving. While uncertainty is truly a terrifying concept in my daily life, it is one I have learned to embrace while traveling. Unfortunately, when traveling A to B, uncertainty comes with the territory (particularly so when going by plane), and that is something I have learned to become numb to with time and experience. When on the trip itself, I much prefer spontaneity, which itself I consider a facet of uncertainty. But it does allow for the most exciting trips, best adventures, and coolest interactions with new people. Anxiety, on the other hand, is something I struggle with. I think generally, learning just to avoid or minimize your own personal triggers while traveling is the way to go. And when that isn’t possible (at the airport, for example), then making it clear to staff when necessary or taking advantage of available initiatives (like the Sunflower Lanyard) is the best I can do otherwise.
9. What does “travel anxiety” mean to you?
For me, it can mean multiple things. Fear of the unknown is a truly human experience, but exposing yourself to new cultures, countries, people, ideas, etc. can really help challenge your own internal biases over a period of time. I also think as an autistic person, ‘travel anxiety’ can be the apprehension around our needs possibly not being met or catastrophizing a plethora of scenarios in our heads before engaging in the trip itself. The changes in routine, crowds, new sounds, smells, sights, and unpredictability are just some examples of things that can make our travel experience a challenging one.
10. Do you have any advice for other autistic travelers, especially those who are overwhelmed by the idea of it?
The first thing if you are overwhelmed by the thought of it is to just take the plunge, or nothing will ever change. If there’s something new you want to do in life, then sometimes I think it is best just to go for it and work out the rest along the way. But then, I’ve never been one to wait around, especially for other people (probably why I prefer solo travel). Next, cut yourself some slack when traveling, and don’t expect everything to go right. The more you can detach yourself from the scheduling process and let go of your daily routines, the more chance you have of actually being able to enjoy yourself and just living in the moment. That said, it was a process for me; each new trip I persevered through whatever came my way while learning more knowledge about myself (needs/wants/desires/limits, etc.) and the world around me. If you can push past any initial hurdles, then you have set yourself up for further travel success further down the line (that is my experience, at least).
Rose’s Takeaways: How to Create Your Own Travel Path
Fantastic insights from Alex! Alex is the first person in this interview series to have known they were autistic from a young age. It’s fascinating to compare the similarities and differences when you have this realization from a young age to those of us who found out in our 30s, 40s, and 50s.
- Packing tip gold! I absolutely love the idea of writing one list you need for every trip (and saving that so you can adapt it), but also one that explicitly considers the weather and climate. It also makes it more maneagble: start with what you need personally, and then, as stage two, consider the climate. So essential for autistic challenges with temperature, sun, and climate in general.
- “I would have to say spontaneous travel, preferably solo. It allows for so many freedoms and possibilities that you can’t get with other kinds of travel.” Yes. While traveling as an autistic person with someone else can be essential for many of us, solo travel actually allows us to go at our own pace and not have to anticipate other’s needs/routines/movements/etc.
- Alex didn’t say this directly, but their point about travel anxiety and sponteneity made me think how I’ve used sponteneity as a way to deal with my travel anxiety in the past — or at least to break that thought loop which can quickly spiral. People think autistic folx can’t be spontaneous, but I find (at least for myself), it’s actually a great way to deal with a day where my routine just isn’t possible since it’s a travel day anyway.
- Finally, Alex’s point about learning about ourselves while traveling is such a powerful one. Since so many of us have an “extreme growth mindset,” travel is one of the best ways to engage in that special interest of really trying to understand ourselves. Thank you, Alex!
What’s the best way for us to follow your work?
Website: https://autismadventuresabroad.com/
Instagram: @autismadventuresabroad https://www.instagram.com/autismadventuresabroad/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-ns7/
The post Autistic Traveler Interviews: How to Create Your Own Travel Path appeared first on The Autistic Traveler.
