I got on the ferry to Belfast. I kept thinking something is going to go wrong with my passport or something but it didn’t. I wasn’t doing anything wrong but it felt like it a bit as I was leaving mainland Britain. It took ages to get up the gangway and onto the boat as it was such a huge ship. When I got on I just found a spot that looked okay and sat there the entire time. The only time I moved was to get a cup of tea but my legs were like jelly and I had to hold onto something. The only ferries I had been on were Caladonian Macbrayn and they were nothing in comparison. It took about 2 hours to get over and when I got off there was a connecting bus into Belfast city. I got on and grabbed a taxi when I got to Europa station. I knew what hostel I was going to but the female taxi driver didn’t really know where it was and her sat nav was doing some strange stuff so she was driving up the road then turning back and things. I was getting stressed because it was late and they might not let me in but she did find it and I got in. There were 2 other women in the room with me. Sometimes they’re really young in hostels but there was an older woman there reading and a girl about my age. I said hello and went to bed. I was tired. The next day we were all chatting in the room about what we were doing there. I told them a bit but didn’t want to say I was leaving Britain. I ended up staying there a third night as I liked it, it was quiet and there were good cooking facilities and a good lounge area. I went into a place that did clinical studies and registered with them, they said they would let me know if anything came up. That was all I could really do. When the third night was up I started getting scared, they had a computer in the lounge area so I used it before I left, just applying for some jobs. I might have got lucky. The next day I left. I didn’t want to stay in Belfast as it was massive and I felt a bit disorientated going about, so I went to newtonards but realized there wasn’t much there. I think I enquired in a travel centre about campsites but they couldn’t help me much so I just got on a bus anywhere. There was one to a small village called milisle.I just got on it. When I got off there was a beach, a park area, a campsite, a pub and a shop that I could see. I knew it was just a small village but I had my tent, maybe there was somewhere I could pitch it, but it was getting dark and I wasn’t sure I could do it in the dark. I sat for a while on a bench and thought a bit. I had only had my fortnightly payment of 125 pounds to get over there because of tax credit repayments during my time in one of my previous flats that weren’t my fault in the first place and 40 pounds I had saved away by putting little bits of cash in a jar. I had also kept a little back on my card from the previous fortnight but I was going to have to be really careful. I had checked the campsite but it just looked like it was all caravans. I went into the pub for a while. I found a quiet area, had 2 drinks and checked some things online then I left. One of them had asked me if I was okay and I said yes, I didn’t know what else to say, but I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do. I went back to the park area and sat. I cried a bit then I got myself together, there were dog walkers out and about and kids with torches. After a while a man and a woman walked past. The woman turned back and asked me if I was okay and if I had anywhere to stay. I couldn’t lie this time and said I didn’t, I said I was trying to get in somewhere but I didn’t have much cash. I said something about having been in Newtonards and she was like I can take you there, I didn’t have time to think I just followed her as she was pulling my suitcase up the road by then. When I was in her car she asked again if I was okay, I can’t even remember what I said but I made it clear I didn’t have anywhere in Newtonards to stay or anywhere else. She went inside to check something and came back saying I could stay the night in their garage. I was so grateful just to not be outside. She took me to it where I had to go upstairs. Her 2 dogs were downstairs and upstairs there was a double bed which she made up for me and put the heating on then she came back with a sandwich and a drink and some biscuits. It wasn’t perfect and there were toys everywhere but it was okay for the night and maybe théy would help me tomorrow, although I wasn’t sure what they would think of me coming over here.
The next day she asked me in the house where I had a cup of tea and toast and banana. She made a phonecall to someone she knew who knew about homeless services. They got back to her and said I could go to the Simon community in lisburn as it was an emergency. I had to speak to the police first as it was procedure but they were really nice and just wanted to check I wasn’t missing and things. They drove me to Lisburn and told me it was a nice place and it would be better than Belfast as they had heard that was a bit rough. We got there and I thanked them then I went into the Simon where I was asked some questions about my situation then shown where I would be sleeping. It seemed like a decent place and I ended up staying there over 6 months.
Living with Neurodivergence 