So, when it was the end of my junior year of high school and it was time to make the \u201cbig decision,\u201d I was stuck. I felt that I deserved a world full of potential, after all I worked hard for the past 4 years to earn that 4.2 GPA, and I thought that my potential was farther away than my local university. I did some research and somehow convinced myself that these big schools only existed in warm states \u2013 specifically California. Sure, weather had a big impact (after all, you think driving a car in snow is hard, try a wheelchair) but I also wanted to be somewhere where things happened and I would have endless opportunities.<\/p>\n
My parents tried to steer me a bit closer to home, but after I kept persisting, they agreed and took me on a road trip across the country\u00a0to visit my \u201cdream\u201d schools. First up: Berkeley and Stanford, California!<\/p>\n
We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, but not without checking for accessibility! When booking the trip, my mom had to go the extra mile beyond visiting TripAdvisor. After finding the hotels in the areas we would be, she had to call them individually during times when the front desk staff are at their best (she said that\u2019s somewhere in the early afternoon \u2013 after check-out and before check-in). She then proceeded to check that the shower was a roll-in (a lot of hotels advertise this, but once you get there, there is often a bump about an inch tall that is difficult to overcome), asked about the beds\u2019 height (necessary to safely transfer me from my wheelchair to the bed), and asked if there were any rooms without carpet (tile or hardwood is preferred for the wheelchair and my other equipment). After all that was said and done, she usually had to speak directly with housekeeping to confirm everything the front desk promised. Then, she was finally able to book the room, and she made sure they price matched whatever TripAdvisor advertised.<\/p>\n
The hotel itself was everything you\u2019d expect from a well-established chain like Holiday Inn, but the area itself was a bit concerning when we first arrived. The streets are very busy, which makes it difficult to turn into the hotel. There were also a few people lingering around outside and near the hotel, which made us nervous, so we took all of our belongings inside with us.<\/p>\n
We didn\u2019t do a real tour for either Berkeley or Stanford, rather, we chose to wander on our own schedule to see and discover what the beautiful campuses had to offer. I visited both universities\u2019 disability services, to compare what they had to offer and to \u201ctest the waters\u201d on how accommodating they could be. Berkeley had a promising start, as their counselor was disabled himself and told me how he got around independently on campus. He also explained how they have a partnership with their med school, so if one of my nurses called out, they would send someone to temporarily help me. Stanford also supplied a lot of resource options, the biggest being their campus shuttle system. They said I could tell the driver my weekly schedule, and they would drive me across the 12.8 square-mile campus! My own personal limo? It was very<\/em> tempting!<\/p>\n From there, we went down to Los Angeles to visit UCLA, USC, and Whittier College. We stayed at the Doubletree Los Angeles. My mom had to ask the same questions, and they guaranteed that they met all of our requirements. Yes, they had a fully roll-in shower and part of the room had tile instead of carpet, but the beds were not tall enough. We immediately called the front desk, worried that we would have to change hotels, but they sent up maintenance to take a look. It turns out, they\u2019ve had this issue before as they accommodate guests, and they had a solution! They brought up 4 blocks of wood, and drilled them into the legs of my bed, which made it tall enough for me to be safely transferred. We were surprised at their cooperation and willingness, but the process did take a while and we weren\u2019t able to get settled or relaxed for an additional hour and a half while they worked.<\/p>\n We spent the next few days visiting the schools, and I was overwhelmed at times, and felt an uncomfortable amount of familiarity at others. We toured UCLA and USC back-to-back, and it was exhausting. I didn\u2019t have time to visit their disability services, as we were booked solid. The universities themselves were amazing, but the tours felt like a stimulus overload with all the people and the marketing schemes. The next day or so, we visited the small university of Whittier College. With an undergraduate population of 1,776 students, this university was smaller than my high school. I wasn\u2019t against a small school, I just wanted to feel that they wanted me and cared about my education. And, oh, did they! I booked a one-on-one meeting with the head of the English department, and after our official meeting ended, he insisted on taking me on a personalized tour of the school. It was a short trip, but at least I knew they cared!<\/p>\n This entire trip to California would have been incomplete without a quick respite at the Happiest Place on Earth \u2013 Disneyland! We stayed at the Grand Californian hotel resort, that way we could exit the hotel right at Downtown Disney and begin our adventures. The room was fine, but the layout of the bathroom made a few things tricky, but we made do. After all, we were in Disney, so who cares about a few technical difficulties? Downtown Disney was alive with music, light displays, and vendors \u2013 and that was all before we made it to the actual parks! We wandered around California Adventure and Disneyland, and most of my wandering entailed sight-seeing. There are a few rides that are marked as “accessible,” but they often ask the person to get out of their wheelchairs. I was able to enjoy quite a few rides, such as It’s A Small World, The Little Mermaid, and Winnie the Pooh. Even though those rides are a bit more childish, I enjoyed every twist and turn the tracks took. The best part of the trip was when I rode the Ferris Wheel in their summertime exclusive park Pixar Pier. It was the first time I had ever ridden a Ferris Wheel, so I took a few spins! In between rides we bought way<\/em> too many Mickey-themed goodies, and enjoyed a beautiful fireworks display. From there, we were scheduled to head home\u2026 with another detour. It was time to go to my parents\u2019 Disneyland \u2013 Vegas!<\/p>\n We stayed at the Bellagio hotel, and it was honestly the most accessible place I had been in that entire 2-week trip. The beds were adjustable in height, had a massager, and the head and feet could all raise with the push of a button! They had a ceiling lift, which went from the bedroom to the bathroom, even over the tub and toilet. The shower was level with the floor, which meant that there was no<\/em> lip or bump whatsoever. And, it was Vegas, so it all felt very<\/em> luxurious! My mom and I had a spa day where we got our nails done, and then we all dressed up to go see the acrobatic performance of Cirque du Soleil\u2019s Bellagio-exclusive show \u201cO.\u201d We enjoyed our time, as we made sure to try all the crazy foods and we went through a lot of interactive exhibits. We visited the Wax Museum and took pictures with all our favorite celebrities’ statues, and stopped at a restaurant with a fitting name – The Sugar Factory. We didn’t bother with real food, we were there for the sweets! We each got our own tower of milkshake, and after I ate the s’more topper, I felt that familiar sugar buzz. So, we took things a little slower after that. After a few more days, it was time to head home!<\/p>\n The trip itself took a lot out of me, so I spent about 3 days straight in my bed recovering from all the highs. Then, it was game time. By the time it was college application season, I had already ruled out Berkeley and Whittier. Berkeley was just a little too weird, and it’s located on top of a steep hill which made things tricky. Whittier was simply too small, I wanted to leave my high school to meet new people, and I didn’t think that would be as easy at Whittier. But, I knew that I still wanted a chance at Stanford, UCLA, and USC to see what my potential was. That trip gave me the momentum needed to head into my senior year ready to tackle those applications to see what opportunities I had.<\/p>\n So, while most people take trips to escape<\/em> reality, my most recent trip was to find<\/em> my reality. Even though I chose a school in Colorado, that trip helped show me my true potential, and gave me a boost in confidence that pushed me through the remainder of my high school experience. Traveling still isn\u2019t the easiest thing for me, and planes are a completely different story. Which is ironic, since my mom is planning a Disney World trip for us at the end of 2021, which will definitely require a plane ride. But who knows, maybe I\u2019ll discover a little more about myself then?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"A](\"http:\/\/richardcolby.net\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/stanford-169x300.jpg\")
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