Slightly embarrassingly perhaps for someone who ought to keep on top of such things, but today I gathered that October is International Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) awareness month. It’s a month to celebrate and raise the profile of those of us who use communication aids. Of course I think this is a great idea. I use a communication aid pretty much daily, mostly when I’m out and about, and you would be surprised how many people still don’t really know how to interact with someone like me. However, perhaps the best thing I can do here today is to point out how vital my communication aid was on the incredible trip I just got back from. As often happens, John became used to how I speak and the strange patterns of my natural voice; yet I nonetheless needed to use the communication app on my iPad quite regularly, from suggesting where I thought we should head to, to selecting what I wanted to eat. In fact, I would go as far as to say that trips like the one I just had, and indeed my whole life as a man living independently in London, would not be possible if I didn’t have my communication aid. I think that is very much worth highlighting and celebrating, and I really hope documenting my travels here might encourage people in similar positions to me to try similar things.