How to Make Travel More Inclusive: Real Stories from Various Travelers

What does it actually look like to make travel more inclusive?

For many of us, it starts with the moments that are often overlooked: reading a menu in a new language when you have a food allergy, navigating sensory overwhelm in a crowded airport, or wondering if a tour will accommodate your body size or medical device. These moments might not make the guidebooks — but they deeply shape how we experience the world.

I’m Audra, the history-loving traveler behind The Nerd Traveler, where I explore how heritage, culture, and identity intersect with every journey. And I’m Lisa from 1 2 3 Go Solo, where I empower women to embrace solo travel with confidence — whether it’s their first trip or their fiftieth, locally or globally.

In our first installment, we shared our own stories on how the two of us approach food sensitivities and allergies while traveling the world, experiencing different foods and cultures.

In our second installment, we shared Al Hawn's story on traveling as a queer and neurodivergent person.

In our third installment, we shared Shereen's story on traveling as a plus-sized women with medical devices.

In our fourth installment, we shared Michael's story: Finding Calm and Space as an Autistic Traveler.

Ben’s Story: Travel as a Way to Become Himself

What does travel feel like when your brain does not always cooperate with the idea of getting out the door?

For many neurodivergent travelers, the challenge does not start at the airport. It starts earlier — in the gap between planning a trip and actually following through.

Ben knows that gap well.

As an autistic ADHDer with more than a decade of solo travel experience, he does not struggle with wanting to travel. If anything, travel is what he works toward.

But that does not make it easy.

Ben’s story is not about avoiding difficulty.

It is about what happens when you go anyway.

The Push and Pull of Leaving Home

For Ben, travel does not trigger instant overwhelm.

It feels heavier than that.

A quiet resistance.

The sense of having planned everything… and now needing to act on it.

He is often packing at the last minute. Not from carelessness, but because starting is the hardest part.

At home, that resistance can keep him stuck — inactive, stifled, and isolated under the weight of expectations and demand avoidance.

Travel interrupts that.

Not because it is easier.

Because it forces movement.

Learning Himself, Later Than Expected

Ben was diagnosed with autism early in life, long before there was language or community around it.

His ADHD diagnosis came much later — in his 30s.

And that shifted everything.

For years, he had no real AuDHD peer connection. Just coping strategies that felt normal because they were all he knew.

Now, he is still stepping into that conversation.

Listening to others.

Recognizing patterns in himself.

Questioning where he has been coping versus where he has been struggling.

That awareness comes with a mix of clarity and discomfort — including moments of imposter syndrome and internalized expectations he is still unpacking.

But it is also opening the door to something new:

Not just coping.

Building systems that might actually work.

When Travel Actually Starts

The hardest part is starting.

But once Ben arrives somewhere new, something shifts.

The dread fades.

He begins quietly — walking, observing, getting his bearings without pressure.

Then momentum builds.

Plans loosen.

Curiosity takes over.

He improvises more than he prepares.

There are inefficiencies — wasted time, unnecessary spending — but they rarely matter.

Because what drives him is something else:

The dopamine of discovery.

The satisfaction of capturing a photo or a moment.

The feeling of turning experience into something meaningful.

That is how he remembers places.

Pushing Past His Own Limits

Travel does not remove Ben’s challenges.

But it changes how far he is willing to push.

He walks longer.

Keeps going when he is exhausted.

Pushes past the limits that stop him at home.

There is an intensity to it — a kind of momentum tied to the peaks and troughs of ADHD.

At home, things stall.

On the road, they move.

And he leans into that.

He does not like being held back — which can make traveling with others complicated.

He wants shared experiences.

But he is still learning how to balance that with his own pace.

Familiar vs. Unknown

Not every destination feels the same.

Familiar places are easier.

Unfamiliar ones require more structure.

Ben is honest about that.

Places like India appeal to him, but would require:

• Careful planning around food

• Navigating language barriers

• Avoiding scams

• Possibly hiring a guide

Without that, the experience could become overwhelming.

He has felt that before — Istanbul stands out as one of the more intense trips he has taken.

Not bad.

Just demanding.

Invisible Needs While Traveling

Ben has spent most of his life adapting.

Not asking.

Not expecting accommodations.

Just figuring it out.

But travel still brings friction:

• Sensory overload

• Crowds and unpredictability

• Physical discomfort as a plus-size traveler

• The need for more space than standard systems allow

His experience overlaps with others in this series, including Shereen’s perspective on plus-size travel and medical devices.

And like many neurodivergent travelers, his needs are not always visible — something echoed in Michael’s neurodivergent travel experience and Al’s experience as a queer neurodivergent traveler.

Even outside of neurodivergence, invisible needs shape travel in significant ways, as explored in this guide to traveling with food allergies.

The Sunflower Lanyard

Ben has started using a sunflower lanyard — a subtle signal for hidden disabilities.

His experience with it is mixed.

Sometimes staff notice.

Sometimes the help is useful.

Sometimes it is not.

But the signal matters.

It reflects a broader shift — toward recognizing needs that are not immediately visible, and making space for them without requiring explanation every time.

A Night in Okinawa

One of Ben’s most meaningful travel moments came in Okinawa.

It started with overwhelm.

A remote island, unfamiliar food, culture shock — enough to make him leave early, worried about how he came across.

But later, at a hostel on a nearby island, the experience changed.

He was invited to sit with staff and other travelers.

No pressure.

No expectations.

Just conversation and quiet inclusion.

He could engage as much or as little as he wanted.

And for once, he did not feel like he had to explain himself.

Travel as Aesthetic and Memory

Ben does not just visit places.

He experiences them through mood, music, and atmosphere.

Each destination becomes a kind of internal scene:

• Southern Europe feels warm and timeless

• Scotland feels dramatic and moody

• Cities shift into something brighter and faster

Music shapes it all.

Each trip becomes something like a lived film — a sequence of moments tied together by feeling.

Building a System That Does Not Exist Yet

There is no perfect system behind how Ben travels.

But he is starting to look for one.

As he learns more about himself and connects with other neurodivergent voices, he is becoming more intentional.

Curious about frameworks like Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Interested in how environments trigger behavior.

Because travel clearly does that for him.

It activates something.

The question now is whether parts of that can be recreated — not just on the road, but in everyday life.

Why He Keeps Going

Travel is not easy for Ben.

But staying still is not easy either.

And between those two, travel offers something more.

Momentum.

Engagement.

A version of himself that feels more alive.

That version does not always come naturally.

But it is there.

And every trip is another chance to step into it.

Need Help Planning a More Inclusive Trip?

Audra offers custom travel planning and advisory services to help you navigate logistics, food restrictions, and destination research with intention. Whether you’re solo, navigating allergies, or just need a nerdy deep dive into itinerary planning, I’ve got you covered. Work with me →

Lisa offers 1:1 coaching for women who want to travel solo but don’t know where to start. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to take the leap, she’s the support system you didn’t know you needed. Learn more here →

For much more insight into Ben's life and travels, visit Afterlight Travel.