This is what it feels like when your child has autism

 

Imagine booking a trip to some place you’ve always wanted to go:  Let’s say Belize.  You plan for months, daydreaming how you will relax on pristine sand, enjoying the balmy weather, sipping a cool, umbrella-adorned drink, ocean breeze gently rippling through your hair like a lover’s fingers.  The anticipation of this destination is your only focus, a single expectation.  Finally, the bags are packed and it’s time to begin this wonderful adventure.  You arrive at the airport early, passport in hand.  You can’t put your finger on it, but something isn’t quite right.  You double check the boarding pass, ensuring everything is as it should be.  Settling in, the flight attendants welcome you with frozen smiles and complimentary soft drinks, yet you fidget in your seat. Hours later, the aircraft lands and the pilot makes an announcement from the cockpit:  Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.  The local time is 2:45 pm, and the temperature is 12 degrees.  Welcome to Moscow.