Autistic Travel Voices #5: Fred Spencer

As many of you may be aware, there is very little in the way of travel-related information online which focuses on autistic adults, or has any input from the autistic travel community.

‘Autistic Travel Voices’ is an opportunity for others in the community to discuss topics surrounding their own travel journeys, and how their lived experience of traveling intersects with being autistic.

In this new edition of ‘Autistic Travel Voices’ I had a chat with Fred Spencer, who is currently on a working holiday visa in Australia. Originally from London, Fred has loved travel since a young age. He has built an impressive repertoire over the years, including spending 3 months living in a rural village in Tanzania building a toilet block for a primary school and trekking through the Himalayas in Nepal. With such great experiences under his belt,  I was excited to have Fred as my next guest – you can read our conversation below.

• Q1: Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

 Hello, my name is Freddie Spencer, I am a 26-year-old autistic solo backpacker from London. 

• Q2: Did you grow up traveling, or was it something you started to do when you became an adult?

 I used to go on a lot of summer holidays with my family when I was younger but as I got older I realized how much enjoyment I got from traveling and I wanted to spend more time traveling to different countries. For me, this is an important part of my life.

• Q3: When was your first solo trip? Where did you go?

 I did Camp America in 2016 when I was 19. I was working on a special needs summer camp in Salt Lake City Utah. Although this was solo I went through an organization meaning I was with a group of solo travellers. 

I have done quite a lot of other travel through organizations like Raleigh International (they are a charity that supports projects in rural countries), I took part in two different projects in Tanzania and Nepal.  Right now I am on my first proper solo trip in Australia. I am on a working holiday visa so I have been backpacking and living here solo.

• Q4: What have you learned about yourself as an autistic adult since traveling solo?

I’ve definitely learned that I need to have a plan, one thing about me is if I don’t have a plan I will stress myself out. I have also learned I need to not overdo things, meaning if I book too many activities or socialize too much it can sometimes drain my social battery (mine runs out fast) so I have definitely learned to find a balance where I can be around other people but also give myself time to myself to recharge.

• Q5: What are the benefits of traveling solo for you on a personal level?

That there are no rules, I only need to please myself. I don’t have to force myself into anything and it has helped me to get out of my comfort zone and be more socially active and less socially anxious.

• Q6: How do you prepare for your trips? Do you feel like you are more of a pre-planner or a spontaneous/go-with-the-flow kind of traveler?

 I am definitely a pre-planner; I need to have a plan. I feel if I don’t it can stress me out. I think a plan is important so for example when I started traveling up the East Coast of Australia, I planned all of my locations, tours, and accommodation before I left Sydney so I knew what to expect and how long I was staying in each location for.

• Q7: Do you have a favourite destination so far?

 I’m stuck between two different countries – Tanzania and Australia. 

Tanzania opened my eyes, I spent 3 months in a rural village and saw how having just a basic lifestyle and household can make you appreciate life. This was one of my biggest challenges living in a completely new environment and this is something I will always appreciate. And, Australia because it is such a beautiful country with amazing weather, beaches, rainforests, and outdoor hiking. 

• Q8: Having traveled to various places across the world, do you feel that certain places are more accepting of your autistic traits than others, based on the inherent cultural differences you’ve experienced?

 I think that some definitely are but I also think some are not because not many travellers or other countries that I’ve visited know much about autism. I think all of the volunteering programs I did such as when I went to Tanzania and Nepal, the company knew about my diagnosis and how to support me, but traveling alone can definitely be more of a challenge.

• Q9: What challenges does being autistic present for you when you are traveling and what strategies do you use to cope with these challenges?

For me one of my biggest challenges is being in a new environment with new people, this can generally make me feel panic and anxious. The way I cope with challenges like this is to remember everyone I meet in a hostel or volunteering program is in the same boat, take a few deep breaths, and remember to just be yourself. There might be some off days but you just need to remember that everyone goes through those days and not to be too harsh on yourself if you feel like you are struggling. Sometimes I just need a more chilled day/night to myself instead of being around others and that’s okay because most people need that. I have also learned if I am traveling somewhere new and I know I am going to be exhausted especially if it’s after a long day of travelling I sometimes book somewhere that is more of a private accommodation such as an AirBnB so I can give myself some space and get used to my new environment first.

• Q10: From your own experience, how accessible do you feel the tourism industry is for autistic travelers? Do you have any suggestions for improvement within the industry?

Personally, I don’t think autism is talked about enough in this world and I definitely don’t think it is talked about in the tourism industry. I definitely believe that more opportunities, skills, and support should be given to autistic travellers. I personally don’t know many autistic solo travellers and I would like to meet others who are in a similar boat to me.

• Q11: Do you have any advice/tips to share with other autistic adults looking to travel solo?

Honestly, I think if you are unsure about traveling solo, I think you should try it but take some precautions when traveling solo. It’s different for every autistic adult but if you are someone who doesn’t like noise, make sure you bring earplugs with you. If you want to stay somewhere within a budget but don’t want somewhere that’s too noisy or wild, check the reviews for each hostel and choose somewhere that grabs your attention the most because every hostel is different and some are more sociable and outgoing whereas others are more quiet than others. 

Also, if like me you need to have a plan make sure you do plan what to do, trust yourself and do what is best for you. 

If you would like to keep up to date with Fred and his adventures, then you can find him over on instagram – or at his own blog here.