Well! I have now completed my first week of classes at the Colorado Center for the Blind. As many people have asked me about what I'll be doing in my program there, I figured I'd start this blog to keep y'all updated.

The first thing you should know is that every student at the Center is required to wear sleep shades that block out all light. This policy is in effect from 8 AM, when we assemble for morning announcements, until 4:30 PM, when our last class of the day ends and we scatter to the winds. Although my sight is obviously very limited, I still rely on it a great deal in my daily life; so leaving it behind poses any number of new challenges.

The first trick is simply getting around the Center. The building is a converted YMCA, so the floorplan isn't exactly a logical grid. I've spent the past few days trying to commit the layout to memory, noting specific landmarks and building an image in my mind. I'm at the point now where I can more or less find my classrooms, but I still get disoriented easily if I deviate from the paths I'm familiar with.

As for classes, I have four of them: Travel (learning how to navigate around the Center, the neighborhood, and, eventually, the Denver metro area); Home Managemet (cooking and cleaning -- which, I might add, were the biggest draws for me entering a program like this); Braille; and Tech (learning how to use computers and smartphones without sight). Diving into all four subjects without the aid of sight has been quite the challenge this week, but thankfully, I like challenges and have been very excited with the progress I've made:

TRAVEL -- I completed my first "independent" yesterday, locating and returning from a coffee shop that's maybe 12-15 minutes from the Center through a residential area.
HOME MANAGEMENT -- unsurprisingly, this is my worst subject, so they're taking it easy on me; but I've been doing some basic stuff and feel a huge sense of relief that I'll soon be quite proficient in this department. One of my graduation requirements is to cook a meal for 65 people, so expect some kitchen ninja skills next time you see me.
BRAILLE -- I've learned about 2/3 of the alphabet and various punctuation signs, and am slowly pawing my way through some short sentences.
TECH -- I've been learning the Windows-based software known as JAWS, which allows blind people to use their computers vision-free (in fact, the computers in the Tech classrooms have no monitors). It's a lot of memorization of keyboard shortcuts, but I'm getting the hang of basic Outlook and Word functions and look forward to becoming a more fluent user.

It has been an exhausting week -- not being able to rely on sight at all means an awful lot of memorization, listening for cues, and taxing my brain in ways it's not used to -- but I'm thrilled to be here in Littleton, learning skills that will allow me to take more control of my life. I'll keep ya posted...