#35 Solo adventures in London

Weeknotes — Monday 16 March – Sunday 22 March 2026

A week with a solo adventure in it. London on my own, an inclusive facilitation exchange, a haircut and a coaching call.

Dot and Dash

Coaching call this week with my business coach, seeing and discussing some of my repeated patterns, talking through things I wanted to see in the future and trying to work out the best ways that feel true to me and how I get there. Looking back over the years, I have achieved and excelled in many areas, more than I could ever realise. I have huge respect for coaches who help and facilitate people to live their best lives. The more I dive into why my brain works the way it does, the more neuroscience and coaching appeal to me, trying to resist the call to be a coach though, as I always saw mentoring as more my calling.

IAF Conference event planning

The usual IAF pre-meeting and volunteer meeting, plus lots of IAF emails and social media posts. I've had to squeeze things in earlier in the week as I have got a IFE conference which I booked after last year's event being so awesome.

Inclusive Facilitation Exchange (IFE)

Attended the Inclusive Facilitation Exchange this week. This is the kind of event I find genuinely energising, full of people who understand Neurodiversity, inclusion and accessibility. So many people work in the spaces where we have people who think differently. I honestly love the vibe of this conference.

The space and the people are so welcoming. It's a place where you don't have to mask, which can feel really hard to do when you are so used to it. Again, like last year, I ended up at the wrong place.. but remembered that I left myself about an hour to get there, so I had time before it officially started. Arrived a sweaty mess, but got my badge made during the intro talks. Scoffed down some delicious breakfast - the food at the venue is incredible, really catering for everyone's dietary requirements!

Love how Jenny has these kits ready. I got my social battery badge scale working this time - which I absolutely love, still have last year's badge - it gets reused when I run my own workshops.

There are so many spaces to go and just relax, fidget, engage, play, wander around. It was good to catch up with Nichole, who ran an accessibility lab with a few people, loved the spoons game she had, which represented my exact morning.

After the event, a bunch of us went out to continue the conversation; honestly, one of my favourite events of the year, which I have a lot of time for. This is so needed in the world. (sorry Jenny, I captured you with your eyes shut)

London — On My Own

Stayed overnight in London and spent a day visiting places on my own. Honestly, I love doing this. There is something about navigating a city at your own pace, with no agenda and no one else's preferences to factor in, that feels like a real treat.

I headed out and went to grab a vegan breakfast, wandered to Somerset House, The Royal Ballet , and then to Covent Garden, window shopping.. I didn't have the budget to buy anything that day, but something I could not shake off.

I caught a smell that drew me into an Ayurvedic beauty shop, Forest Essentials, The smell was Indian rose, and normally I don't like rose; it was an oil I never enjoyed using when I did alternative therapies. So it was strange that it drove me into the shop, and I had to buy it. I knew from studying alternative therapies, we are drawn to the smells that the body requires. So I bought a couple of products.

Later, with some research, I found these scents are to help calm the nervous system; it brings on peacefulness and balance. It reduces inflammation, bloating, and improves digestion. Rose being in this form is super sensory for me; as soon as I smell that aroma, it instantly calms me. Like a walk in nature. That scent still evokes a deep sense of calm that I cannot explain.

This is part of my sensory kit when I am feeling overwhelmed; it instantly grounds me, reminds me to pause and drifts me to a place of being on holiday with the warm sun. Love Ayurvedic treatments ever since discovering them on holiday in Sri Lanka.

I then treated myself to a mini stationary trawl around Covent Garden picking up a few useful things: a pocket bullet journal, a mini pencil case, and some cute stickers. Inspired by AMC who was running a stationary trawl around London, which I couldn't make.

I headed to the enormous library near St Pancras station and wandered around reading in different places. A blissful day in London. FYI if you get a library pass, you can sit in there and read books, instead of a noisy, crowded station next door. Although I love Searcy's as my indulgent treat of a glass of champagne or breakfast. It's a great place to sit, chill, journal, as it's always usually just me when I go in there!

I wonder... how often we ignore what our bodies need, driven to quiet down our internal signals that our bodies need some care and restoration. By not recognising when our bodies need care and attention, it's so easy to carry on and exhaust ourselves or worse, burn out.

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