Toronto Blogger Collective

05/26/2026

05/22/2026

What an absolute pleasure it was to talk all things Newfoundland & Labrador on the “Traveling with AAA” Podcast yesterday.

We focused on what Bri Mitchell and I learned as Writers-in-Residence for Newfoundland & Labrador Tourism not so long ago!

I’ll be sharing the episode across my channels when it’s live, but I want to start by thanking the fantastic, first-class team associated with the production, and especially the wonderful host who I’ve been fortunate to know for a long time now, Angie Orth.

05/16/2026

All great tips ⬇️

05/15/2026

05/15/2026

Sports in Tampa Bay are something to be circled on any Tampa Bay itinerary, but there’s something special about the Tampa Bay Lightning, and that’s why, during hockey season, any visit to Tampa should include cheering on the Lightning.

05/12/2026

For years now, I've been a public advocate in the space of mental health, and for creating environments that not only acknowledge neurodivergent people, but actively support and encourage those individuals.

In the end, we all have our own unique deck of cards that we play this game called life with, and I'll be honest, as a kid, I often wished I had a different set of cards to play with.

But, I think a lot of that had to do with the shame that was attached to an acronym like ADHD -- one that I felt I wore like a scarlet letter in some environments that I realize, in retrospect, were simply not designed for me to thrive in.

It wasn't communicated clearly to me in society that "it was okay to be me." I was more worried about not ruffling feathers than I was about expanding my wingspan.

As Farah from Vancouver's North Shore got to know me better, and heard a bit about this side of me -- my former podcast about anxiety, my goal to help youth and young leaders embrace their neurodivergence, the public speaking I do around this, writing about how travel changed my life as a neurodivergent individual (https://www.travelingmitch.com/mostrecent/the-neurodivergent-case-for-travel) -- I saw something click, and when Bri and I got back to our room, there was a Neudivergent Sensory Backpack waiting there for us.

That...to me, told me everything I needed to know. Bri and I were both moved, quite honestly.

As part of their commitment to all visitors to their community, they offer a backpack loan program for neurodivergent individuals and their families. You can pick it up from MONOVA: Museum & Archives of North Vancouver and make use of the backpack for up to 15 days.

We're talking noise-reducing headphones for kids, ear plugs for adults, fidget toys, and a carefully crafted guide to neurodivergent-friendly experiences in the community.

But, to me, it's not just what is IN the backpack, it's the fact that this backpack exists in the first place.

It's a signal I would have welcomed fully as a youth trying to make sense of my neurodivergence. Namely, "you're welcome here, as you are."

05/08/2026

05/08/2026