English is my second language and I still make plenty of mistakes, and until a year ago, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be creating, writing, and publishing a weekly newsletter!

Today I am celebrating a few milestones:

Every week when I write to you, I have one goal: to inspire you to dream and to gather the memories — because I know, as a mom, that our kids grow up in the blink of an eye. Our parents age. Life moves relentlessly forward. And in the end, the most precious things we have are the memories we created... and hopefully some cool pictures!

But there's a bigger reason I'm building The Autism Passport.

If you're a parent in this community, you may know about "the cliff." That terrifying drop-off after high school when the support systems vanish. I've seen how hard it is for these incredible young adults to find meaningful employment or find ways to keep their lives moving forward. I know about the talents, the intelligence, and the unique brilliance they possess. And I know they don't need a handout — they need an advocate. An opportunity. Someone who believes in their potential and sees what they can do, not what they can't.

My vision is to create an organization that empowers these young adults to become entrepreneurs if they wish — or to provide the advocacy through connections to find jobs that celebrate their strengths.

It's a huge undertaking, and we are at the very beginning. But this is my "why." This is the reason behind The Autism Passport.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for taking these journeys with me. You are now part of this movement.

I invite you to DREAM BIGGER!

I am literally editing this section while watching the launch of Artemis II. Such a beautiful launch! We are going around the MOON!!! Just typing that gave me goosebumps! What a milestone for humanity! One more thing to celebrate!

I can only imagine the feelings of the astronauts and their families as they launch in the most powerful rocket carrying humankind. I am looking at the live NASA YouTube channel and the chat is exploding with people posting thousands of flags from around the world. In this moment, I am literally watching the world unite as we go to Explore the Universe!

When I say "I can only imagine the feelings," my stomach has huge butterflies... because I do have a big launch of my own!

After 50 weeks of exploration through The Autism Passport, I'm ready to share something I've been building quietly — something deeply personal and powerfully intentional.

I am happy to announce:

I am now a certified Sensory & Autism-Friendly Travel Designer.

What does that mean?

It means I didn't just want to be passionate about helping families travel — I wanted to be the MOST QUALIFIED person to do it.

I've spent the past year earning multiple industry certifications in autism-friendly and sensory-aware travel planning. Combined with over two decades as an autism parent, extensive travel experience, my board position advocating for non-speaking individuals, and this movement reaching families like yours every week — I bring both lived experience and professional expertise to every booking.

This isn't just my business. It's personal — because I'm a mom who gets it.

Today I am officially launching Gathering Memories Travel!

We opened our doors back in October. We have served family and friends with their travel experiences. Now we are ready to open our doors to the public!

This is more than a business for me; it's the foundation for a legacy.

My vision and goal is to build a non-profit from the proceeds of my travel agency. A non-profit with one single, critical mission: to serve young adults with autism aged 18-30.

If your child is younger than 18, this work is FOR them. We're building the infrastructure now so it's ready when they need it.

That's why I started Gathering Memories Travel — a full-service travel agency designed for families who need more than a booking. Families who need:

• Sensory-aware planning (because not every hotel room will work)

• Advocacy (because you shouldn't have to fight for accommodations alone)

• Confidence (because you deserve to travel without fear)

I hold certifications in autism-friendly travel, sensory accommodations, and accessible design — and I'm constantly learning — because families like yours (and mine) deserve an expert who truly understands.

So when you read this newsletter, when you share a post, or when you choose to plan a trip with me — know that you're doing more than gathering memories for your own family. You are helping build a future for the next generation. You are part of something bigger and truly transformative.

This is my big launch to take you to EXPLORE THE WORLD.

🚀 Want to watch the historic Artemis II launch? Click here to watch on YouTube

Ready to start planning your family's next adventure? Reply to this email and let's talk about where you want to go.

I have been an entrepreneur for over twenty years. My head is always thinking. "I have a crazy idea" — is a phrase that my husband has learned means: "I'm thinking about doing something and you better prepare for the ride." This is how this newsletter idea came about.

About a year ago, something within me woke up the desire to make an impact bigger than just business. I did not know exactly how all the pieces would fit together.

I guess that turning 55 this week has brought a lot of reflections on what someone can learn in half a century. No worries, I'm not going through a midlife crisis. It's the other way around. I am transforming into the person I want to become, growing and learning until I double my age! LOL

I had no idea that The Autism Passport would take me to meet so many incredible people and the ways I can expand my impact.

A few months ago, I was honored to be asked to be a part of the board of directors for Tucson Spellers — an incredible organization that supports non-speaking individuals who communicate via spelling boards.

I am humbled to be asked to be part of such an amazing community and hope that I can serve well as my term begins next month. I am looking forward to getting to know the parents and each individual in the organization. I hope they have patience with me as I learn all that I don't know yet.

I am not an expert on all the levels of autism. The only certifications I have are for travel, but I am constantly learning and have a big heart for the autism community. I am here to serve, and to build legacies with big purposes.

This week, I have so much to celebrate! And even though autism causes me some tears too... I celebrate my incredible family members, friends, and this community, who are impacted by autism.

My life has a purpose and I am so grateful for all the people who enrich my life in big and small ways, including you!

I can't wait to DISCOVER WHAT IS POSSIBLE.

If this newsletter resonated with you:

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being part of this movement.

Here's to the next 50 Journeys. Here's to what's possible. Here's to YOU.

With gratitude and celebration,
Eloisa Jones
Sensory & Autism-Friendly Travel Designer
Founder, The Autism Passport
Gathering Memories Travel

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