Hey! So Glad You're Here.
My Autistic Adventure
Welcome to Heal Out Loud, my little corner of the internet where I spill the everyday musings, perspectives and insights as an autistic woman. It’s a cozy space I’ve created to explore living the most authentic autistic life—consider it a guide to navigate the quirks of existence, with a side of humour, of course! By sharing my perspectives out loud, I aim to make sense of my experience of the world. Allowing my rare openness to support my healing process and maybe give you a laugh or two. It's also aimed to facilitate conversations that lead to real life action.
Following my formal clinical diagnosis by autism specialists in 2024, I took a long, hard look at the collection of my life (safely stored and backed up) and realised that my autistic identity is as real as my obsession with food. Like many other autistic women, I had to hit rock bottom (my health) with a spectacular autistic burnout before finally accepting that maybe—just maybe—I needed to pause and understand why my brain decided to go on strike! Additionally, I discovered that healing through small daily actions is far more effective than waiting for the inevitable crisis of autistic burnout.
The humour on this website is intentional, as like many autistic individuals, I rarely do anything without a clear purpose. This is a space I wish had existed when I was in the abyss, giving me the chance to laugh while discovering about my autism. While autism is certainly a serious matter, it doesn’t have to be just somber or negative. Plus, we absolutely possess a sense of humour that researchers may have missed (show me your humourmometer). This website offers lived experiences, personal insights, resources, and information for everyone (including aliens), and hopefully, they are useful to you while also getting a chuckle.
Special Professional Interests
Before I decided to unplug from the world (and maybe binge-watch every K-drama on Netflix), I was rocking the senior management scene in engineering, championing the cause for women leaders in tech! I like to think of it as extreme multitasking—balancing code, projects and strategies. I discovered that driving innovation, empowering teams and inspiring others are far less challenging than finding a decent cup of matcha and a bowl of nourishing ramen to fuel the brilliant minds of the hackathons!
This revelation was just an idea then, yet my all-or-nothing mindset led me to launch a business centred around my other special interest—food. Because who wouldn't want to dive into the delicious chaos of culinary creativity, particularly during an autistic burnout? From hunting the perfect matcha to crafting hundreds of nourishing recipes, while managing teams through digital transformations. It's the perfect blend of my passions with tech and taste.
About Me
Currently, I'm undertaking a comprehensive rewrite of my authentic self, having felt somewhat lost in a spectacular autistic burnout. For the techies, imagine it as a complete reconstruction of your codebase's architecture, providing an opportunity to create a groundbreaking, efficient, and entirely future-proof masterpiece. My true nature is in the process of reloading...
I'm learning how to do "free time" and truly live authentically as an autistic woman. I'm constantly attached to my fur baby, Buddy. I have a passion for food—cooking up a storm in the kitchen and creating new recipes. I love traveling and have been fortunate to visit many countries, indulging in global cuisines. My home is filled with plants, and I enjoy walks with my fur baby. I also love writing about autism, food, recipes, philosophy, Asian culture, life, and my Asian upbringing. Also, I’m obsessed with knowledge and enjoy discovering new special interests.