Hello, all. I am a 39F who lives around the peninsula. I am on the spectrum. I recently had to do an abrupt career change from being an Ecologist with the US Fish & Wildlife to a Jr Software Engineer (thanks to well…*gestures broadly at everything political and lack of grant/funds for environmental programs*)
I have spent most of my career being alone in nature, studying nature, writing papers within my research focuses. I don’t deal with people often or talk out loud much. I wear ear plugs out and sunglasses because lights are harsh, noise is very hurtful to my ears, and generally, people are kind of…scary.
Anyway, I have a SWE apprenticeship position upcoming in August and also have had a non-profit reach out for me to move and re-design their website. I am wholly struggling with social stuff, and I am looking for safe people to meet so that I can practice social skills. Safe = patient, doesn’t get offended, experience with autism, and could help me get through a simple “friend-date” with you. I can do boba, tea, dessert place, the park, or anything really.
The best help would be others in the SWE field or adjacent field. I can learn how to navigate that space before I actually go into it.
I am also open to recommendations for an occupational therapist who specializes in adult autism/social skills because I simply can’t find one anywhere in the Nor Cal region. Thanks.
A little more about me: I am a Jill-of-all-Trades. 138 IQ; US Army Veteran; ASE-certified in diesel repair and light wheel vehicle mechanics. I grew up with my dad, who was a dirt-track driver, a motorcycle racer, and a fabricator. I can fix anything. I really love cats and I love international horror films. I’m learning mandarin in my free time. I am from the deep-south, but learned to cover my accent so people here would take me more seriously. I have multiple graduate degrees (Biology, Ecology, Behavioral Psychology, and Environmental Law); John Hopkins University alumni.
I never stop learning, it’s the one thing I excel at very well! I also spend a lot of time playing PC games, especially horror games! I find a lot of comfort in the macabre. I’m not sure why. And, I love music. I can see colors in my head when I listen to music.