I speak several languages but I grew up speaking only one.
I like spending time far away from my home country because abroad, people tend to be a lot more accommodating to my strangeness as they just assume I am this way because I am a foreigner. I can always ask for clarification, I am never pressured to understand everything right away, and I am never expected to be "a part" of the group. I am allowed - no - I am presumed to be different. Which takes away so much of the burden of masking.
Hey! When I got diagnosed, I felt quite miserable and lost. I've went through the pandemic very lonely and depressed. I still struggle with a lot of things. When I got diagnosed I remember I almost found it funny how little changed for me. I knew I was still the same person. I also felt strange to come to terms that a lot of the things I struggle with will never really go away.
But after a long time of reflecting/learning/forgiving I am starting to tell apart my talents and my weaknesses (which often are quite close to one another) and I feel like my life is getting a direction again. I recently made friends who accommodate me and I am working towards finding the kind of niche I can work in professionally.