The feeling of a space.

So I’m currently in the awful in between time of having my intro meeting for my autism testing and the actual testing. Currently self diagnosed and really afraid of that being invalidated.

Anyways. I’ve been reflecting on a lot and thinking through what might actually be autistic traits and not just quirks. I’m wondering if this is a thing:

I’ve always been super in tune with the feeling of a place. Like coffee shops. I pick a coffee shop based on how it feels. The lighting. The noise level. How close together the tables are. How the paint on the walls affects my mood. How busy it is at certain times of day. Walking into a good coffee shop feels like pulling on a pair of the world’s most comfortable sweatpants. I’ve always prescribed this sensitive to my creative/emotional side and am just now realizing it might really be about sensory levels and hyper empathy.