Routine

Intro

Hi, I am EmKay Archlink. I am the founder of Archlink, LLC, the author of Unseen Powers, and

a self-proclaimed advocate for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I was professionally

diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Level 2 in September of 2022, and I have been

working to educate myself on the topic ever since.

With that being said...

Welcome to RAW-tism, a podcast about my autistic experience and opinions on the world. On

this podcast, I will be raw and unfiltered. You are always welcome to disagree with me as long as

you do so respectfully and with no name-calling. Any usage of the r-slur will get you

immediately blocked.

Morning Routine

Many people ask me about my routine and request I do “Get Ready With Me” videos, but my

routine isn’t that interesting. I don’t put on makeup and lay out the week’s outfits the weekend

before, so there’s not much to watch.

I can describe my routine on a typical workday, though.

“When I wake up in my own pink worldI get up out of bed and wave to my homegirls.”“Pink” by Lizzo, Barbie the Album

I’m kidding. That’s a song from the Barbie movie. My mornings aren’t as fun and peppy. My

alarm goes off at 6am, and I usually wake up disoriented. I turn off my alarm clock, grab my

phone, and head into the bathroom to get ready. I change my clothes and start working on my

hair. It only takes a few minutes to brush and braid my hair in what many know as my iconic

braid or braids down my back. I wear pigtail braids whenever my hair is too soft to stay in one

braid. It tends to happen when I have just washed it, and my natural oils haven’t recuperated yet.

Most other days, I’ll just wear one braid.

I take out, rinse, and put away my retainer before I grab my morning meds. I quietly collect my

glasses and Apple Watch from their respective places on the nightstand, and if I wake up my

fiancé, I always apologize with a gentle pat on the head. My glasses go on my face, the watch

goes in my right shoe, and my meds sit on the table while I pack refrigerated items into my lunch

box. I check that my water bottle is filled before I grab a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and a protein

shake to consume that morning. I use the protein shake as the milk for my cereal and drink it

with my meds.

By this time, it’s around 6:45, and my next alarm vibrates from my phone, stopping the

Instagram Reel I watched while I ate. I clean up and double-check that my lunchbox and water

bottle waiting by my purse. Before heading out, I sit by the shoe rack, slip my watch on my

wrist, and, right foot first, put on my socks and shoes. I zip and button my cargo vest before

layering my purse over it. Currently, I add on a holster purse that I snap the buckles around my

waist and left thigh, which makes me feel sexy as shit without needing to wear anything

revealing.

Like a black widow, baby!“Black Widow” by Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora, The New Classic

Once I have all my belongings secured, I take the stairs to the garage. We have assigned parking

spots, thank god, so I always find my car in the same place. I sort my lunchbox and other items

into their respective places, then turn on my car and drive the 0.1 miles to the exercise room in

the building next door. I could easily walk, but I can spend more time in the exercise room when

I cut down on time walking there and back in my mornings.

As long as no one is already using it, I always choose my favorite: the cycling machine. I take off

my purse and set my things aside. I turn on my Nintendo Switch so the game can load while I

switch out my shoes (since we’re not supposed to wear our street shoes on the equipment). Once

everything is in its place, I start the bike and press the cycling setting on my watch so that I don’t

get the heartbeat warning if my blood pressure increases dramatically.

After an average of 20 minutes cycling and playing Disney Dreamlight Valley, my alarm to leave

will go off. On Mondays, it will go off at 7:15, and I’ll use that extra five minutes to grab gas on

my way to work. Every other weekday, it goes off at 7:20. I’ll take a picture of my progress to

post on Instagram because I’m basic like that, and I love tracking my routine. I pack up, change

my shoes, and put my vest and purse back on. Once I have everything packed up, I take a couple

of selfies for the aforementioned Instagram post and settle back in my car.

Fortunately, the drive to work is mostly highway until I reach more rural areas. I get to see a lot

of farm animals, mostly cows and horses, but there is sometimes the occasional goat. I pull into

the driveway of the family I nanny for, back into my usual parking spot, and I take a moment to

breathe and let go of any of my personal struggles because the kids don’t deserve to have that put

on them. I go into Nanny Mode the second my code unlocks the door. My personality settles

halfway between being an amusement park actor and a parent in front of guests.

Ad Break

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Evening Routine

Once my day is done, the parents collect the kids so I can gather my stuff without being hassled.

I’ll say goodbye to both kids individually and head out. After settling into my car, I double,

triple, and quadruple-check that the kids are safely inside the house or on the porch before I feel

safe starting the car and driving away.

My drive home is always longer than the drive there because of all the construction on my side

of the highway, but I don’t mind too much because it gives me time to decompress and come

back to myself. By the time I get home, I’m ready to relax. I’ll set up my dinner and prep for

tomorrow’s lunch. I usually watch TV while eating because then I don’t overthink how much I’m

actually eating, which is an ongoing issue I’m working on. Around 9 o’clock, I turn off the TV

and clean up. I make sure all the lights are off (except the one in the bedroom) and close myself

in.

I take my night meds and read a couple of chapters of whatever book I’m on before I move on to

changing into pajamas and cleaning my teeth. I’ll brush my hair and put a little lotion on my

face. I have some exercises to do so that my back doesn’t hurt while I sleep, and when I’m

finished, I turn on whatever podcast I’m currently listening to, pour some lotion in my hand, and

turn off the lights. I sit on my bed and moisturize my feet before getting under my blanket and

settling in with my teddy bear, Cappuccino, as I fall asleep and wait for my fiancé to come home

from work. It’s not the most exciting routine compared to most, but it works for me.

Also, can I bring attention to the iconic songs that I was able to use today to highlight my

personality? The first song I sang was “Pink” by Lizzo, and the clip I played was from “Black

Widow” by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora. These songs popped into my head while writing this, and I

just had to share. Make sure to have a listen if any of these titles are unfamiliar. Hit me up if you

have connections because I’d love to have these beautiful people on my podcast someday.

Outro

Regardless of your thoughts and feelings toward me, I have a love for every one of you. You are

wanted by many, loved by many, and so many want you to stay in this world. I am one of these

“many”s and will always be. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and thank you for listening to

RAW-tism.

Self-Promotion

Archlink LLC’s mission is to spread autism acceptance and education. Autism advocacy is my

full-time job. All the money my other content brings in goes to creating scholarships so schools

can book my programs absolutely free. You support our mission by listening to at least three

minutes of this episode, and I couldn’t be more thankful for your help. Please consider leaving a

review if you enjoy listening.

If you’d like to support this podcast further, the description includes links with referral codes to

Cirkul’s water bottles, Pair Eyewear’s customizable glasses, and my favorite Amazon products.

The transcript for this episode can be found for free on my Patreon, which is also linked below at

patreon.com/EmKayArchlink.

Would you like to see more of me? In that case, visit emkayarchlink.com for links to my other

content. A new episode of RAW-tism comes out every Monday wherever you get your Podcasts.

The next week's episode of RAW-tism is posted on Patreon every Tuesday, completely ad-free.

Karaoke videos are posted on Patreon every Thursday. Lastly, my book Unseen Powers is

available in hardback, paperback, or digitally through Amazon. Remember to drink water, eat

some nummies, and have your best life. Bye!!