“I HAVE my friends here and while it’s been difficult to adjust from the rapid life of Barcelona to the quiet one in Limerick, I much prefer it.”
Those are the words of Catalan singer and musician Carla Esteban Vinseiro, known as Karu Veenbahn onstage, originally from Barcelona, who recently made her forever home on Shannonside after falling in love with the Treaty City as an Erasmus student.
Just before making her recent move back to Limerick, Karu received an autism diagnosis, something she says was a welcome explanation for her lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression.
“For a big chunk of my life, I didn’t know why I was feeling weird. I felt weird compared to other kids, other teens, and young adults,”she explains.
Karu believes getting a diagnosis is very important for people who may be on the autism spectrum. She says, for her, it offered an explanation on why she was experiencing the world differently from neurotypical people and the way her nervous system processes information in a different way.
“We autistic people have a different brain combination, so that would be, for example, us seeing all of the colours of the universe and you only seeing grey.”
Since autism is a spectrum disorder, no two autistic people are the same. As Karu puts it, “my spectre is not yours”.
She quips that often people are “a little bit shocked” when they hear of her diagnosis, “because I’m so extroverted and full of light”.
Among the difficulties Karu experiences is hypersensitivity to loud noises, explaining that “when someone talks really loud, I get so upset”.
She also finds it hard to cope when plans are changing, a common trait for people on the autism spectrum, but is quick to note that “we are not Sheldon Cooper”.
Karu says she has learned how to hone the strengths that underlie her autistic traits, such as “a really big amount of awareness, sensibility, sensitivity, and creativity”.
“I believe that autistic people are super loyal because we all have a high sense of justice,” she suggests.
I suggest that these are qualities that would benefit a lot of professional areas, and Karu responds that she is a strong advocate for the integration of people with autism both in the workplace and at school.
She says she feels happier with the work conditions in Limerick compared to her home in Barcelona, noting that “work balance is so much better here. I feel I have plenty of time to advance in my career but also play my cozy games and go to gigs.”
Regarding the big size difference between the two cities, Karu says that she loves being able to walk or travel by bus with ease and finds Limerick very “soothing”, from the Milk Market to afternoons in pubs and museums “everyone has something to do”.
“I really believe having a community is super important,” says the singer, explaing that she has found her “chosen family” in Limerick. From her Irish partner to her friends within the LGBTQ+ neurodivergent community that meets at Crew bar in the city, the Out in UL society, and other alternative groups within Limerick.
Karu also sings at open mic nights in the city and is part of the Limerick Youth Choir. She says her creative practice allows her to express herself completely and wear her identity as a Catlan, queer, autistic woman “proud and loud”.
“Everyone is so nice here. You feel at home, even if you have yours far away. I love living in Limerick,” she concludes.
This story is part of the Tell Your Own Story (TYOS) project. Published monthly, in collaboration with the Limerick Post, TYOS shares the stories of Limerick people of all backgrounds and abilities in the hopes of encouraging unity in diversity. For more information, visit tyos.ie.
