there is something wonderfully nostalgic about a good old-fashioned “facts about me” post—it reminds me of the kinds of things we used to share on personal blogs before everything became so polished. so, in the spirit of letting this little corner of the internet feel more like a digital diary, i thought i would share 20 things about me. some are meaningful, some are oddly specific and some are simply little details that make me who i am. whether you’ve been reading for a while or have only just found Hello It’s Winnie, i hope this helps you get to know me a little better. ♡
i was born in singapore
i was born in singapore and lived there during the earliest years of my childhood. when i was five, i moved to the United States, where i have lived ever since. i was very young when i left, but singapore will always be an important part of where my story began. ♡
i’ve travelled to three countries—and 34 states
outside of the countries i’ve lived in, i’ve travelled to Spain, Japan and Canada. my Canadian travels have only taken me to Ontario and Quebec so far, but i would love to explore more of the country one day. while my international travel list is still fairly short, i’ve visited 34 US states, which is something i sometimes forget is quite a lot!
there are still plenty of places in the US that i would happily return to. i would love another trip to Disney World and Universal in Orlando, as well as a return to Los Angeles with a visit to Disneyland. i would also love to go back to Maui and explore more of the Hawaiian islands someday. there is still so much waiting for me to see. ♡
i lost my father shortly before my 26th birthday
my father passed away from metastatic cancer shortly before my 26th birthday. there isn’t a neat or easy way to fit something as enormous as grief into a list like this, but losing him is an important part of my story. i still miss him every day, sometimes in big, overwhelming ways and sometimes through the smallest reminders. the love i have for him—and the pieces of him that i carry with me—will always be part of who i am. ♡
my brother and i are both autistic
my brother is also autistic, although our experiences and support needs are very different. he is profoundly autistic and has an intellectual disability, so he requires much more day-to-day support than i do. he now lives in a group home very close to my mom’s house, which means he can receive the care he needs while still having his family nearby. our differences are a reminder of just how varied the autistic spectrum can be. ♡
my boyfriend and i are nearly 300 miles apart
my boyfriend, Brandon, and i are currently in a long-distance relationship. he lives in Rhode Island, while i live in Delaware, which puts nearly 300 miles between us until we’re finally able to live together. the distance isn’t always easy, but it makes the time we do spend together feel even more meaningful—and gives us something very lovely to look forward to. someday, those 300 miles will no longer be part of our everyday lives.
i’ve written more about our story and what the distance has taught me in What It’s Like Being in a Long-Distance Relationship on Winnie X Yong. ♡
video games inspire some of my travels
sometimes the places i visit are inspired by the games i love. i travelled to Boston for the Animal Crossing aquarium event, but i was also excited to see the real city behind the setting of Fallout 4. wandering around somewhere i had already explored in a game made the trip feel a little more familiar—and much more fun.
i would also love to return to Los Angeles partly because Los Santos, the setting of Grand Theft Auto V and GTA Online, is inspired by it. there is something strangely exciting about recognizing real places from their fictional video-game versions, and it gives me another way to connect my love of gaming with my love of exploring. 🎮♡
i’ve been blogging since June 2015
i published my first blog post in June 2015, which means blogging has been part of my life for more than a decade. my interests, writing style and relationship with the internet have changed many times since then, but i’ve never completely stopped wanting a space of my own in which to create and share.
today, my writing is divided between two blogs and a Substack. Hello It’s Winnie, the site you’re reading now, is my more personal and unpolished digital diary. Winnie X Yong is my more curated home for lifestyle, beauty, travel and creativity, while A Cup of Claritea gives me another place for longer thoughts and reflections. each one serves a slightly different purpose, but they’re all little pieces of me. ♡
i’ve lived with chronic migraines since i was 10
i’ve experienced chronic migraines since i was only 10 years old, so they have shaped a large part of my life. for years, the pain and unpredictability were things i simply had to work around. thankfully, my migraines have been under control since December 2025. i don’t take that change for granted—after living with them for so long, having more manageable days has brought me an enormous sense of relief. ♡
i’m the only person in my family without straight hair
i’m the only person in my family with naturally wavy hair—everyone else’s is straight. my waves come from my father’s side of the family, which makes them feel like another small piece of him that i get to carry with me. my hair doesn’t always behave the way i want it to, but i’ve grown to appreciate its texture and the family connection hidden within it. ♡
i love collecting little things
i’ve always enjoyed collecting things, especially when they hold a memory or feel connected to something i love. when i travel, i like bringing home apparel that reminds me of where i’ve been. it feels a little more useful than a traditional souvenir while still carrying a piece of the trip with it.
i also collect plushies, stickers and jewelry—especially necklaces, bracelets and rings. some pieces are sentimental, some are simply cute and others caught my attention for reasons i probably couldn’t explain. my collections may be a little varied, but together they tell a quiet story about the places, interests and small joys that have mattered to me. ♡
i love gaming
gaming is one of my favorite ways to relax, explore and disappear into another world for a while. some of my all-time favorites are Skyrim and Fallout 4 because i love their large open worlds, environmental storytelling and the freedom to wander off in almost any direction. Stardew Valley is another favorite, especially when i want something gentler but still full of things to discover.
i also have a very soft spot for cozy games. i love the comforting routines of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the wonderfully strange little lives unfolding in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. my taste in games may move between post-apocalyptic wastelands and adorable virtual islands, but apparently i just really enjoy being given a world and being allowed to make myself at home in it. 🎮♡
a YouTuber inspired my love of pink and coquette style
i first became interested in pink and the coquette aesthetic through watching YouTuber Thania Gonzalez. her content introduced me to a softer, more romantic way of dressing and decorating, and it helped me discover an aesthetic that has stayed with me ever since.
i don’t follow every part of that lifestyle, especially when it centres around luxury bags and clothing that simply aren’t realistic for my budget. however, i still have a soft spot for romanticizing everyday life and the gentler, more attainable side of cottagecore and coquette style—pink, florals, bows and small details that make ordinary things feel a little more beautiful. romance doesn’t have to come with a luxury price tag. 🎀♡
writing is my preferred way to communicate
i often find it much easier to express myself through writing than through speaking. writing gives me time to understand what i’m feeling, choose the words that fit and arrange my thoughts without the pressure of having to respond immediately. things that feel tangled or difficult to explain out loud often become much clearer once i begin typing them out.
that may be part of why blogging has remained so important to me. writing allows me to communicate more honestly and thoughtfully, especially when the feelings involved are complicated. sometimes i don’t fully know what i’m trying to say until i see the words in front of me. ♡
i use ChatGPT to help me find the right words
i usually know what i want to say, but i don’t always know how to string the words together into a sentence that feels clear and cohesive. sometimes the thought is complete inside my head, yet it becomes tangled somewhere between thinking it and trying to write it down. that’s where ChatGPT has become a helpful writing tool for me.
i bring the ideas, experiences and feelings, and ChatGPT helps me organize them into words that flow more naturally. i still edit everything until it sounds like me, so it isn’t replacing my voice—it’s helping me express the voice that was already there. ♡
i love all things Sanrio
i have a very soft spot for all things Sanrio. i love the sweet characters, pastel colors and the comforting little world built around them. whether they appear on stationery, plushies, accessories or something completely unnecessary but irresistibly cute, Sanrio characters have a way of making ordinary objects feel more cheerful.
part of the appeal is nostalgic, but i also love that each character has a distinct personality and style. Sanrio reminds me that joy doesn’t always have to be serious or practical—sometimes it can simply be a tiny character with an oversized bow making my day a little brighter. 🎀♡
Japan is my all-time favorite travel destination
of all the places i’ve visited, Japan is still my favorite. it is one of those destinations that stayed with me long after i returned home, and i would happily go back to experience more of it. there are still so many cities, neighborhoods and small everyday details there that i would love to discover.
my travel wish list extends far beyond Japan, though. Iceland and Norway are especially high on it because of their dramatic landscapes, quiet natural beauty and almost otherworldly scenery. i’ve shared more of the destinations i dream of visiting in 15 Places Around the World I Dream of Exploring on Winnie X Yong. hopefully, at least a few of those dreams will eventually become memories. ✈️♡
true crime podcasts are my guilty pleasure
one of my guilty pleasures is listening to true crime podcasts, especially Going West and Crime Junkie. the subject matter can be heavy, but i find myself drawn to the careful timelines, unanswered questions and the process of piecing together what may have happened. they’re the kinds of podcasts that can keep my attention through an entire episode.
at the same time, i try to remember that these aren’t fictional mysteries—the stories involve real people, grieving families and lives that were changed forever. that awareness is important to me, even when i’m listening out of curiosity. 🎧♡
different writing spaces bring out different sides of me
my favorite posts to write on Winnie X Yong are travel and beauty posts. travel writing lets me revisit the places i’ve explored and preserve the little details i might otherwise forget, while beauty gives me a more visual and creative space to talk about colors, products and the things that catch my eye.
on A Cup of Claritea, i especially love writing about my experiences as an autistic person. it gives me room to untangle feelings that can be difficult to explain, reflect on what i’m learning and hopefully help someone else feel a little less alone. the subjects may be different, but each kind of writing allows me to share another part of myself. ♡
i love pink décor and coquette clothing
pink has a way of making a space feel softer, warmer and more like home to me. i love pink home décor, especially pieces that add a little romance or playfulness to an ordinary room. it doesn’t have to be an enormous transformation—even a small pink detail can make a space feel more cheerful and personal.
that love carries into my wardrobe through coquette-inspired clothing. i’m naturally drawn to bows, lace, florals and soft, romantic details that make getting dressed feel a little more whimsical. my surroundings and outfits may not always look perfectly coordinated, but adding something pink or pretty helps the everyday world feel more like mine. 🎀♡
my everyday wardrobe is much cozier than my aesthetic
as much as i love coquette clothing and dreamy cottagecore dresses, my everyday wardrobe tells a slightly different story. most days, i naturally reach for sweatpants, sweat shorts, oversized hoodies and roomy T-shirts. i enjoy looking at beautiful outfits and dressing up when the mood is right, but comfort usually wins when i’m simply going about my day.
i suppose my style has two sides: one wants bows, florals and a dress made for wandering through a garden, while the other wants to disappear into the largest hoodie i can find. thankfully, there’s room for both. 🎀♡
final thoughts
putting these 20 facts together reminded me that getting to know someone rarely happens through one grand story. it happens through a mixture of meaningful experiences, complicated chapters, favorite things and tiny details that might seem insignificant on their own. from the places i’ve travelled and the games i love to the people i miss and the ways i express myself, each fact holds a small piece of who i am.
of course, no list could capture an entire person—and i’m sure some of these answers will change as i do. for now, though, i hope this post has helped you get to know the person behind Hello It’s Winnie a little better. ♡
your turn
now i’d love to learn something about you! what is one fact about yourself that people might not expect? did we have anything in common, or did one of my answers surprise you? feel free to share in the comments. 😊
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