About Me
Hi Everyone! A little about me…
My name is Randi-Lyn Miller-Gol and I was born and raised in Coventry, Rhode Island (USA). I'm the perfect storm of: Icelandic, Irish, Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese, and English. I moved around a lot- living in Florida for a few years and then making my way overseas to Istanbul, Turkey (where I helped people learn English as a second language). I married my husband in 2013 and we had our son in 2014.. the light of our life. Kazim Kit. All of this happened in Istanbul. Turkey is my second home and one of my favorite places in the world. Living there saved my life and helped me truly find myself. I firmly believe that God doesn't make mistakes and we were given a very special boy for a reason ... to do God's good work.
I graduated college with a degree in graphic design and a certificate in global social entrepreneurship, but it turns out I was never meant to actually be a designer (but I am definitely a philanthropist). In 2016, somewhere around 4:00am, I realized I was meant to be an author.
These major realizations in life really do come when we least expect them. It's important to always listen to your gut. I wrote what was in my heart and created my first book, then self published it with a bit of help from another local author. At that moment in time, I was convinced I'd be a children's book author. It wasn't until my son was diagnosed with autism in 2017 that I realized my "good work" would go far beyond children's books. About a year after his diagnosis, and with quite a bit of inspiration from various sources, I decided I needed to write a book about my journey as a parent raising a child who has autism. A few of my greatest influences have been: my son, fellow caregivers, and the inspirations that are featured in each volume of my series.
I currently reside in Virginia, the place we now call home. I love it here. It's friendly, peaceful, and has a ton to offer for children on the spectrum. I wear a number of hats in my local community, being an active advocate for, not just autism, but for any and all developmental delays. I'm a family resource coordinator for an amazing non-profit organization called Thisability and I'm a family navigator through VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University hospital) under The Center for Family Involvement. A family navigator is someone who reaches out to fellow families in the community and offers emotional support and helpful direction to obtain services and resources. I attend educational conferences, speak on autism panels, and do motivational speaking based off my series. I am also working on my next book to the Puzzled Parent series. But "first and foremost"... I'm a mother, a wife, and a friend to many. I love helping people, but the most important help of all begins at home. Family first.
A few of my favorite things include: Reading (I'm a huge fan of James Herbert for horror; Janet Evanovich for romantic comedy; Elena Cardone for wisdom and empowerment; and Brene Brown for fine tuning myself as a public speaker). I absolutely love art, especially traditional drawing with graphite and charcoal. I also love digital art, photography, book/DVD cover design, and creative writing. Spiritual healing, crystals, and meditation are super special to my heart. I believe in miracles. My favorite sport is ice hockey (Boston Bruins all the way!) and my favorite music is anything and everything by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. I love cooking big dinners, especially Icelandic and Turkish style foods. I love going horseback riding with my son and spending time in the country. Most of all, I love doing absolutely nothing - which is an extremely rare and precious thing. Quiet times with a good cup of coffee are cherished.
What do I dislike? Bullying and parent shaming. Ignorance and feeding into the lies that life hits us with (you're too much, your goals are too big, etc). Negative thinking and giving up.
What are my goals? To be a good mother and wife. To be healthy. To continue writing and publishing the Puzzled Parent series. To help as many people as I can. To spread autism awareness and acceptance. To make someone smile every day...anyone. To meet my inspirations. To advocate strong and influence as many people in a positive way as I can. To do God's good work.