All of my life, I have craved to live a life of purpose. Like something out of a movie, where I was free to be me— like the real me. I wanted to live by the ocean, to swim, climb, take beautiful photos, create awesome videos, to inspire others, to do yoga, to eat fresh fruit, to listen to myself.

The catch was, I didn’t know how to make this real.

I grew up in a suburb outside Toronto, CA. I was always told that I had to be better, be something I wasn’t, to always pack my schedule to the max— because if I wasn’t doing everything, then what was I doing?

I was extremely busy with making myself the best I could be. I did competitive swimming, I was on student council, I was coaching after practice, I was working a second job, I was volunteering at the local hospital, I was playing instruments. All this, to be good enough to get into college.

And I did! I got in. I got into a bunch of completely different programs because I didn’t know what I wanted to do.

I applied to Health and Fitness, to Outdoor Education, to Psychology, to Nutrition, to Life Sciences.. and probably more.

I started and stopped probably over 6 of these programs before breaking down into my first depressive episode.

I felt unfulfilled, unsatisfied, like I wasn’t living the life I was mean’t to live. I would sit and cry myself to sleep wondering what I was doing wrong. All I wanted was to live near the beach and live a simple life.

But I wasn’t sure what to do, so I went back to school. This one was a bit better, it aligned with a few more of my goals than others, but it still didn’t quite feel right.

I remember coming home from class one morning and bawling my eyes out— I felt so lost. I knew the outcome before me. I knew that I was going to have to find a job in this field and work 9-5 until the day I died to pay off this debt..

and I didn’t want to do that.

I bawled my eyes out in my car for about an hour before I came across this opportunity..

It spoke to me on another level. I learned that I could finally mesh everything that I loved into one space, that I could be free to be myself— to live my truth— and to even make money at it!

I connected with so many like-minded people, who loved the same things I loved— I didn’t think they existed!

A wave of satisfaction washed over me in that moment, and I knew.

This was mean’t for me, and has always been mean’t for me.

Now, I live on a small island off the coast of Canada. I don’t wear shoes unless I want to, I live in tune with nature, and I spend my time empowering others to create their dreams too. I am connected with so many like-minded souls, its unreal.

My community has become my home, but the greatest gift of all— is they taught me that I am my own home. I’ve been here all along.

I was mean’t to live my truth and so are you 🦋