Let’s rewind for a moment. Before I travelled the world and before I became a self-love coach, I was a 16-year-old girl who didn’t know what she wanted for herself. Rather than leaning in to discover what I was meant for, I listened to others and followed their well-meaning, but inaccurate directions for my life.

I did as I was told, buttoning up my emotions and feelings in an attempt to appear strong, even though I felt anything but. I was told to study, go to school, and pursue a career in medicine. It could have been a beautiful dream, but it wasn’t my dream. I wanted more. I needed more. Wearing a fake identity took me nowhere but further away from myself.

Shy, introverted, and with only a handful of friends, I booked my first solo trip abroad in a desperate attempt to “find myself.” While it did amazing things for me, it was also a form of self-betrayal — another medium of escape from my life. Exploring the charismatic streets of Peru and hiking the dirt trails of Indonesia didn’t change my self-image issues and financial problems. I was still paralysed and suffering from anxiety and depression. When the trips ended and I landed back at home, I was still on a predetermined path — University, medical school, career.

All it took was one slip on an icy patch at a Japanese ski resort. My lower spine was broken. The recovery and experience was a massive wake up call. I realised that I was taking every single thing for granted — my body, my love for myself (or the lack thereof), and my life. 

This is the moment that my self-love journey began. For the first time, I meditated, wrote poetry, and experienced shamanic healing.

After I recovered from my spinal injury, I followed suit with my predetermined career. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science and paid for my entrance exam to medical school. In the days leading up to that test,