Let's take it back to 2019. A year full of possibilities. I was living in Florida, which is where I was born and raised, I had just been re-accepted to RN school for the summer after failing nursing fundamentals in fall of 2018 and I was filled with the joy of new possibilities. As I started again, I became a leader in my classes, helping new students and forming study groups. It was amazing to meet and work with new teachers, students, and patients. I passed my nursing fundamentals course and continued on. I also met my now husband, Daniel, in the fall of 2019 and we began our long distance dating journey just two days after. It was probably the second hardest thing I have ever done in my life, right next to nursing school and I did them at the same time!

In March 2020, I flew to Arizona to visit Daniel, and during my trip, the world shut down due to COVID-19. My nursing courses moved online, and life changed. In fall 2020, just eight weeks from graduating, I failed my nurse leadership and pharmacology exams and was dismissed from school. I begged and pleaded for another chance, but to no avail. However, I was able to challenge the LPN exam and became a nurse on March 12, 2021.

Still, I felt lost and unsure of my next steps. I picked up my life and moved to Arizona to be with Daniel. Not-so-Fun fact, I cannot work as an LPN in any other state than Florida because I don't have a diploma stating that I graduated from an accredited school. Yeah, tell me about it. As much as nurses are needed you would think they would make an exception or work with me or something. So my only options were to find a different job or go back to school and start all over again to get my registered nurse degree AND a diploma. I ended up getting a job as a receptionist, but life felt stagnant. It was hard finding friends, I became depressed because of my job, and my relationship with Daniel grew rocky, we briefly broke up, and I felt like a failure. I almost moved back to Florida but decided to stay and figure things out.

I found a therapist and began healing from past trauma. Over the next few months I found healing from childhood trauma, lies I believed about myself, and getting comfortable with who I was. I tried to run from myself and my problems for so many years, but it was time to stop running and find my confidence in who I was and in who the Lord created me to be.

Life became great. I moved in with a christian roommate, closer to church and other friends I had made, Daniel and I reunited, and I switched jobs. In the midst of this my friends and I would look for free things to do around town and started going to yoga at the farmers market every weekend. I was feeling better, but I still felt a deep longing like I was missing my purpose in my life. Then an email came to my inbox, it was an opportunity to join the upcoming yoga teacher training in the spring. I began praying over this opportunity, but it almost seemed too good to be true. Was this what I was supposed to do with my life? Become a yoga teacher? I felt like my prayers for purpose were being answered and I took my shot. I started my yoga teacher journey in March 2023. I fell in love with the practice and I found my purpose. I figured out that this was my passion and I learned that not only did I need this for myself, but I needed to share the healing powers of yoga with others. I found my voice, I became more comfortable in my own skin and who I was as a person, and I fell in love with teaching.

I graduated in November 2023 and immediately quit my full time job and started my yoga business. Here I am today, happily married to Daniel as of February 2024. A full time yoga teacher, teaching 9+ classes per week, I run my business, and I am back in school for my 500 hour yoga teacher certification (which is equivalent to a masters in yoga) which I will receive in November 2024. I say all of this to let you know that the Lords timing is perfect, even if it doesn't match our timing (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV). I hope this encourages you today and sheds some light on my journey. You are not alone!