About

Since 1997, I have worked as a massage therapist, wellness coach and freelance writer. For much of that time, I’ve been part of a team of healthcare professionals in various settings, in both the US and Europe, teaching people to live healthier, lose weight and reverse diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

As a person who thrives on variety, the wellness field suits me because I get to have my hand in all kinds of different topics rather than focusing on one narrow specialty!

I have long had a passion for personal growth, thanks to friends and family members who taught me early on to look inward and ask “Why?” Since I first began studying wellness at Southern Adventist University in 2000, I dreamed of helping others achieve their full potential in all areas of life: physical, spiritual, social, emotional and intellectual. After attending Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University seminar in 2005 and discovering how much fun it is to manage money with a budget, rather than be managed by a lack of money, I added “financial” to that list. Admittedly, this is a lofty ambition. But I hope to use this blog, where all of my education, experience and passions can converge, to further achieve my goal of positively impacting the lives of others.

Born in Wisconsin, I grew up in California, spent a year and a half in Oklahoma, and headed to Tennessee to finish college. Though I’d like to blame the frequent moves on my father’s being a pastor, in reality I’ve moved more since being on my own than my family did when I was a child. At age 29, I realized that the number of times I’d moved, including six years back and forth to high school and college dorms, surpassed my age! Though the frequent moves may be viewed as an inability to settle down, it’s simply that I thrive on new experiences and took awhile to find just where I belong.

Immediately post-college, I spent four months hiking on the Appalachian Trail–an experience that proved to be highly educational–and then a year abroad in Norway. I love traveling and experiencing life among different cultures.

I hope to eventually move back to California to be closer to my sisters and their families. But in April 2009 I married the man of my dreams–a Nashville native who, though similarly adventurous and curious, doesn’t share quite my level of restlessness. So for now, we’re settling into a happy married-life routine just outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, where we’ve both spent the bulk of the last ten years. 

Besides personal growth and traveling, I am in my element “nesting” in our new home. I’ve worked from home at least part time for the last eight years, and now I can’t imagine working any other way. I aim to read at least 35 books this year. I flatter myself with a knack for foreign languages (though I’m still only fluent in English). I love ballroom dancing, and was particularly delighted to discover how much more fun it is when dancing with someone I actually want to be close to! My husband and I have a garden in our new backyard, and hope to use its yields in my culinary experiments for the friends we frequently have over for dinner parties. I love to entertain with an exquisite meal (usually made up of new recipes!) served at an elegant table.

Years ago I adopted a friend’s quote as my philosophy of life:

To grow as much as possible. –Bryan Jackson

I hope to help you grow, too.