About Me

Life takes a lot of twists & turns

If you had asked the younger version of me, growing up in a small town in the middle of Iowa, what my life would look like as an adult, I don't think she would have gotten much of it right.

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Born the middle of three girls to two full-time teacher parents, I certainly never imagined that my story would include living in South Africa for more than a decade, raising two daughters, starting a business that creates meaningful work for women in South Africa, writing a children's book, and eventually finding our way back to the United States to begin a new chapter in Massachusetts.

Similarly, considering my undergraduate and master's degree studies and work in nursing and public health, being a full-time mom, entrepreneur, and children's book author seems equally far from what I thought the work of my hands would look like.

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But I've learned that although the twists and turns of life can be incredibly jarring, they almost always take you somewhere you never could have imagined and, more times than not, somewhere you would never un-choose.

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Our years in South Africa changed us in ways I don't think we'll ever fully be able to measure. They stretched us, challenged us, grew us, and gave us friendships and experiences that will forever be part of who we are. And while moving back to the United States has been an adjustment in more ways than we expected, it has also been a beautiful reminder that home is less about a place and more about the people you share it with.

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It requires a lot of bravery and vulnerability to step off a clearly defined path, neither of which I've typically loved or been particularly good at. But I've found that some of life's greatest gifts live on the other side of those uncomfortable steps.

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In fact, I've learned that a little bit of bravery often opens the door to far more wonder than we ever expected.

I hope my journey inspires you to take a few risks and deviations of your own. Because your dreams are worth pursuing, and the twists and turns may just lead you somewhere more beautiful than you could have imagined...