“I am here, because I have been there.”
Believe me when I say, I know how it feels to be out of balance and caught up in a life that feels more like a sentence than an adventure. I know how it feels to lack intention in the day-to-day, and to just not find the time to pause, reevaluate and make the changes I know are needed to stop the cycle of meaningless exhaustion, year after year, after year, after year…
I am here, because I have been there. I have sat in a knowing that there was something within me that wanted to be designed, developed, and lived to the fullest. I have also been daunted by the task of figuring out what this even means, putting together the pieces and actually making a plan to make it happen. I know how scary that all can seem.
AND, I ALSO KNOW THAT THING WITHIN YOU really MATTERS. IT CANNOT BE IGNORED.
It matters so much (and you know it, too), that there is going to be a lot of discomfort in trying to do the work of letting go of what you already know so well, and stepping into it. This is the kind of discomfort that you don’t really want to face alone.
And, the truth is, you shouldn’t have to.
Even figuring out where to start is enough to have us crawling back into the hamster wheel and riding it out for the next few days, or weeks, or even years, of our one wild and precious life.
Although undoubtedly set against a unique backdrop to yours today, many years ago I sat on the edge of these same big choices, and I can truly say that I have made it to the other side. I have designed with intention and created with purpose a beautiful and passion-filled life that I love with my adopted son, moving from amazing Portland, Oregon to beautiful Costa Rica (and transitioning often between the two).
For me, this has ended up being a life lived much outside of the box of the conventional norms, and I adore it. My life is full of surfing. And sunshine. And Spanish. And jungles and rainforests and monkeys, and sloths 😊 Yours doesn’t have to be. Or it could be. And how in the hell are we ever going to know until we start this magical journey of figuring it out, for you. Uniquely and individually focused and specifically tailored, Only. For....YOU.
No journey could be more worth it. No road could be more important to consider making a commitment to.
AND, IT IS A ROAD THAT SHOULD NOT BE TRAVELLED ALONE.
I could never have done any of this on my own. If not for the courageous guidance and wisdom of the women who have walked me through each step of the way, I would not be here today. These women have been both hired and naturally-inspired and I cannot say enough about the fundamental role that they have played in my life.
Combined with 15 years of work with individuals as a Licensed Clinical Therapist, I take both my own lifetime of experiences as a marathon runner, triathlete, traveler, single foster (and adoptive!) mother, a life lived abroad and series of hard lessons learned all along the way, and the stories of hundreds of women I have lovingly supported through their own personal journeys throughout the years, and I have created One Wild Life Design.
I am here to walk beside you on this journey as if nothing matters more.
Because I know, with all of my heart, that nothing actually does.
Fun facts about me
I heart foster care and adoption. – I was once a single mama to 3 foster children under the age of 5, including my (at that point recently adopted) son, and two younger children for a full-year.
I love running, swimming, and riding a bike. I started doing triathlons because of this, and currently choose to live most days as though I am dedicated to training for one (although I currently am not).
I lived for a year in Costa Rica when I was 20 years old, fell in love (with the country, not a latin-lover, unfortunately) and decided to enroll my son in kindergarten in this very same cloud forest town, 13 years later. We lived the first year in the house next door to the “Tica” (Costa Rican) family I lived with as a 20-year old, and I have considered them family every step of the way.
I make very, very good margaritas. I think they are the reason I keep most of my friends as long as I do.
I have been a bridesmaid 12 times over, and have not been married. Not even once!
I love to write, read and dance in the kitchen. My son and I measure the emotional health of our family based on how much dancing is happening during any given week in the kitchen.
My favorite TV shows ever are This is Us, Parenthood, and Jane the Virgin. I may or may not have been known to host weekly viewing parties of The Bachelor back in the day. There may have been rose petal décor involved.
I have 2 sisters who I adore. I am smack in the middle of the birth order, and all the things apply.
The Manifesto
At One Wild Life Design, we are a group of women committed to discovering what is, and living to the fullest, the most authentic and meaningful version of who we are. We seek to bring into alignment our deepest truths and our daily lives, and to inspire women all around the world to do the same. The One Wild Life Design Manifesto sums up what we stand for, at the core, as well as anything. Check it out!