How I Accidentally Rebuilt My Entire Life
If you had told me a year ago that I’d be living out of a suitcase, building a business from my laptop, and navigating grocery stores in languages I don’t speak, I would have laughed and then probably cried a little. Yet here we are. Life has a funny way of throwing plot twists at you right when you think the storyline is set.
For twelve years, I was a middle school teacher and coach. I taught reading and writing, sprinkled in some science and social studies at the start of my career, and worked with 8th graders who were somehow hilarious, chaotic, insightful, dramatic, and brilliant all at once. They were the best part of the job, hands down. Along the way, I coached poms, volleyball, track and field, yearbook, student council, robotics, and also served as athletic director because apparently I never believed in having free time. I planned promotion ceremonies, dances, field trips, all the things that make the end of middle school feel like a tiny Hollywood production.
And I loved it. Truly. Teaching shaped me in a thousand ways. But this year, everything shifted. I blew up my life in the most terrifying and freeing way possible. I got divorced, quit my job, and left the only place I had ever called home. I packed what I could into two suitcases, bought a plane ticket to Lisbon, and decided to give myself a chance at a completely new beginning. It wasn’t pretty or easy or linear, but it was honest and necessary. Through all the mess and magic, I learned more about myself than I ever expected. I learned who I am when everything familiar falls away. I learned what I want my future to feel like. I learned how strong I actually am.
Traveling became my classroom. Solo flights, new cities, wandering foreign streets, meeting people from all over the world, trying things I never would have considered before. Turns out that stepping outside your comfort zone is uncomfortable in every way, but it is also where all the growth hides. And listen, if I can successfully shop for gluten free groceries in a country where I can’t read the labels (even if it takes me two hours), I can do anything.
All of that led me here. Starting Sol Flow Virtual Assistant. Taking all the skills I’ve built over a lifetime of teaching, organizing, coaching, creating, planning, and leading, and using them to build a business that feels aligned with who I am now. I’ve always dreamed of a career with flexibility, creativity, independence, purpose, and the ability to work from anywhere with sunshine and fresh air. So I created it. One step at a time. One client at a time. One brave decision at a time.
Outside of work, I’m a wellness girl at heart. I love yoga, lifting weights, running, Zumba, dancing in the kitchen, journaling, manifesting, and pulling tarot cards like I’m getting updates from the universe. I’m a huge Milwaukee sports fan and will passionately defend the Bucks, Brewers, and Marquette basketball to anyone who tries me. I’m gluten free and deeply committed to finding the world’s best gluten free bakeries. I love fancy dinners, good wine, sunshine, warm weather, ocean air, wandering new neighborhoods, and seeing what life surprises me with.
This version of me is still growing, still learning, still figuring things out, still choosing joy and courage every day. But I can say this with full confidence — I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I’m building something I’m proud of.
If you’re here reading this, thank you for supporting me, cheering me on, being curious about my new chapter, or simply following along on the adventure. The best part is that it’s just getting started.
