I met my now husband, Frej on this trip as well. Letting him into my life was a miracle in itself. I was very guarded at the time but Frej was foreign to me. Not just because he was Swedish but because of who he was. He showed me an emotional safety I had never experienced before. We got married 11 months after meeting and I moved to Sweden.

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Living in Sweden for 8 years came with a lot of personal growth and forced me out of my comfort zone in many many ways. I learned a lot about myself, my strengths, and what's important to me although adapting to a new culture and "fitting in" was a huge challenge for me. The cultural difference from Miami is vast in all aspects and It felt extremely lonely at times.

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Growing up, I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to do. I changed my mind about a million times and I had several voices in my ears telling me what I should be doing. That didn't help, especially for someone who had people-pleasing tendencies. I put more importance on what others thought was best for me rather than trusting myself and my own intuition. I learned that there is absolutely nothing wrong with living outside the box society has made for you. On the contrary, that's where you find your greatest gifts and talents. May I be so bold in saying, your purpose? I was so caught up in my mind. My thoughts and worries, that I couldn't tap into my heart and my own desires. I couldn't find that internal rest or peace to allow myself to live the life I thought was best for me. 

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But in 2021 after both losing a child through miscarriage and nearly losing my sister to a ruptured brain aneurysm everything changed. I battled deep depression and I went through an internal battle trying to find answers, trying to make sense of what happened, what I was feeling, and why I couldn't find a way out. Everything I believed in suddenly became abstract to me. It felt like I no longer stood on solid ground. It was a scary feeling. Guilt and shame followed when I couldn't just snap out of it. It just wasn't me.

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While I was searching for answers, Under the Juniper tree was born. I just didn't know it yet. (Read the full story here). God was telling me to surrender trying to make sense of it all, release the thoughts in my logical mind, and find true REST, trusting that everything would be okay. So I surrendered and found stillness.

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Things became clear to me then. I found purpose in the pain I experienced and it awakened my desire to help others find rest in their healing journey. I didn't fully understand deep depression until I experienced it. At the time I felt like I was the only one going through it. I felt isolated and alone, longing for some sort of understanding and guidance. Someone to relate to. Now I am here to serve others in just that way.

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Soul Care is finding what true rest means to you and when finding that place of stillness, tuning inward. You have all the answers within you. You have your soul, your true self, you have your heart which carries all of your desires, and you have God leading you to all of those desires through trust, rest in healing, and freedom to be authentically you. Exactly how you were created to be. This is what I found Under the Juniper Tree.

 

As a certified mental health coach, I offer a safe space to guide you in finding rest through your healing journey. In finding peace, hope, and joy again, and in living an intentional and present life.

 

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