In 1991, I moved to the United States at age five from Russia as a Jewish refugee. I was part of a large wave of Russian Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, and was one of the only Russians in my class at first. The area, which was predominantly Italian American, suddenly had a Soviet contingent, and some of the locals didn't like it. I was bullied for being Russian. Later in life, I joined the Peace Corps, and they decided to send me to Ukraine. Being a Russian Jew in Ukraine brought its own challenges, and in 2022, when the war with Russia started, I felt a strong need to go and volunteer. But being Russian in Ukraine was even more uncomfortable, and I had to explain myself constantly. I was also questioned by the authorities and even detained. I've been called a Russian spy my entire life. There were times when I wished I had been just born American, and at times I lied about my heritage, but I have since learned that having an outsider's perspective can be powerful.

Being an adult child of divorce, i fully understand what divorce does not to the family, but to the children involved. I know what it is like to experience parental alienation in the eyes of children, and i know what it feels like to feel torn between households once the divorce is completed.

Over a span of 30 years, I encountered cultural differences with 3 different partners. Each partnership faced both internal and external cultural bias, stigmas, and discrimination based on societal stereotypes. I went through cognitive therapy with my husband to learn how to communicate effectively with someone who not only learned English as a second language, but who was holding long-engrained beliefs about our respective countries and societies. We also worked on how to present a united front to outside disruptors, often family and friends bringing in their own bias that stirred the pot of misunderstandings and underlying the need to learn straight-forward communication. Even if your partner is unsure how to, or unwilling to, communicate their own feelings, you can still enhance your own communication style in an open, compassionate manner that exudes respect and honesty to yourself and to them.

When I moved from India to Vancouver, BC, there were moments when the quiet felt too loud—when the absence of familiar faces, languages, and places settled into my bones. I missed home in ways I couldn’t explain. Even surrounded by people, I felt alone. The smell of food, the sound of a song, or a festival passing by without loved ones would trigger waves of homesickness. I realized I wasn’t just missing a place—I was missing connection, belonging, and pieces of myself. Slowly, I began finding new ways to anchor—rituals that reminded me of home, small routines that made the unfamiliar feel safe. You don’t have to silence your longing to move forward. There’s space for both healing and holding on.

At 19, I left my home in Brazil and moved to the United States alone, driven by hope and curiosity for a better future. Everything was new — the language, the culture, even the way people connected. I lived with strangers who soon became part of my journey, learning to adapt and find my place in an unfamiliar world. There were moments of deep homesickness, when I longed for the warmth, sounds, and flavors of home, yet something inside me kept pushing forward — a quiet belief that this experience would help me grow. Every challenge taught me resilience, independence, and the beauty of embracing change. Over time, what once felt foreign began to feel like a new version of home, shaped by courage and self-discovery. My journey as an immigrant became a path of transformation — learning not only a new language and culture, but also who I truly am and what I’m capable of becoming.

In my biggest moments of feeling like life was breaking me down, I was actually breaking open, to fresh new light & healing that was always waiting on the other side. I have navigated some really challenging life transitions that have taught me so much. I moved across the world, starting over on a completely different continent. I have been married, divorced, navigated challenging relationship experiences, cared for my chronically ill dad financially & emotionally through his illness & navigated his death in my 30s. I have also navigated healing mold illness, immigration challenges & other big school of life moments. All of these experiences, although painful, were powerful teachers that deepened my empathy, opened my heart and really encouraged me to discover a deep, grounded center of self love, mindfulness and inner strength that changed my life. I want to help you rediscover your inner strength and self-love as you re-meet how amazing you are through every life transition.