My Story

As for the woman I am today, I've taken an interesting route to becoming her. 

My upbringing was hardly conventional, and looking back, I wouldn't have wanted an entirely ordinary one. Art found its way into my life early, as did music, thanks in no small part to my father, who introduced me to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones when I was barely old enough to appreciate his excellent taste. That love of music has stayed with me ever since. It still fills my home, and my tastes have grown broad enough to take me from local cover bands to evenings at the opera. 

Not to spoil the illusion that I've always been so ladylike, but I came into my feminine graces a little later than you might imagine. Skateboards were more my style back then, and I had all the makings of a rebel, complete with a short-lived cig phase that, in my defense, looked cooler in my head. For a time, I fancied myself James Dean reincarnated as a Midwestern girl (my parents weren't nearly as excited about my potential).

I eventually went on to study at an arts high school and college, where I could give my imagination a little more room to run. I suppose once you've spent your formative years immersed in art, you never entirely stop looking at the world through that lens. It has influenced the way I find pleasure in the most ordinary parts of life. 

As much as I treasured my artistic education, the following decade would find me working in a field that brought me face to face with some of life's more delicate and complicated realities. I came to understand that there's often far more to a person than what they choose to reveal, and that sometimes the most sincere thing we can offer another soul is the simple courtesy of understanding them. 

I've had the pleasure of a full and remarkable life, and while so much of it remains dear to me, some of its lessons have been harder earned than others. There have been experiences that challenged what I thought I knew, others that changed what I value, and a few that have finally become stories I can laugh about. 

And should your own story contain a few chapters you'd prefer to skip over, I promise I won't be reaching for a red pen. I've lived enough to know that a person is worth far more than the moments they wish they'd handled differently. There's room for every side of you in my company, with all the stories, peculiarities, and tender little truths that come with being you. 

Lately, my curiosity has also drawn me toward the connection between mind, body, and energy, and the different ways we care for ourselves. Buddhist practices and breathwork have become two of my more absorbing interests. And because a well-cultivated imagination deserves an equally pampered body, Pilates has become a treasured ritual of mine.

I could happily spend hours talking about the things that fascinate me, though making me happy is a much simpler affair. Give me an afternoon near the water, a crisp Minnesota autumn day, or a little time at home with my Pomeranian, who seems to have appointed himself head of the household (I haven't the heart to challenge his authority). 

The woman I am today owes a great deal to the girl I once was. I wouldn't trade her curiosity, and I certainly hope I haven't outgrown her appetite for adventure. There are still places I'd love to see, pleasures I've yet to experience, and memories I'd be delighted to make with the right company. 

And I wonder what kind of memories a man like you might leave me with.