No less than five years ago, I was in arguably the most toxic relationship of my life, bankrupt as a mere twenty-something, and hated everything about my life. I remember mindlessly scrolling through Instagram at both strangers and friends alike, wondering why I got dealt such a bad hand in life. At a very young age, I was repeatedly abused by someone who was supposed to love me. As a teenager, I was sexually assaulted — again — on two occasions by two different individuals. Family life? Sucked. The Romance Department? An utter joke. Career? The opposite of noteworthy. Above all else — I hated myself. It was in my darkest moment I realized that if my life circumstances were ever going to change, it needed to begin from the inside. My thoughts needed a radical awakening. Until I decided to change (with zero idea how to, you know, do it), I didn’t comprehend how much I was subconsciously holding myself back. Today, I am in many ways a completely different woman. I’m happily married in a healthy relationship. I have no debt to my name and more in savings than I could have ever dreamed. I am consciously aware of all my thoughts, good, bad, and ugly. But in many ways, I can be the same anxious, self-conscious, perennial people pleaser I have been for so long. AND THAT’S OKAY. Regardless of where you are, who you are, and who (or where) you want to be, I’m here to remind you that’s okay. Think of me as your BFF who tells you all the stuff you kinda-sorta-don’t-want-to-hear (but you secretly do). I usually write about relatable dating and relationship advice (you won’t be hearing any antiquated rules from me), with a sprinkling of valuable life lessons I often learned a little too late. Picture a bottomless mimosa brunch with Elizabeth Gilbert chatting about all things love sitting across from her therapist, Deepak Chopra, and you can get an idea of what to expect here. I currently live with my handsome hubby and our fur baby, Maya, in Scottsdale, Arizona. You can usually find me watching Bravo TV or Netflix, reading, working out, and/or drinking red wine. This isn’t usually at the same time, although there have been a few occasions. XO Mikaela