My name is Jen. I am a 27 year old designer living in Edmonton, Alberta but I would say that I am not really from anywhere. I grew up moving every two years because my dad was in the military. I found myself landed in Edmonton as a young adult and I haven’t left since. I’ve lived in Edmonton the longest and I think that’s a good enough reason to call it home. I have lived all across Canada and the U.S. As a kid I kind of accepted that I would have always be somewhere new and that would provide me with new opportunities, and a chance to start over. Once I stopped moving I was forced to figure out who I was and what kind of person I wanted to be. Its been a journey to get here full of struggles and blessing but I know I have found my place. It’s not necessarily a destination but more like a place of mind.
My young adult life I have had plenty of hard times. I decided to move out on my own as an 18 year old. I couldn’t afford my first months rent without the help of my mom but I knew I had to leave the environment I was in. My dad is military and at this time he had just returned from Afghanistan. He came back with PTSD so severe he couldn’t function. He reacted with anger towards me at every chance. My dad and I’s relationship was at its worst at this point and I had to escape it for my own mental well being. I had to rely on my friends and family to help me through some hard financial and mental times. I knew I needed to work towards something, I just wasn’t sure what that something was.
I finally decided to apply for design school. I have always been a creative soul, whether it was sewing, crafting, painting, or decorating I was always inspired to create. I spent 3 years pushing myself to learn new things and take on new challenges. I went to school mostly because I loved photography but I left school with an incredible passion for design (and a lot of student debt). It took me a couple of years to find my footing as a designer in the real world but I worked my butt off and took jobs that weren’t glamorous just to build my skills and get more experience. I am happy to say I am working for the City of St. Albert as one of their designers and I absolutely love it. It’s been a great experience but I am looking towards the future and hoping to take on more freelance work.
I live with my handsome, amazing boyfriend. He is my soulmate. I am so happy that we have found each other and we get to live the rest of our lives together. We are almost always disgustingly cute. It can get vomit-worthy sometimes. We have lots of exciting plans for our future, including trips around the world, massive gardens, making cheese, and all sorts of things. So he will definitely be a part of the blogging journey and you will hear all about us.
I also practice yoga, I am an aerialist, and a hula hooper. I won’t post much about that stuff but you can always check out my videos and pics of me frolicking about on my Instagram.
I have always been an unusual girl, I always felt like I was forced to conform to what was “cool” and I eventually realized those “cool people” weren’t “my people”. I’m sure lots of you can relate to this experience. I never wanted to do what everyone wanted. Even in my family I always felt different. Sometimes I felt like a black sheep who never really fit in, but once I got older I found people who were like minded and showed me that they liked me for who I am. I built some confidence and I think that shows if you meet me. I love my friends like they are family. I love to feed those people and I love to take care of those people. Whether it’s with a healthy talk or an essential oil blend I want my people to be taken care of. I know there are tons of weirdos like me out there who love food the way I do and who love their gardens the way I do. Its more than a hobby, it’s a sacred practice for me. I grow the food, I take care of the food, I make it into something amazing, and the cycle repeats.
Please feel free to ask me any questions and I will be happy to answer.
