Hello! My name is Kayla and I’m a former Zombie…
I didn’t start off that way. As a very small child, I enjoyed life to its fullest and was at peace with myself. But, it didn’t take long before that peace became disrupted without outside voices.
“Kayla is just so quiet,” neighbours would say. “Your daughter always wants to read by herself during free time and she keeps staring out the window, daydreaming. We’re concerned,” teachers warned. “You’re too nice; this world will eat you alive,” family teased. So, after internalizing the messages that solitude was scary, appreciation for nature was wrong, and being kind was a liability, I shut down.
By the time I made it to middle school, I was so disconnected from my true self that I withdrew. I skipped so much school that I almost got held back. I struggled with weight and body image issues. And, I became a bit of a “mean girl” who engaged in gossip and acted way tougher than I was.
Many years later – and with a lot of self-reflection, I guess I was able to “turn things around.” I wound up earning a graduate degree in education (of all things) with a focus on mental health, I lost over 70 lbs, and I found myself (re)turning to books, nature, and quiet.
These days, I continue onward with that journey of reflection and try to channel it into photography and writing. Finding this community has been a wonderful reminder that deeper consciousness can open the door for connection if you let it, and best of all, you can still gaze out the window, too.
Now that we’ve met, I hope you stay a while.
Kayla