Who I am...

I'd like to tell you a bit about myself before jumping into it all.

My name is Emily. I am 29 years old, youngest of 2 girls. I grew up in the small city of Thorold, ON. I am engaged to my amazing fiancé, Brandon.

Growing up, I had a very memorable childhood. I had 2 loving parents, an older sister that was my best friend and a handful of good friends.

I preferred elementary school over high school. My high school was very "cliquish". Everyone stuck to their own groups and were looked at differently if you tried to branch out. Elementary school was less divided and over all more enjoyable for me.

I went to Niagara College for Customs and Immigration. I wanted to become a CBSA officer, but ended up going a completely different route. About 2 or 3 years later, I moved to Toronto, ON to attend the Canadian Beauty College to get my Makeup Artist Certificate. Since then, I have started my own makeup business, " Pretty & Spice". I started out with doing some weddings on the side, then progressed to doing some photo shoots, special events and more. You can take a look at my portfolio linked below. www.prettyandspicemake.wixsite.com/psmua

Throughout my teenage years, I was always single. Boys were never interested in me, they always looked at me as "just a friend". It definitely took a few shots to my confidence, but I stayed positive and told myself, " your person is out there somewhere".

For about 12 years now, I have suffered from anxiety and depression. When I was 18, I remember having my first anxiety attack. My anxiety was generally situational anxiety. I always knew what my triggers were. When I was 25/26, my anxiety became unmanageable. I no longer knew what my triggers were. Anxiety attacks would happen at least once or twice a day, resulting in me not being able to work, socialize or even do simple daily tasks.

This brings me to where I would like to start my self-care journey. My end goal is to release the negative memories and experiences from my mind and heart. I am entering a new phase in my life and I do not want to bring this "baggage" with me. Brandon and I are getting married in just under 6 months. I owe it to him and to my self to enter this marriage with a clear head and completely open heart. I want to be the best person and wife that I can be.

It just so happens that while I release my anger, sadness and frustration with these experiences, they make for a good read for outsiders. So grab yourself a glass of wine, maybe some popcorn and a blanket.

Thank you for taking interest in my story.