Introducing Me

Hello there, welcome! My name is Justine and it is very nice to meet you. I am a 22 year old entrepreneur trying to uncover a new way of life as we know it. Anyone else sick of it too? You're in the right place if you are and if you aren't quite sure, stick along!

I would first like to start by saying as much as this is for you, it is just as much for me. If you're reading this, thank you and I appreciate your interest in my thoughts and life. Hopefully we have some more in common. It has been a goal of mine to have a blog for a year now, another goal is to create a podcast. I am hands down that girl who puts too much on her plate to keep busy, I like it that way (yes, I do have mental illnesses, we'll get into that another day). I never knew my passions, never had any good hobbies, hardly knew what I even liked doing and wasn't overall excelling in a certain area. I feel like I've been given the chance and opportunity to teach and explore myself. Isn't that what your twenties are all about? Finding yourself? I never had anything on my plate other than work and homework, hardly even knew who I was. So yes, mental illness is a reason why I fill my plate but it's also a way to rediscover and reinvent myself, I only say yes to things I belive are good for me and align with my values.

Within the crazy year of 2020 I left my job, my side business ShopStine (on Instagram) took off in the effort to raise money for homes for people in El Salvador, I partnered with an exclusive vegan hair and skin company, cut meat out of my diet, began my spiritual awakening journey and my boyfriend bought his first house! Although we have faced so much tragedy and lived through countless historical events, I consider myself very blessed.

I want to keep this short and sweet as it's an introduction and I have countless opportunites to dig deeper later on. I'm very excited to make this goal come alive and see where it takes me. I am an only child with four step-siblings, me being the youngest. I adore animals, especially dogs. I can't wait to get my own furry friend soon, we're looking into fostering. I am passionate about El Salvador and social justice matters. I took my first missions trip to El Salvador in November 2019 and it completely changed my life. I yearn to go back desperately but for now I make-do with virtual trips. I'm not gifted artistically but I enjoy painting in my free time as well as singing, dancing, going on adventures, reading, playing games and watching a good TV series.

I will conclude this with a realization I had some time ago now. My purpose behind this blog is to inform, educate, share thoughts, opinions, realizations, adventures and some tips that will hopefully assist you in your life or provide value to you. I have this thing about being 'perfect', I've grown to dislike the word, personally. I get in my head, wondering what I have to actually offer you, all I really have is experience and that in itself is pretty seldom for a 22 year old. An overpowering voice reminded me that I don't have to have it all figured out. The point is to track and document my own progress and experiences and to be on this journey WITH you, not before you documenting everything after I've figured it out for myself. So here I am, doing this with you. One of my favourite quotes is by Hillel the Elder, "If not now, when?".

I challenge you to use that quote for your day-to-day life moving forward and experience the power it holds.

Cya next Tuesday, friends

xo, Justine