I was born and raised in the wild, northwoods of Minnesota. I grew up getting plenty of scratches and bruises and cold toes and fingers from playing outside, exploring. After graduating high school I lived for a period of time in Minneapolis, where I became part owner of a cafe, went to a photography school and a community college and started diving into acrylic painting. Music was also trying to set in some roots, but it wasn’t quite time for that yet. In 2002 I moved to Germany. It was also around this same time, that I became very clued in and passionate about natural health & healing, and found, yet another university I could attend while living abroad- The University of Natural Medicine. I lived for four years in Dresden. During those years I was a nanny, an English teacher, and was also able to complete my bachelor’s degree in Natural Health Sciences, specializing in Nutrition. I also received degrees in Iridology and Colon Hydrotherapy. I became fluent in German and was able to travel throughout Europe (meeting my Croatian family for the first time as well!) In my free time, mostly very late nights,  after coming home from dancing, I painted! So much so, that I was able to have a few small exhibitions at cafes and even one show at a branch of the Deutsche Bank. In 2006,  I came back to Minnesota. I got a job, saved money, and a year later went on to study foot reflexology and Qigong in Beijing, China. This was a potent time of my life. Then I flew to Taipei, Taiwan to do an internship for three months with Dr. HO, an affiliate of my university, at his clinic. It was there, where I discovered the Asian Steam baths, two of which came home with me and became part of the foundation for the first business I started in Grand Rapids, MN called Vita Fontis. Fast forward 4 years and I was back in China, living at a yoga center called Ramadasa, where I helped facilitate yoga groups coming for retreats. Some months later I moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand where I met my soul sister Anna Suvorova and discovered my love for making chocolates! I lived in Northern Thailand for a year, doing massage, teaching yoga and holding tea ceremony at a beautiful resort.