Becoming Me: Why I Walked Away from “Success” to Build a Life that Feels Like Home

It’s hard to know where to start a story like this. Do I begin at childhood? At motherhood? At burnout? Maybe the beginning doesn’t matter as much as the turning point—and for me, there were three:Meeting my husband. Becoming a mom. And COVID.

That last one—COVID—was the final straw. It brought everything I’d been avoiding straight to the surface and forced me to face what wasn’t working anymore.

But let’s go back for a minute.

Burnout & the Hustle Years

In my early 20s, I was living in full hustle mode—working, massaging, teaching yoga, going to nursing school, trying to do it all. I was praised for it constantly. People would say, “Wow, look at all Megan does,” and I LIVED for that validation. It made me feel worthy. Like I had my life together.

But if I’m being real I was probably running on fumes without knowing it. I was overwhelmed, anxious, and always in a state of what else do I need to do?

Motherhood: My First Cracking Open

Meeting my husband changed everything.

Becoming a mom cracked me wide open.

And COVID brought everything I’d been avoiding straight to the surface.

Stepping into motherhood for the first time was a shock to my system. I love my boys fiercely, but I felt like I had just stepped into someone else’s life—and I didn’t have a roadmap. I had spent years pushing through, staying in control, chasing stability… and now, all of a sudden, I was trying to surrender to something completely unknown.

The world I had built didn’t match the way I wanted to live anymore. And I felt it in my entire being.

I had worked so hard for what people said was “security”:A degree. A steady paycheck. A respectable career. A nice home.

But it wasn’t making me happy.It wasn’t making me me.

Illness, Identity & Healing

And then… my health collapsed.

Insomnia. Anxiety. Bladder pain. Lyme disease. Suicidal ideation. I shut down my massage practice for six months—the one thing I had been relying on for income. (Meanwhile, we were trying to build a debt-free home from scratch. Loss of income + $10,000 in medical bills = not exactly the scenario I pictured when I envisioned “balance”).

But through that incredible darkness, something shifted.

During recovery, I realized: I can’t live this way anymore. I needed to slow down—not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I started therapy. I dug deep. I let myself be honest. (This work is HARD work by the way, for those of you doing it, KEEP GOING).

One of the hardest parts to reflect on was how easily my mind convinced me that I didn’t need to be here. But I stayed. And the reason I stayed was my kids.

They were my anchor.

I didn’t trust anyone else to raise them the way I would. I knew in my bones they needed me. (Plus Barret said he wouldn't survive raising them alone, and I knew he wasn't wrong, LOL).

Motherhood became more than just a role. It became my purpose.

Rebuilding from the Ground Up

So we kept building—literally and figuratively.

My husband and my dad built our timber-frame home by hand. No mortgage. No contractors. Just vision, skill, and faith. They also built me a small studio tucked into the woods. I worried my clients wouldn’t come. But they did. They loved it here (and still do).

I started with Massage, then I started teaching yoga again. I got certified in YoMassage and began offering sessions that blend everything I love—yoga, massage, and meditation—all in one deeply calming, restorative experience.

And what’s really lit me up lately is collaboration.

I’ve been connecting with other women who are also creating soul-rooted businesses—offering everything from astrology and tarot to gardening, herbal medicine, and DIY homesteading. Together, we’re creating something that feels expansive: Community. Support. Shared wisdom. Real connection.

It feels incredibly good to help weave that web—to bring people together and make wellness feel more accessible and grounded.

Reclaiming Balance & Feminine Energy

Underneath it all, I’m still learning. I’ve started to slow down, to listen to my body more. I’m beginning to reclaim my feminine energy—not in a polished, Instagram-perfect way, but slowly. Gently.

I’m letting it rise to the surface, letting it be felt, letting myself trust it.

And I’m also so grateful for the parts of me that are still grounded in that masculine drive—because it’s part of what’s helped me build this life. I know I'll always get sh*t done when I need to because of that side of myself.

My life isn’t “perfectly aligned.” I don’t think it’s supposed to be. Alignment, to me, is a practice—something that ebbs and flows with the seasons, the chaos, and the quiet.

What I do know is that I’ve built a life where I can move with that rhythm. A life where I can do what feels good for my mind, my body, and my soul. And that, to me, is real success.

Rooted in Rhythm

These days, my life revolves around the rhythms that matter most:

Homesteading. Soon-to-be homeschooling. Motherhood.

I’m still offering my work--massage, yoga, YoMassage, an online Wellness hub--But I’m doing it in a way that doesn’t pull me out of balance.

I’ve learned I don’t need to sacrifice one part of myself to honor another. I can be both. I am both.

This season is about letting my nervous system finally catch up with me.For so long, slowing down made me anxious. Constant motion felt normal. Stillness felt… unsafe.But now? Slowing down feels like medicine.It feels like home.

I feel more grounded than I ever have.And that groundedness is what’s giving me the space to live a soul-led life.

A life where I can hustle when I need to—but no longer live in that energy.A life where I can raise my boys with intention, teach them to think critically, learn how to homestead, and still show up for others in a way that nourishes me, too.

There’s still so much I’m learning. I’m sure I’ll continue to ebb and flow through different seasons.

But I’m finally in a place where my life feels like mine.

Not a version I was told to want. Not a life that checks someone else’s boxes. This is a life led by my soul and built by hand—messy, beautiful, and real.

Want to connect with me a little deeper?

Check out the Wellness Hub, browse upcoming classes and workshops, or come visit me at the studio in the woods—where we keep things simple, soulful, and grounded.