My happy childhood days unfolded in the idyllic English countryside, where whole foods, homeopathy and hours whiled away outside were the norm. By my early 20s, I was a corporate lawyer working crazy long hours in London, then Singapore and Hong Kong. I was good at the work hard play hard lifestyle, hiding any misgivings with my chosen career behind diligence, charm and alcohol. Life was good but totally out of balance.

In my mid 30s, I relocated to Melbourne with a husband and 3 young children. I knew settling into our new life would take time. But nothing prepared me for the reality. Behind the confident smile, I was desperately lonely. I had completely lost my sense of identity. I was running on adrenalin which gave me a sort of manic energy, but really I was exhausted, struggling with insomnia and chronic anxiety.

My turning point was taking the leap back to study. Partly driven by a desire to feed my children healthy food, but confused and exasperated by what was marketed as being "healthy", I signed up for a nutritional health coaching course to educate myself. My new career course was set in motion. After many exams, qualifications and happy healthy clients later, I realise how fortunate I am to be working in a field that I am passionate about. Life is still good, crazy busy at times, but in balance and flourishing.