From Brushstrokes to Bodywork
Mon Chari Photography
Welcome to my first blog post! I’d like to introduce myself a bit more in depth. My name is Rebekah (she/her) and I’m from South Bend, Indiana. I currently live in Elkhart and work as a massage therapist in Goshen! I’m a new massage therapist but I’ve been interested in massage therapy for a really long time. I didn’t actually receive my first professional massage though until my early twenties when an old boyfriend bought me a gift card to a now-closed spa chain. I was really excited to both relax and pick the therapist's brain, since I'd been thinking about the industry for a while. It was a lovely massage and I asked that poor woman SO many questions about her career.
I don’t exactly remember what first triggered my interest in massage, but I think my mom helped inspire me. When I was a kid, she really got into Reflexology. She had books on it lying around and I remember once how excited I got one day after we came home from a long day at the 4-H fair when she told my sister and I that if we washed our feet first, she’d give us foot massages, haha. And even before that, I remember someone once asked my mom what she thought I’d be when I grew up. She imagined I’d be in the medical field, helping people. At the time, I wanted to be a writer, so I secretly thought, “Sorry, Mom, I’m going to be writing fan fiction for the rest of my life!” But she was right—I do love helping people. However, while massage therapy can be considered a medical profession, I focus on relaxation and stress relief.
It took me a long time to come around to this though! I sort of ignored my desire to get into massage therapy because a thorough Google search told me the closest massage school was 40 minutes away and by then I was already waist deep in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting. I didn’t want to throw away all the hard work I’d done toward my degree and I didn’t have the guts to take on more student debt. I do still love drawing and painting though. It’s just really been put on the back burner this last decade and a half (oof, time flies). I’m hoping this flexible career will allow me to get back into it once my daughter is older.
But anyway, it wasn’t until after I got married and my spouse Al (she/her) helped me pay off my student loans that I seriously started considering massage school. Al was so supportive and told me we would save up to pay for it in cash. So we did. I was excited but so scared that I’d hate it and waste all that money! But Al assured me about 100 times that if I discovered I didn’t like it after wondering about it for over a decade, that it was money well-spent. That really made me feel better. She’s just the best.
On top of going to school, we were trying to get pregnant. Specifically, me. We were trying at home with donor vials and then moved to in-office IUIs over in Fort Wayne. I was still working my full time office job, and then attending class and doing clinicals. It was an intense time, haha. But my pregnancy was timed perfectly as I was due to give birth one month after I graduated massage school. After graduating and giving birth to my stunner of a daughter Vera, I studied more and passed my licensing exam while on maternity leave. That was way harder than I expected it to be and I’m 100% amazed I passed that test on the first try.
So here I am, a new mom and a new massage therapist. Life is truly perfect. I can’t wait to share my passion for relaxation and healing with you. Book your appointment today and let’s start a journey to wellness together.
Talk soon!
- Rebekah