Seven years ago, I woke up to utter shock: My husband revealed he no longer wanted to be married. I fought this new reality and tried everything I knew to keep our crumbling relationship together.
Truth be told, I didn’t want to admit we never should have married in the first place. I compromised myself for years to make the relationship work. I followed him for his job, and settled for a soul-sucking city that held no joy or professional opportunities for me.
After months of arguing, a small voice woke up inside of me. I was done with the familial and societal narratives forced upon me as a woman. As a sensitive introvert, I was never meant to fit into the harsh, fast-paced world. As a Puerto Rican woman, I straddled two worlds already. Why was I still trying to fit into the mold? It did nothing but make me feel inadequate and like I was falling behind.
As the tears faded, the moving truck came, and I signed the divorce papers, I felt a renewed sense of determination. This was my opportunity to reinvent myself in a radical way. There was nothing holding me back anymore. No family judgment. No suffocating marriage. I broke free from all the ‘shoulds’ and stories about how I was supposed to live, look, and love.
In a courageous move, I got a job in my dream city, Miami. I started yoga and invested in orthodontic work to feel confident in my smile. I traveled across the globe, sampling food from many cultures. I made friends at work and then started my own business, all while unapologetically honoring my introverted needs.