My name means “I love” in French, which is something I have grown to appreciate, despite the confusion around its spelling and pronunciation. It sounds like “jem,” but with a soft (French) J.

Throughout the trials and awe I have encountered in my life, I have come to realize that I Am Love. I was blessed to be born on this planet, at this time, in these circumstances. Every aspect of life fascinates me and sparks great curiosity. There is so much more to life than we have been led to believe, and all I want is to share the beauty of it with anyone else who is curious as well.

I was a vegetarian for 15 years (age 12-27), but not a healthy one, despite my parents’ efforts. I ate a lot of plant foods, but I was naïve to think that fake meat products were sufficient for replacing the nutrients we evolved consuming. I wasn’t ignorant to the fact that my food was manufactured, but felt I could withstand the effects, for the sake of the animals. What I was ignorant to, was that my efforts made no difference to the wellbeing of animals, and that even a vegan lifestyle still causes death. There is no way around it; life is an endless cycle of death and rebirth.

I have had many epiphanies over time. For example, “the pill” was sucking the life out of me, which opened my eyes even further to the holistic dangers imposed by the pharmaceutical industry. Another was that hunters are major contributors to conservation efforts, and we humans have a responsibility to manage wildlife in order to preserve it. I was finally able to understand that there is an entire ecosystem in the earth underneath us. And I eventually realized that the misery I felt about the world was not being improved by my substance abuse, so I quit drinking when I was 29, which has turned into one of my greatest blessings. I noticed at an early age that I care about a lot of things that others aren’t noticeably bothered by. There are so many directions one’s attention can roam to, but my goal is to actually find ways to resolve circumstances of needless suffering.

I have learned from years of study and introspection that I am responsible for the problems in my own life, but that also means that I have the solutions, and everything starts from within. I’m not too sure what the overall reason for life is, but I believe that a large part of my purpose here is to remind people of how wrong things are, that don’t need to be, so that we don’t forget that we always have a choice… with our behaviors, our dollars, and our voices. I will always be a work-in-progress and have infinite lessons to continue learning. It can be overwhelming at times, but I try to remain excited for what’s to come into my awareness. I hope you are interested in participating in this journey with me!