Erika’s Journey

I asked Erika to tell me about herself and why she wanted to do a boudoir session. Here is what she said…

“When I was asked to look back at my life; what I’ve done, where I’ve been, where I am and WHO I am today, I was flooded with emotion.

  I smile remembering the good times and breathe a sigh of relief thinking about the obstacles and how I’ve overcome them, not alone, but with the help of a mom who cheered me on, a loving family, a supportive husband who allows me to dream, and daughters who look to me for how they should face the world!

I was raised by a single mom who worked two jobs (cue the Reba song!) I have had a job since I was 14 years old. When it was time to graduate high school, there was no question of IF I was going to college, but HOW I would get there.  Right after high school graduation, I joined the Air National Guard and took full advantage of the 100% college tuition program. Fast forward 22 years, multiple trips around the globe a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree and three combat deployments, I retired at the ripe age of 40!  I didn’t retire because I was tired of it (I was still in love with my job!) I had to retire because I developed a heart condition that required a pacemaker.  Oddly, you can’t fly multimillion dollar aircraft if there’s a risk your heart may stop. Who knew?

In a heartbeat (quite literally) my identity was stripped away. I was no longer a Lieutenant Colonel, no longer a combat Instructor Navigator, no longer everything I’d been since I was 18 years old. I became lost, confused and a little depressed. 

I went back to school and earned my BSN, nursing degree. That seems like too short and insignificant a description.  I should say I went back to school and EARNED my BSN, nursing degree. That s@$! was hard, but I was slowly creating a new identity. 

When I  saw my pictures, I was overwhelmed with a sense of empowerment. I saw me! I SAW me!

Tell me how you felt when you saw your images?

I had been a member of the Sarah Lane boudoir FB group for a while (over a year) reading stories of women who felt so good about themselves after their shoots and finally called for a consult.I don’t know what Sarah put in the water that day, but something changed in me. When I saw my pictures, I was overwhelmed with a sense of empowerment. I saw me! I SAW me!  And, can I just say, I was at the highest weight I’ve ever been when I did my shoot!  But…that’s not what I saw!  I didn’t pick apart every extra roll or criticize my thighs!  I. Just. Saw. Me. 

Erika, what changed after your session?

In that moment, I knew it was time for me to pull myself up out of my valley of pitty and be the woman God intended me to be, the wife I was intended to be and the mom my three beautiful daughters needed me to be!

I have since pursued my dream of becoming an aesthetic nurse and now own my own med spa!  I am a health coach, I opened a boutique this year, I am thriving!  I found myself again!  I know a lot of hard work, good decisions, commitment and grit got me where I am, but when I look back, I can see that my shoot was a pivotal point in my life. Life is short, book the shoot!”

Erika

SARAH LANE BOUDOIR