Why Did I Become a Massage Therapist?

My first year in massage therapy I had a beloved client ask me:

"So my daughter likes to rub my feet, were you like that at a young age? Do you think she wants to grow up to be like you?"

I was taken slightly aback when he asked this. Though it is absolutely adorable that his young daughter cares so much about her father, I never actually had any interest in rubbing feet at a young age!

The idea of massage didn't cross my mind until I was 16 years old. If you don't know, I joined a Sports Medicine Club at my high school when I was a sophomore. Joining this club and taking those classes led me in a direction of helping others! At the end of my senior year I accumulated over 1,200 hours of practical time (basically, I was a glorified water girl) and I loved almost every second of it. I even placed 25th in state for medical terminology (okay, I know that's not crazy impressive, but I was proud)!

My second year of Sports Med we had a section specifically for massage therapy, and I was obsessed with it! I even went home and told my family that I wanted to go to massage school! But, their reaction was less than favorable. It wasn't until I dropped out of Pre-Nursing...and Medical Assisting that I realized I wouldn't be happy until I knew I tried Massage Therapy. I wanted to help people feel better, move better, and live better!

So why massage therapy?

• Muscles are cool

• People are cool

• I'm too much of a crybaby to be a nurse

• I can't handle the amount of paperwork to be a medical assistant

• I have the freedom of a flexible schedule

• I can move freely in a space of my choosing

• No one questions why I don't wear shoes (I'm only partially kidding)