It started with a hashtag, but it was never just that

In 2016, I packed a backpack full of fears and dreams to walk 500 miles across Spain. From St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago de Compostela. I was exhausted. Burned out from law school, a full-time job, relationships that left me emptier than when they started, and carrying questions I didn’t even know I had.

I needed a reset. That’s when #FindingMyselfDiscoveringAlice came to life.

At first, it was just a hashtag. A way to keep track of the journey. But over time, it became something deeper, a reminder that life doesn’t give you one big “aha” moment. It gives you a million tiny steps. A million chances to come back to yourself.

That’s what this blog is about.

How it all started: One step at a time

A childhood friend walked the Camino a couple of years before I did. Something in her shifted. You could see it. I got curious. Started asking questions. Reading blogs. Watching videos. Trying to understand what it was about this damn walk that cracked people open.

Eventually, I stopped asking and bought a plane ticket.

The Camino kicked my ass in the best way:

• I met my inner demons face to face.
• I realized healing is messy, it’s not linear, it’s not pretty, but it’s real.
• And I learned faith isn’t about guarantees. It’s what keeps you moving when everything’s falling apart.

No, it didn’t give me all the answers. No, it didn’t stop me from fighting with my faith, sometimes more than others, every step of the way. But it taught me how to keep searching and asking the questions. And that’s enough.

Why Finding Myself, Discovering Alice?

The name says it all:

• Finding Myself is the search. The unlearning, the breaking down, the peeling back.
• Discovering Alice is me reclaiming myself. Not the version of me who did what was expected. The version that was always there, under the fear, under the trauma, under the noise. 

It’s me saying: I’m still walking. I’m still figuring it out. But I’m not hiding anymore.

This is more than a blog. It’s a movement.

This space isn’t just for storytelling. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re carrying too much and don’t know where to set it down.

If you’ve ever been cracked open by infertility, grief, trauma, depression, or life just not turning out the way you thought it would, this is for you.

Here, you’ll find:

• Real, unfiltered stories
• A sense of community for when it feels like you’re the only one
• A reminder that healing doesn’t have to be tidy. But it must be yours.

What I’ll be writing about:

Expect raw truth, plain and simple. Stuff like:

• Living through trauma and generational pain
• Grieving infertility and the silence that comes with it
• Spiritual paths (the Camino and way beyond)
• Boundaries, mental health, and the hard work of self-advocacy
• Walking away from things that no longer serve you, and starting over

From hashtag to lifeline

Back in 2016, I had no idea this phrase would follow me around. But it did. Through heartbreaks. Through job changes. Through relocations. Through sitting in my car crying after doctor’s appointments.

Finding Myself, Discovering Alice showed up in journal entries I never thought I’d share. On photo captions from moments, I barely made it through. In whispers, reminding me: you’ve done hard things before, you can do this too.

This grew out of survival. Out of truth. Out of needing a way to make sense of a life that doesn’t always make sense.

So why now? Why a blog?

Because the hashtag isn’t enough anymore.

Because I just came to the end of my infertility journey, and it wrecked me. And instead of tucking it away and pretending I’m fine, I’m choosing to write.

Because healing isn’t a destination. It’s this. These words. This space.

Because fear kept me quiet for too long, not out of shame, but out of self-protection. Vulnerability still scares the hell out of me. But I know this story needs to be told. And if my words help even one person feel less alone, then it’s all worth telling.

This blog is my way of saying: I’m still here. Still walking. Still figuring it out.

Writing is how I bleed and mend at the same time.

One last thing: The walk never really ends

There’s no final boss version of me waiting somewhere down the line. No “healed” Alice with all the answers. Just me. Still walking. Still learning.

Finding Myself, Discovering Alice is about that process. Not perfection.

So, if you’re on your own path, limping a little and crawling other days, you’re not alone.

Keep walking.

And if you want to follow along, subscribe to the blog. Let’s walk this thing together.

Bienvenidx.