Today we’d like to introduce you to Paloma Hill.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I had the blessing to grow up around the world – from Houston, Texas, to Lima, Peru, to Geneva Switzerland – I was always finding myself traveling with my family to a new part of the world, a new culture to absorb and explore. Through all the life and changes I experienced, I knew that one of the main things I wanted to accomplish was to see what the world, its people, love, and life have to offer.
Moving so many times, Houston was always our landing spot, our home base. After living in Switzerland, I found myself finishing the International Baccalaureate program in Houston then falling in love with my Alma mater, the University of St. Thomas. It is at this gem of a Catholic university where I graduated and landed my dream job in the education field – through exploring so many parts of the world and meeting people along the way, I knew I wanted to work with students and encourage them to always continue learning, even if that was outside the classroom. It was also during my time in college that I met my best friend and we fell in love – after two months of dating, my then boyfriend joined the Marine Corps and found himself in new parts of the world serving his country while always remembering home – after 18 months of not seeing one another, traveling took me home, and by then, home was Japan. Throughout the years, my now husband and I fought the distance, traveled the miles, and found the blessings in the struggles and now, he is home and pursuing his college degree.
Traveling has always been the cornerstone of my life, allowing me to step back from the daily grind to be able to reflect, remember, and replenish. From traveling with my family as a child to traveling to chase love thousands of miles away, it has been the one thing that has glued all the parts of my life together.
Today, I am working on a personal blog in which I plan to share life, love, traveling, and light. I want to highlight the beauty of life, amidst the challenges, and always remind others that there is more than what we are facing at the moment. I hope to keep connecting with people from all parts of the world and encourage people to find love, chase happiness, find the blessings, and work hard for their dreams.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
“No rain, no flowers.”
Fitting for this question, especially since its the month of May! The road to where I am now has been the most confusing, gratifying, exciting, anxiety-filled, mysterious, a blessing I have walked and will continue to follow.
Moving so many times growing up has its pros but it also has its cons – it’s hard to make lasting friendships, its hard to remember so many details, its hard to not have a place you can naturally call home while at the same time, having so many places you call home. Through these challenges, I learned early on to adapt, overcome, and find the silver linings in every situation. My four years in college were the first 4 years in a while that I had stayed in one place and that in itself had its own struggles – struggles of finding my niche, where I would “fit in”, where I would be understood, as complex as I thought I was. It was during this time that I realized that the most constant person in my life was myself (aside from family) and I needed to love myself just as much as I loved the idea of loving others.
I could not speak to the person I am today without singing the praises of the people who have loved me, supported me, snapped at me, and encouraged me along the way. My family, my friends, my military long-distance family, my husband, and most importantly, my faith.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a multicultural young professional woman navigating a crazy world and smelling the flowers along the way. I am successful in my career, love the work I do with others, and I am finding myself along the journey. I am most proud of the ability to see the challenges, the dark clouds, and find their purpose – the meaning or the story behind the lesson. Because after all, every single thing has a purpose.
This is mine. To use my voice, to encourage others, to love myself and the world all while seeing it.
What were you like growing up?
Interestingly enough (maybe this isn’t a surprise), I am a huge introvert and have been my whole life – I love taking in things, observing others, listening to life and absorbing the lessons. However, oddly enough, put me in a group with friends and you. can’t. shut. me. up. And well, that’s really confusing, even for me.
Growing up, I was more aware of myself and it inhibited me in certain ways, ways which I challenge myself to find and fight through now in order to make sure that I don’t hold myself back from life. I always wanted to be a service dog trainer or a teacher, and my hobbies have never changed – traveling, organizing, decorating, and planning moments that will then become our favorite memories.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _ohpaloma
Image Credit:
Valeriaphotography
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