Karen Boudreaux, New Orleans
My physical beginnings as a Massage Therapist are fairly new!! My spiritual journey toward Massage Therapy has been going on all my life!!! Here is the short version…
1957: I am born! Raised in New Orleans, LA, I am the oldest of eight children and surrounded by an extremely large extended network of relatives. My role as caretaker started almost immediately as the eight arrived in only a twelve year span. Many years ago, even while in elementary school and throughout high school, I was absolutely sure that Nursing was the direction for my life. Upon graduation, I was accepted to an accelerated program at Charity Nursing School, in New Orleans, which started only a month after I finished high school. I thought this was quite a feather in my cap, but soon found out that all my other classmates had already completed the basic college classes of English, Math and Sociology. I was struggling under the class load, but making it. A consistent criticism of me, by my instructors, was that I was spending too much time with the patients….and not enough on charting! It didn’t really occur to me then, but I find this so telling now!! Over time, my interests had always drawn me toward alternative medicine and health modalities. You see, I am a toucher!! I touch and I hug and I stroke and I rub! I believe in touch as connecting, calming, and healing. Go figure!!
As life often shows us, choices and paths tend to lead us in many directions. I never finished Nursing School! Having my 3 children became a higher priority, so I dropped out with only 1 ½ semesters left. Obviously not one of the best decisions I’ve ever made (the dropping out part)……but, choices are made! Life progressed and it was apparent that I would have to bring in some money for the family. However, I did not want to give up the time I wanted with my children. So, over the years, I was…..an Avon Lady…..a Tupperware Lady, Amway distributor, travel agent…..even owner/desktop publisher of a local Wedding Guide! All allowed me to be available to my children as class room mother, fair chairperson, playground coach, cub scout and girl scout leader………. and available to my home and husband. We were considered by all of our friends…..the perfect family. We hosted all holiday meals and parties…..Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Mardi Gras, Easter, July 4th, Halloween……our home was the gathering place. This went on for 17 years until my husband and I divorced.
1994: My children are 10, 12 and 14. They now spend every other weekend and two weeks out of every summer month with their dad. Oddly, a new job drops in my lap right at this exact time, managing a U.S. reservations office for a resort in Belize, Central America. Part of my job is to travel to Belize 4 or 5 times a year to train front desk staff and familiarize myself with the country. This was the perfect job, of sorts, since I had always been struck by wanderlust…..and the perfect distraction for those times I was without my children. In 2000, with my nest becoming very empty, I was approached to manage a 24 room dive resort located in Belize! At first, I was torn, but my children threatened to disown me if I did not take the job. So, with their blessing and encouragement, I moved to Belize! The plan was to use that window of time while they were in college (and claiming ‘not’ to need me around for awhile) and return when they started getting married and threatening me with grandchildren. Of course, they loved the two week expense paid vacation they received every year!
2001: Belize was a wonderful adventure, as well as, an immense spiritual journey. My experiences there were intense. Seven months after I arrived, my little village was hit by a Category 5 Hurricane Iris which practically wiped out the little sea level peninsula. My resort survived, but I slept on the main building front porch for a week and spent the next three months rebuilding and repairing the resort to re-open with only a handful of the staff. During that time, my closest friend, who was also the chef at the resort, died of a heart attack. As Belize is a third world country, death is not handled in the same detached manner as we do here. It fell on me to handle all details personally, even as far as transporting his body in the back of my truck. Boats sank, dive shops burned, generators failed, guests are stung by scorpions ……..managing a resort is fun, but it is also 24/7! Over the course of my time in Belize, I managed three different resorts…… two dive resorts and one mountain resort! Managing there is more like being a ‘house mom’! I was able to develop such wonderful relationships with staff and guests alike. From sunrise to midnight, it always required an up close and personal approach. It was wonderful and special……and exhausting…….and I loved it!!!
2007: The time has come for me to return to the real world! My middle son lives in Austin and my daughter says that is where she will move soon, so this is where I come! I drove from Belize through Mexico with my two cats for three days!! I crossed the border into Texas on May 31st, 2007 and arrived in Austin the next day! It was great!! I loved Austin. The city offered me the music and funkiness of New Orleans, as well as, the green and nature of the greenbelts and surrounding hill country, which reminded me of Belize. My challenge, since I had arrived, is that I had become somewhat of a mis-fit! I had become that “over-qualified” job applicant! I realized I did not want to be a part of a more corporate hotel world! I AM a Caretaker!! Also, I had come to realize that over these past 14 years, I had been on a quest for something that was closer to filling my soul while living my life.
As I was deciding on my options and searching the internet, Massage Therapy just kept appearing! I am a firm believer that all in life happens for a reason and exactly when it is meant for you. I have lived an extremely blessed and full life, but something had always seemed to allude me. Over these past years, I realized over and over again, that I had spent most of my life caring and nurturing others, no matter what industry I have been in. Unfortunately, there was not much left over for me. I was at that crossroads in life where soul-searching and deep contemplation are the norm. I am blessed!! My life has been interesting……I have been given exactly what I needed at various moments in time! I am who I am because of my experiences. It is my desire to continue caring for others, while focusing on my own fulfillment, relaxation and health through massage.
2009: I am a Massage Therapist!! I have started and run many types of businesses! But never with the passion I feel for this chapter of my life!! I am so excited to start. Hence………
the Next Chapter!
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About this author: Karen: Karen is a Licensed Massage Therapist in Texas and Louisiana, and a Member of ABMP. She attended The Lauterstein-Conway School of Massage in Austin, TX. She is now back home in Louisiana currently residing in Covington and building her Massage business in and around the Greater New Orleans area. Visit her website at www.karenboudreauxlmt.com |