michaela chung 2016

It’s been almost a year since I wrote my last life update Michaela Chung Uncensored : 10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Creator Of Introvert Spring. 

A lot has changed since then. So, I figured it’s time to get personal again. The first thing I want to share might sound a little corny. You might not even believe me, but it’s true …

I am honestly the happiest I’ve ever been in my life right now. Last year had some really rough patches. I had demons to face, and old, worn out patterns to slay. I’m so happy that I didn’t give up on myself and my vision for my best innie life. I did the work necessary to get to this sweet spot in my journey.

By “work”, I don’t mean the 9-5 kind. I’m talking about soul-shaking, heart-wrenching inner work. It is the kind of work I teach my students to do in my introvert courses (yes, I actually practice what I preach).

The biggest breakthrough for me in 2016 has been learning to truly and completely love myself. The art of self-love doesn’t always come easily to us introverts. We have years of guilt and shame about our introversion to contend with.

As I’ve learned to love myself in both action and thought, the world has reflected love back to me. Like the first flowers of spring, new relationships have blossomed seemingly out of nowhere. Best of all, I feel more at peace with myself than ever. Situations that used to make me hyperventilate don’t phase me because I’ve learned to trust myself.

We’ll get to the specifics of why life is so good in a moment, but first I want to let you know the #1 reason I’m in such a happy place right now.

The #1 Reason I’m So Damn Happy Right Now

I didn’t give up. Even if you’re a transformation addict like me, change is difficult. It requires a long hard look in the mirror when all you want to do is hide from yourself. Sometimes it hurts. Like, a lot. Usually, growth hurts the most right before a breakthrough. Many people grow so tired of the universe crapping on them that they give up too soon.

They think, “my familiar patch of grass isn’t ideal, but it’s not as painful as jumping the fence.” So they take a nap in the yellowing grass, not realizing that life can piss on you no matter where you are. But it can only shine when you choose to follow the sun. But I digress.

My point is that if life is really crappy for you right now it could just be growing pains. Good things are probably just around the corner. Don’t give up, dearest.

Okay, now enough of this sappy stuff – time for the personal updates!

10 Surprising Life Updates

1. I’m no longer a nomad. For several years, I travelled and lived abroad, and never spent more than a few months living in one place. Even when I returned to Canada a couple of years ago, I would sublet furnished apartments for 2-4 months and then move on. I have now been living in my current home for seven months. That might not sound like much, but it is the longest I have lived in the same home in years. I absolutely LOVE where I live right now. There is nowhere else I’d rather be. And I’ve been in a lot of places.

2. The travel bug has left the building. After years of crossing oceans in search of meaning and purpose, I actually found it. Now, I have no desire to be anywhere, but exactly where I am.

3. I wrote a book! I would like to say that it has always been a dream of mine to write a book and have it published, but it hasn’t. The truth is, I never believed in myself enough to dare set such a lofty goal. I figured I didn’t have the discipline to complete such a big project. That began to change after I started Introvert Spring. Six months after creating the site, I did a 30-day writing challenge.

I vowed to write a blog post everyday for a month. I actually did it, and it was bliss! I thought to myself, if I can write a blog post everyday, I can write a book. It can’t be much different (it is, but let’s not tell my past self that because we don’t want to discourage her). Anywho, long story short, I wrote a book. It was hard, but it was also really fun. I hope to write many more. The Irresistible Introvert is now available for your reading pleasure!

4. I still love zombies. That has not changed. Unfortunately, a good zombie movie only comes along every few years, so I haven’t had my fix in a while. I still believe that a sword is the best zombie slaying tool for slow-moving zombies. However, it has come to my attention that a machine gun would be ideal for the fast-moving kind. Thoughts?
5. I live in a very strange place. I’m not going to tell you exactly where I live because, you know, stalkers. But I will tell you that it is by far the strangest and most magical place I’ve ever been. The little community that I inhabit is rich with trees as high as towers, rocky beaches, and people who appreciate the simple things in life. There are also a lot of hippies. It is a place that is close to the ocean and to my heart.

6. I’ve become a real person! Just kidding, that will never happen. I enjoy living in fairyland way too much. ?

michaela chung

Why be a real person when you can be a unicorn?

7. My priorities have shifted drastically. The nomad’s life is to a large extent a selfish one – at least it was for me. Even for someone who values solitude as much as I do, constant travel became unbearably lonely. I realized that I wanted to focus on friends, family, and building community around me. Completely switching gears in life doesn’t happen as quickly as it does with cars. As I said earlier, there were a lot of rough patches along the way. But I’m learning more and more about this love thing everyday – speaking of which …

Michaela Chung

Me and my besties this past Christmas. <3

8. My love life is … looking a lot more promising. Last year, the universe decided that instead of giving me the loving relationship I always wanted, it would give me a punch in the gut. Again, and again, and again. It seems that the beating has stopped. Fingers crossed.


michaela flowers

9. I’m soooo happy! A few years ago I saw an interview in which Oprah asked three famous actresses the biggest life lessons they’ve learned to date. Julianne Moore said something like, “It’s easier to be happy in life”. I thought to myself, “duh”. But I now see that happiness is a choice. Sometimes, it is several choices that take a while to bear fruit. Life is, indeed, so much easier when you choose to be happy.

10. Onesies are no longer #1. I went through a phase where I loved wearing onesie pajamas. Just as winter clothes must be put away in spring, onesies must be set aside when warm weather hits. Also, stripping down every time you have to go to the bathroom is inconvenient. It’s hard to find fashionable onesies with butt flaps nowadays (I like to sleep in style).

Over to you

Now that you’ve heard some exciting and strange tidbits from my personal life, I’d love to hear something surprising about you! What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you. Please do share in the comments below. 🙂

Lots of love,

Michaela-Signature