Posts

The Strength to Endure: Lessons from the Track and from Life

Image
I didn’t expect a 24H Series race to teach me something about motherhood. But somewhere between the roar of engines and the quiet grit of exhausted teams, it did. Watching the 24H of Barcelona unfold was more than witnessing endurance; it was witnessing resilience. Teams pushed through mechanical failures, exhaustion, and setbacks. Some fell behind early, but they didn’t quit. They kept going. Lap after lap. Because in endurance racing, it’s not about being the fastest. It’s about being consistent. And that hit home. Because my journey, from a struggling student to a research intern, wasn’t about brilliance. It was about showing up. Again and again. Even when it was hard. Even when no one was watching. Just like motherhood. Motherhood can be lonely in ways no one prepares you for. You expect support from the people closest to you. You hope they’ll notice when you’re tired, step in when you’re overwhelmed, or offer help when you’re barely holding it together. But sometimes, they don’t. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Small Wins Matter More Than Big Goals

When I first started my studies, I only looked at the big picture: passing exams, finishing my degree, and creating a better future for myself and my child. But when life hit me hard in that first semester and I failed all my courses, the big picture felt impossible. The mountain was too high, the dream too far. What saved me wasn’t some huge turnaround; it was the small wins. The Power of One Step Forward The first time I passed a resit exam after failing so many, it felt like the world lifted off my shoulders. Was I suddenly a top student? No. But that one pass gave me enough hope to keep studying for the next one. Small wins don’t solve everything at once, but they give you the courage to take the next step. Small Wins Build Momentum When you celebrate small wins, you create momentum. One assignment finished turns into two. One class attended turns into a whole week of consistency. The progress doesn’t come from giant leaps, but from stacking little victories on top of each oth...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Being a Student Mom Taught Me About Life

When I decided to go back to school while raising a toddler, I thought the hardest part would be studying. But the truth is, the real lessons weren’t only in the textbooks. They were in the long nights, the failed exams, the moments of self-doubt, and the little victories that kept me moving forward. Looking back, here are five powerful lessons being a student mom has taught me, lessons that go far beyond grades and classrooms. I used to want results right away. Passing exams, finishing assignments, ticking off goals, I thought success meant moving fast. But when I failed my first semester, I realized patience is part of the process. Just like children don’t learn to walk overnight, I couldn’t expect myself to master everything at once. Waiting, trying again, and allowing myself to grow at my own pace was one of the most important lessons of all. Failing every single exam in my first semester felt like proof that I wasn’t capable. But resilience means standing up after you fall, no mat...
Post a Comment
Read more

From Failing Every Exam to Passing Them All: How I Kept Going When Quitting Seemed Easier

Sometimes, the dream feels out of reach. The road is long, and the challenges pile up until quitting seems like the only option. But it’s in those moments that the little wins matter the most. During the first semester of my studies, I was in the middle of moving from one city to another so I could be closer to campus. Before the move, I traveled almost five hours a day to and from school. By the time I got home, I was completely drained, no energy to open my books, no focus for assignments. And on top of it all, I had a toddler who needed my care and attention. It didn’t take long to realize that I couldn’t keep going like this. I needed to save time, be closer to school, and be near my son in case of emergencies. But while I was busy moving, I fell behind. I missed a lot of classes and ended up losing 5 ECTS. When the semester ended, I had failed all my exams on the first try and had to attend every single resit. That’s when the doubts crept in. Who fails all their courses in the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

Motherhood and Education: Raising Babies, Building Futures

It’s 11 p.m. The house is finally quiet. My textbooks are open, coffee is cooling beside me, and my baby’s stuffed animal sits right next to my laptop. This is what chasing dreams as a mom looks like. Becoming a mother doesn’t put your dreams on hold; it fuels them. As a young mom and a student, I’ll be honest: it’s not easy. Every day brings new challenges. Some nights, I’m up making flashcards while the rest of the world sleeps. Mornings start with school drop-offs, and afternoons are a blur of lectures, deadlines, and racing to pick my child up from daycare. Evenings are for cooking, homework help, and bedtime stories, before opening my laptop again to work on assignments. Weekends? Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping… and making memories with my little one. Then Monday rolls around, and we start all over again. But here’s the thing: every late night, every tired morning, every moment you think you can’t do it, you are doing it. You’re not just building your own future; you’re shap...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking the Taboo: How Therapy Helped Me Heal and Grow Spiritually

When you’ve been in emotional pain for months or even years, taking the first step toward help can feel impossible. For me, it took 18 long months before I finally reached out. As an Eritrean woman, therapy wasn’t something people around me considered normal. It was taboo. The belief was that therapy is for “mentally unstable” people, and the stigma was heavy. When I told close family and friends that I was going to see a psychologist, the responses hurt more than I expected: “Therapy will make you crazy.” “These Westerners will brainwash you.” “Go to church, pray, and read the Bible instead.” As a Christian, I deeply value prayer and the church. But I also knew I needed guidance from   someone who could walk with me through the darkness and show me there was light at the end of the tunnel. Judgment wasn’t going to heal me. Compassion and understanding might. The Courage to Step Outside My Comfort Zone It took courage to go against the voices telling me “don’t do it.” On my fir...
Post a Comment
Read more

You’re Not Alone: Let’s Talk About Postpartum Depression

Every Mom’s Experience Is Different No one truly prepares you for how complex the early days of motherhood can be. You expect joy, and yes, joy is there, but it can be tangled with exhaustion, guilt, or even numbness. If that sounds familiar, please know this: it does not make you a bad mother. It may mean you’re experiencing postpartum depression , a real and common condition that affects many new moms. When you have a baby, everyone talks about the first smiles and sweet cuddles. What they don’t often talk about is how overwhelming, lonely, and heavy it can feel instead. I know because I’ve been there. After my own birth experience, I felt more guilt and exhaustion than happiness. I didn’t realize at the time that it could be postpartum depression, and I wish I had known the signs sooner. Postpartum depression can look different for every mother, but here are some signs to be aware of: Emotional Signs Persistent sadness or emptiness. Feeling low for more than two weeks after b...
Post a Comment
Read more