About Me — Ute
Seeker of mysteries, lover of animals, wisdom keeper
Hi there, it’s me, Ute. It’s about me, and that feels weird because I like to keep secrets.
Okay, let’s cut to the chase.
Consider me a late bloomer. I was precocious from a young age but started venturing into the world when I was older. There was a lot of fear in my family, many of whom were World War Two survivors with horror stories to tell. That’s when I started to keep secrets, the good ones, the happy ones, because of the trauma in the family lineage.
I was born in Germany and could not wait to leave — for no reason other than feeling I did not belong there. I have always been fascinated by unusual people and animals who are “different” and misunderstood. The fascination started early, and the leaving happened later in life. But I am getting ahead of myself.
During my college years, I was deep into the counter-culture. We wanted to change the world, the education system, abolish the government, etc.
That’s when I started feeling my hunger for other cultures, languages, and foreign landscapes and a deep spiritual yearning.
I studied for an MA in Special Education. Remember my fascination with being different? During this time, I got an extended internship in Israel to further my field studies.
Ha! While this was exciting because I immersed myself into the culture — I lived in a Kibbutz and had one of my most profound love affairs, it also helped with the German guilt deeply embedded in my DNA.
When I got back home, I plotted my next escape.
I completed grad school and earned a degree in special ed, but I was not eager to start a mainstream career as an educator.
What can a girl do to avoid that? Well, I went to India, lived in an Ashram, and discovered many mysteries, with meditation being the focus and the country’s bounty of sounds, smells, and ancient magic. It was like a homecoming for my soul and changed my life.
While I lived in India, I met the man who was the catalyst for me to move to the US.
Our love was deep, but we could not sustain our relationship, and everyone expected me to move back to Europe. Instead, I stayed in the US and discovered a new way of life — for the first time, not through the lens of a relationship, which was challenging and liberating at the same time.
I worked with kids for many years until THE dog came into my life. A special needs dog, the one and only incomparable Shiva, my pit bull, led me to a road less traveled, and I studied modalities to help him heal from severe PTSD. Shiva’s presence in my life and my cats helped me to fulfill my purpose and destiny: working as a pet death doula and animal communicator.
For years, I wanted to write a book about my life with Shiva, my cats, and my amazing animal friends, whom I loved and accompanied until they passed. I have so many stories to share about my life and my work with animals. Beautiful, haunting, and profoundly moving experiences!
The book idea was like a broken record in my head. I gathered many vignettes and notes, which remained tucked away in my Google Drive.
Well, that was until I discovered Medium. The veil has lifted because I can share my stories with you, with the world, and I am ready, oh so ready, to unleash my writing genius.
So, here I am. Nice to meet you!
If you want to get to know me better, I invite you to check out my profile.
Here’s another story that you might enjoy.