Introducing Nicole

science nerd with a passion for fitness and health

As per request from Dr Mehmet Yildiz and following the example of other fellow Illumination writers, I feel finally confident enough to introduce myself.

My life has been a journey of recovery, and with each passing year my life gets better.

I grew up in a dysfunctional home with an alcoholic stepfather and a mother who let out her aggression on me and my 7 siblings.

Until my 20’s, I lived with extreme social anxiety and self-hatred that was so extreme that I couldn’t manage to look into the mirror longer than a few seconds at a time. I managed to overcome my intense fear of people, and my first post on Medium describes my journey to a healthier self-image and a more confident human being. You can read it here:

Driven by the fear to end up living the kind of life my mum lived, I pushed myself to attend school and to complete 2 study programs.

A Bachelor of Science in Forestry and a Master of Science in Global Change Management. During my Master’s degree, I fell deeply in love with science and worked in climate change research for a few years.

Eventually, I left the field because I was disappointed and disgusted by how science is used as a political instrument.

When I wrote my doctoral thesis, one of the supervisors advised I should be careful how I present my results. They “don’t fit in the current political climate.”

That day I decided I will not sell my soul to be able to have a career in this field.

Unsure of how to go on, I eventually worked in customer care for 4 years. I am grateful for these years. They were filled with laughter, friends, and the most inspiring stories.

I reflected on my experience in this piece:

Currently, I am working in the finance department of a startup in the travel industry, and it’s been an incredibly gratifying experience. I can combine my passion for data analysis with being creative and am lucky to have an incredible team with amazing colleagues.

One of my biggest passions is fitness. It played a significant role in shaping my character for the better.

It enabled me to live a love-filled, peaceful life.

I find the human body utterly fascinating and will explore the science of exercise and how it nourishes the body and the soul in my future writings more. I experimented with many types of fitness regimens and eating styles and finished several certifications as a nutritionist.

Here are two of my stories related to these topics:

I am incredibly grateful for all the blessings I have received and to be part of this amazing community of inspiring writers at Illumination. Thank you Dr Mehmet Yildiz for creating this publication.

Thanks a lot for reading.