About Me

Hi, my name is Melanie.

I'm in my 20's but have led a rough life. It was difficult and painful, not just on me but on those close to me. However, I wouldn't change a thing about my life. My hardships have made me the person I am today. It's taught me a lot. It taught me to appreciate life -- God, my family, and my friends. It taught me to make the most of my time here on earth. It showed me what I'm meant to spend my life doing, which is helping others in need.

I am not defined by cancer. I define myself through my strength and determination. I found strength I never knew existed inside of me. And I still possess this strength as I continue down my unfortunate medical path and through all other life challenges.

I've realized that every single thing I've ever put my mind to, I've accomplished. That is what drives me. I know I can do anything.

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and lived a normal life.  I was very physically active, with soccer being my favorite sport to play.  I spent the majority of my time hanging out with my friends and my amazing and obnoxiously close family.

In August 2003, I moved to Columbia, Missouri and attended Mizzou. During my third year, just shortly before the spring semester, I was diagnosed with Leiomyosarcoma. I took that semester off from college to undergo surgery, recovery, and radiation. The next semester, Fall 2007, I moved back to Mizzou. It was important for me to live my normal life (even though my parents were not comfortable with me being 2 hours away and traveling back and forth for treatments.) I took a full class load, continued to work part-time with Jumpstart in the preschools (the job I had since my freshman year), and continued to party with friends (sans alcohol) through my chemotherapy treatments. I would travel home, missing classes for a week to undergo treatments, and then come back to Columbia. It was difficult but I did it!!
In May 2008, I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies.

Upon graduation, I moved back to St. Louis, Missouri and began working as a teacher at St. Louis Children's Hospital Child Development Center. I absolutely loved my job and loved working with children.  When it was time for me to move on, I was sad to be leaving my co-workers and little babies, but it was time for the next chapter in my life.

On June 11, 2011, I married my best friend, Nicholas (a prior enlisted Nuke and a Mechanical Engineering major from the United States Navel Academy in Annapolis, Maryland). On this day, I also became a Navy Wife and officially entered into the military community.


After our honeymoon, we moved to Annapolis, Maryland for a brief 9 weeks while Nick worked a temporary duty assignment at the Naval Academy.
We then moved to Pensacola, Florida where Nick went through flight training and winged as a Naval Aviator on August 23, 2013.
Shortly after his winging, we relocated to Jacksonville, Florida with Nick stationed at Naval Station Mayport, flying the MH-60 Romeo helicopter.
Just after moving here, we bought a beautiful home and I was offered a job working with the American Cancer Society as a Relay For Life Specialist.
We are just loving life here in Florida, both of working our dream jobs, and spending quality time with our pups, friends, and having family visit.
Life is good!

Through my experience, I've come to realize that helping others battling cancer is my calling in life. 

I know I was put on this earth for a purpose. That purpose is to help others... to show them love, care, concern, compassion, understanding, and healing.

If I want one thing in life, it's to leave knowing I've made a difference and touched lives. I want to be remembered as someone who lived for others. I don't just want to pass through life, I want to leave knowing that I've touched hearts. I do not want to be forgotten♥

After nine years of volunteering with Relay For Life, I'm happy to say I'm now on staff with the American Cancer Society, working in my dream position of a Relay For Life Specialist.  I'm finally giving back to cancer survivors and their families.  I'm making a difference.  I'm fighting to find a cure.  My heart has never been more full than it is now.  I'm where I'm meant to be.

In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, Skyping or talking on the phone to my family and friends back home, reading, organizing anything and everything, drinking wine, working out, running, playing sports, spending time at the beach, exploring our new city with my husband, blogging, journaling, sitting on a patio drinking an adult beverage, taking our dogs on hikes, and being outside as much as possible.

Speaking of the pups, we have two fur babies, Yadi, our Weimaraner, and Vino, our Vizsla. We adopted both as puppies in 2011. We are obsessed with them and treat them as our children. They're inseparable and the best of friends, which is pretty freaking adorable. They definitely keep us busy and entertained! We do plan to have a family of human children, but not anytime soon. I want to focus on my career, and we'd like a few more "Nick and Melanie" years since our entire 5 year relationship pre-marriage was all long distance. 

I'm just an optimistic, bubbly, loud, obnoxious, inappropriate, random, emotional, glass-half-full kind of girl enjoying life to the fullest!