BIENVENIDOS!
Welcome to my blog! I’ve spent the past month debating whether to start writing publicly. I journal often—lots of introspection, lots of untangling life and everything in between. Over the last few days, I went down the rabbit hole of host sites, domain ideas, and the whole free-versus-paid debate. Then I remembered: I started this “Roadie PT” blog back in 2017 or 2018. I barely posted past 2019, around the time I took my first travel assignment. So here we are—an old corner of the internet turning into a new way to stay connected with you all: my family, friends, colleagues, and everyone who’s been part of my story.
Where am I now compared to 2019? I’m writing from Punta Gorda, Belize. Many of you already know I made a big decision this year—to step away from patient care for a while and take a rehab director role here. Yes, it looks great on a résumé, but that wasn’t the motivator. The truth is simple: I was exhausted. Burnout gets tossed around casually, so let me explain my version.
I graduated PT school in 2016 at 27 with nearly $200k in student debt and stepped straight into what I assumed would be my lifelong career. Meanwhile, my friends were building families—marriages, babies, the whole thing I thought I’d be doing too. But life shifted. My dad became seriously ill in 2015, and after graduation he asked me to take care of him. From the moment I finished school until the last year or two, I was always caregiving in some capacity. I never stopped taking care of people; it just changed forms.
Layer in my determination to crush my debt in five years (I did it in six), the pressure of working multiple jobs, feeling like a cog in the machine, trying to maintain a social life, and even training for bodybuilding… it all became autopilot. I lost myself in that grind. My boundaries slipped. My needs went on mute. I kept choosing “we” and “the world” before choosing me. I’m a giver by default, for better or worse—and that’s exactly what led to my burnout.
This blog is part of my reset. I’ll cover whatever feels honest—thoughts from this year abroad, letters from me to you, little snapshots of my travels and day-to-day life as a director. It’s partly a way to keep myself from isolating (which I’m excellent at), and partly a way for you to know what I’m up to, how I’m doing, and that I’m still upright.
Whew! Now that the emotional unloading is done—please share your stories, ask questions, and stay connected. If anything in my leap encourages you to take one of your own, even better. Life doesn’t guarantee tomorrow. Jump anyway.
With Love from Belize,
Allora Mariesa
PS: The choose “we” and the world before me reference is to a book called Choosing ME Before WE: Every Woman’s Guide to Life and Love by Christine Arylo. I was recommended by a former drama and trauma psychotherapy Nina Garcia in Houston, TX. Both the book and Nina are amazing. This was a big stepping stone in my emotional healing journey when I started back in 2019. Hyperlinks are included for both.