Sarah is a Wild Woman

For too long, women have been told who we should be: daughters, wives, mothers, professionals, caretakers. We’ve checked the boxes, followed the rules, and played our roles. But somewhere along the way, many of us lost sight of the most important thing, ourselves.

At the young age of 23, I was fortunate to learn this crucial lesson and it would shape my entire life. Growing up, I endured various forms of abuse that left me with a deep curiosity about people and families. Determined to understand where things went wrong, I immersed myself in the lives of my friends and neighbours, almost becoming an integral part of their families. I would spend endless hours at sleepovers, sharing meals, going on vacations, and attending family events like baseball games and weekends with their fathers. I was on a quest to uncover the secret to a happy life. I hoped that following all the "should's" that were presented to me would eventually lead me to a successful life. By the time I turned 22, I had already married my first kiss, and we were making plans to build our dream home in the countryside. I had landed a prestigious sales job at Cadbury with all the perks, and I was also taking night classes to earn a business degree, despite already having the career that the degree would qualify me for. On paper, I had everything anyone could ever want, but deep down, I was unhappy and lost. My husband and I had grown apart since our first kiss at 17, and while I was more interested in nutrition, I was selling sugary sweets. Then one night I realized there was a possibility that I was pregnant, instead of eliciting happiness, it plunged me into despair. I locked myself in the bathroom and found myself quietly weeping uncontrollably. A stark realization dawned on me: I didn't want to have a baby with my current husband. I did want children someday, but the emptiness and unfulfillment of my present existence made the idea of bringing a child into my life feel unbearable.

During the time between my engagement and the night I cried in the bathroom, several significant events occurred. One such event was when I decided to enrol in an art class, with the intention of creating my own wedding invitations. It was a workshop run by a local artist named Cora Brittin. My awakening began in this unexpected place—an art class filled with women older than me, women who had already broken free. They weren’t living according to anyone’s expectations but their own. Their homes were bursting with books, art, plants and a diverse mix of culture. They practiced yoga, travelled, and followed their passions unapologetically. They had lived, lost, reinvented themselves, and emerged stronger. I gradually started spending more time with them, participating in yoga and art classes, working in their gardens, joining their organic food co-op, and attending seminars with renowned authors like Carolyn Myss. And in their presence, I saw what was possible. These Wild Women taught me that life isn’t about what we should do, it’s about what we could do. Could I move to a new country? Could I become a nutritionist? A healer? A creator? Yes. Yes, to all of it.

I learned this lesson young, but it applies to every woman who has ever felt trapped by a life that looks perfect on the outside yet feels hollow within. I, too, did everything “right.” I married young, built a successful career, and chased the dream life society told me I should want. But late one night, as I sat in a bathroom holding my breath over a delayed period, I had a revelation: I was living someone else’s dream, not my own. The moment I realized I wasn’t happy; I knew I had a choice. I could continue down a path of quiet dissatisfaction, or I could rewrite my story.

And so, I walked away from the life that no longer fit me and stepped into the unknown. It wasn’t easy. I started over not once, but four times. But each time, I became more me. More alive. More wild.

My current life is the result of every moment I dared to ask, Could I? I began as a holistic nutritionist, a chapter rich with purpose and learning, before my entrepreneurial spirit led me to launch a natural products distribution company, a four-year endeavour powered by grit and passion. Then came an undeniable pull toward something unfamiliar. I followed it to Shanghai, where I embraced a life that would transform me in ways I couldn’t have imagined, including the immense joy of becoming a mother. Three children and a marriage grounded in deep love later, the winds shifted again. Could I uproot everything, follow curiosity to a new continent, and build a life by the sea? Yes. That yes brought us to Senegal, where we now live in a beachfront home we designed to reflect our unique souls. Its walls reverberate with the vibrant energy of art, books, music, children, and cultures from around the world.

Every twist, every leap, every detour has shaped this extraordinary journey. And through it all, the Wild Women, those early mentors remain with me in spirit. They taught me the truth: there’s no singular blueprint for happiness. Each individual must embark on their own internal exploration, deciphering their unique definition of fulfillment and relentlessly pursuing it. This quest for self-discovery is not a singular event; it’s a lifelong pilgrimage. There is no one path, no universal formula, only the one that feels true to you. The question that first cracked open my life "Could I?" has become a guiding mantra. Asking it, again and again, has led me to a life I don’t just live, but deeply love. A life rooted in self-trust, freedom, and a wholeness I once thought impossible.

**To find out more about Sarah Diop and her current projects visit her website at sarahdiop.com **