Hello, I'm Viktoria (& Yes, I Know That's a Lot of Letters) 🫠

Current status: Simultaneously helping people breathe better while slowly losing my breath chasing after my own life.

So, we're doing this thing where I properly introduce myself instead of just appearing in your face like some sort of medical professional fairy godmother who occasionally drops wisdom between me working out, summer camp drop off, and shift reports. Fair enough – let's get acquainted!

The Basics (Because Everyone Loves a Good Bio)

Hi, I'm Viktoria! Yes, with a K, and yes, I've heard every possible mispronunciation. I've stopped correcting people unless they're calling my name in an emergency situation, in which case accuracy suddenly becomes very important (usually for legal purposes in a patient’s chart, tuh).

I'm a respiratory therapist by night (and occasionally by weekend, because healthcare doesn't really believe in work-life balance). I'm also a wife to someone brave enough to marry a woman who gets genuinely excited about travel brochures and thinks sunrise adventures are "totally doable" (narrator: they were not), and a mom to humans who I prefer to call lil ogres because they have no home training (do NOT look at the little one- he bites).😒

My Love Affair with Fresh Air (And Immediate Regret)

I'm what you might call an outdoor enthusiast with commitment issues. I LOVE the idea of running, walking, exploring, and all those TikTok-worthy adventures. I get genuinely excited planning these activities, researching, buying gear I'll use exactly once, and convincing my family that THIS time will be different (I hate when they doubt me!).

Cut to me three hours into any outdoor activity, wondering why I thought wearing new shoes was a good idea, questioning every life choice that led me to voluntarily leave air conditioning, and promising myself I'll stick to activities that involve room service from now on. Until next weekend, when I apparently develop selective amnesia and start planning another adventure.

My husband has learned to pack enough snacks to feed a small army, not because we'll be out that long, but because hangry Viktoria is nobody's friend, especially when she's discovered that "moderate difficulty" apparently means "prepare to meet your maker."

The People Thing (AKA My Beautiful Problem)

Here's where it gets cliché, but I'm embracing it: I genuinely love people. Like, LOVE people. I love their stories, their struggles, their victories, their completely irrational fears (yes, Karen, I understand why you're afraid of butterflies, and no, I won't judge you for it).

This passion for people is both my superpower and my kryptonite. It's why I chose respiratory therapy – there's something incredibly meaningful about helping someone breathe easier, both literally and figuratively. But it's also why I can't go to the grocery store without ending up in a 20-minute conversation with a stranger about their brother’s sisters cousin’s uncle’s breathing patterns (yes, that actually happened, and yes, I had legitimate advice).

My family has learned to budget extra time for EVERYTHING because Mom will inevitably stop to help someone, get sucked into a conversation, or spot something that "we absolutely need to investigate right now", like the granddad who was bent over trying to catch his breath. Target runs are not quick errands in our household; they're social expeditions with multiple plot twists and at least three unplanned purchases that seemed essential at the time.

The Chaos Factor

With great people-love comes great chaos. My life is a beautiful disaster of overlapping conversations, forgotten appointments (sorry, dentist!), and a calendar that looks like a toddler got hold of a rainbow marker set.

I'm the person who volunteers for everything because saying no feels physically impossible, then immediately regrets it while lying awake at 3 AM wondering if I can clone myself or if there's a respectable way to fake my own death to get out of commitments. Spoiler alert: there isn't. I'm currently committed to my kids' social activities, my husband's social events, community activities at the YMCA, and something else I wrote down but can't find the sticky note for. FML.

Why Teaching Became My Thing

Here's the real reason I'm starting this brand: I can't help but share what I know. It's like a compulsion. I see someone struggling with something I've learned about, and suddenly I'm in full teaching mode.

Whether it's explaining why breathing techniques actually matter (spoiler: they do, and not just for dramatic effect), sharing travel tips I learned the hard way (never trust anyone who describes anything as "just a quick adventure"), or helping someone understand their medical equipment without wanting to throw it out the window, I genuinely get excited about helping people figure things out.

My family jokes that I can turn any casual conversation into an impromptu TED talk. "How was your day, honey?" somehow becomes a 15-minute passionate explanation of the respiratory system and why that stuffy nose his coworker is complaining about is actually a fascinating example of your body being a drama queen but in a protective way.

The Teaching Addiction

I've come to accept that I'm basically a teacher trapped in various other life roles, like some sort of educational shapeshifter. At work, I'm teaching patients and families how to not panic when machines beep (pro tip: not all beeps mean impending doom). At home, I'm teaching my kids everything from proper handwashing technique to why we don't lick things we find on the ground, no matter how "scientifically curious" they claim to be. On vacation, I'm teaching my husband why we should have left 47 minutes earlier and brought enough snacks to survive a small apocalypse.

But here's the thing about teaching – it's not just about sharing information. It's about empowering people to feel confident in their own lives. Whether that's understanding their health condition, feeling prepared for their next adventure, or just knowing they're not alone in this beautifully chaotic thing called life.

What You Can Expect Here

So that's what this space is going to be: a place where healthcare meets real life, where teaching happens in the messiest, most authentic way possible, and where we celebrate the chaos instead of pretending we have it all figured out.

I'll share what I've learned in my years of helping people breathe easier (literally and metaphorically), the adventures that simultaneously thrilled and nearly broke my spirit, and the everyday moments of juggling all these roles without completely losing what's left of my sanity (the jury is still deliberating on that last part).

Expect practical health tips mixed with stories of outdoor adventures gone hilariously wrong, parenting insights delivered with the confidence of someone who definitely doesn't have it figured out but has made enough mistakes to write a manual, and travel advice from someone who once got lost in her own neighborhood while using GPS.

Fair Warning…

I talk with my hands, even when typing (my keyboard has seen some things). I get unreasonably excited about nerdy medical stuff that makes normal people's eyes glaze over. I will probably overshare about my latest outdoor mishap and the existential crisis it triggered. I believe in the power of proper breathing techniques and will work them into conversations whether you asked for them or not, like some sort of respiratory therapy fairy godmother with boundary issues.

I'm also going to mess up spectacularly, post at completely random times when inspiration strikes (usually while hiding in the bathroom for five minutes of peace), and occasionally disappear when life gets overwhelming (see: my recent 20-day vanishing act). But I promise to always come back with stories, lessons learned, and probably a new outdoor adventure I'm already planning despite swearing off such activities approximately 47 times this month.

Let's Do This Thang, bby!

So there you have it – I'm Viktoria, your friendly neighborhood respiratory therapist, outdoor enthusiast with commitment issues, people-lover, chaos-embracer, and compulsive teacher. I'm here to share what I know, learn from what you know, and hopefully make this whole life thing a little easier (and a lot more fun) for all of us.

Welcome to the beautiful chaos – let's figure it out together!

❤️ Viktoria, RRT

P.S. - If you made it this far, you're officially part of the chaos crew. Buckle up, bring snacks, and prepare for the dopest educational disaster you've ever witnessed.