I used to be a drinker. I say that out loud now, gently and without shame. For a long time, humour and alcohol helped me numb my body and make do with a life that didn’t quite fit yet. I could laugh, perform joy, and keep going… even when something deeper was asking for attention. Which brings me back to Scotland, over a decade ago. There was drinking involved, so the details are a little fuzzy… but the essence is crystal clear. I had an idea for something fun (likely involving rolling down a hill while wearing a cape) and insisted my cousins join me. When they hesitated, I declared, “Participation is mandatory!” Our Scottish friend laughed and called it, “Amanda-tory”. And just like that, Amanda-isms were born. What started as a joke eventually became something much more intentional. Today, Amandafesting isn’t about numbing or forcing joy. It’s about choosing it… consciously, playfully, and in alignment with you actually are.

And that brings us back to Amandafesting. At my core, I’m a deeply spiritual person who’s always felt tuned into the universe and how things unfold. I don’t just believe in manifestation - I’ve lived it. When something clicks for me, I don’t ask if it will happen…I move as if it already is. My friends and family have watched me turn ideas, intentions, and even wild dreams into reality simply by claiming them and aligning my actions with them. That way of living became Amandafesting. You might find it meaningful to explore my Amandafesting journey, where I share how I quite literally Amandafested the eviction of my uterus - and how the universe delivered that through an unexpected path with cervical cancer. That journey revealed my stage 4 endometriosis and explained a decade of pain and a sedentary life I once thought… and accepted… was permanent. What I learned through it all is this: manifestation isn’t about bypassing the hard things. It’s about trusting yourself, listening deeply, and allowing life to realign you in ways you couldn’t have planned - but somehow always needed.