About Joanna
Hello, I’m Joanna.
Who am I? Well, I’m a work in progress. Re-inventing myself along the way. Can you relate?
I’m a lifelong educator, storyteller, and advocate for inspiring women to live meaningful and engaged lives. After many years as a teacher, I continue to support learning, connection, and curiosity through community involvement, educational initiatives and now my podcast.
Over the past year, I’ve been volunteering online with students and teachers in Ukraine through the Canadian organization Classrooms Without Walls (CWW) and ENGin (English online, a volunteer organization.) Through weekly conversations and English learning sessions, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with young people navigating education during extremely challenging circumstances. These experiences have deepened my belief in the power of learning, human connection, and cultural exchange.
I am passionate about sharing the stories that light up my heart!
How I got Here
I grew up in Toronto, Ontario. I’ve got four older sisters and had a pretty nice childhood in the 1970’s. Long story short, I took a courageous leap of faith in the name of love and moved to the Netherlands in 1990 where we raised a family for almost 30 years!
What Started as a Dream
Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I have fond memories of playing “school” on summer holidays with my best friend Debbie in our basements. Not knowing that is exactly what I would become when I moved there, my dream to become a teacher came true in Holland. I can still remember the moment I realized I was a fully qualified teacher, holding a Bachelor of Education degree and graduating cum laude. I was no longer pretending. The sense of accomplishment, pride, and satisfaction was incredible.
To Mountains and Lakes
Semi retirement brought me back to the west coast of Canada.The mountains and lakes are so spectacular and such a contrast to the flatness of The Netherlands! Over the last 28 years, my husband worked for the Royal Dutch Airlines so I was always able to come back to Canada throughout our time living there. I always said and felt that I had the best of both worlds…two wonderful countries to call home.
