She believe she could, so she did!

This picture carries so much weight for me. I look beautiful here, but it's the kind of beauty that felt dangerous. At that time, it was hard to see my reflection without feeling the weight of everything I had been through.

It was over a year after I managed to leave behind the years I spent under the control of others, trapped in human trafficking. Yet somehow, I found myself in a similar place emotionally—still disconnected from my true worth. I had shifted from one exploitation to another, convincing myself that selling parts of myself was the only way to survive.

The manipulation I had endured for so long had rewired my mind. Despite knowing deep down that I was smart, capable, and resourceful, I couldn’t shake the belief that my value lay in my body. It’s a belief that takes root so deeply when it’s planted by the hands of others, and it can take years to uproot it entirely.

But healing is possible. It took time—years, in fact. Years of unlearning, of choosing to believe in myself even when it felt impossible. Slowly, I began to reclaim my confidence. I started to see the potential in me that had always been there, buried under layers of pain and self-doubt.

One of the hardest yet most liberating lessons I’ve learned is that I had been giving others far too much power over my life. Healing meant taking that power back, piece by piece. It meant learning to say no, learning to set boundaries, and—most importantly—learning to forgive myself for the choices I made when I felt like I had no other options.

This journey hasn’t been linear, and it hasn’t been easy. But standing here today, I’m living proof that healing can happen. You can move from a place of survival to a place of thriving. You can rewrite the stories that others tried to write for you.

If you’re reading this and feel stuck in a cycle you can’t break, please know that you’re not alone. There is hope, and there is help. You are so much more than what others have made you believe.

From my soul to yours,

Anca