I suffer from a severe case of imposter syndrome.

In fact, I realize now I’ve probably had it my whole life. Maybe you know exactly what I mean. Or maybe you’ve felt it too—that quiet, persistent voice in the back of your mind that whispers: You’re not really qualified. You don’t belong here. Who do you think you are?

For those unfamiliar with this particular beast, imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where high-achieving individuals doubt their accomplishments and live in fear of being exposed as a fraud—despite evidence of their success.

Looking back, I think this internal tug-of-war is what has made my life look… a little vagabond. (I had to look that word up, too. “Vagabond: a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home.” That checks out.)

Detours, Discoveries, and Imposter Syndrome

I’ve done a lot of things in my life—worn a lot of hats. Yet, despite all of that, I’ve rarely felt like any of it really “counted.” I wasn’t building a neat career or chasing a singular dream. I was just doing the next right thing, following curiosity, raising kids, learning as I went. And that’s where imposter syndrome loves to live—in the in-between.

For instance, My writing didn’t start with a grand plan. It started with a quiet question:
Do I have a book in me?

That one question opened the door. I didn’t expect it to lead to one book, let alone four published ones and a fifth on the way. But here I am. Still writing. Still wondering if it “counts.”

Sometimes, at 46, I look at my life and think, Wow, I’ve done so much.
Other times, I think, I’ve accomplished nothing at all.
That back-and-forth? Classic imposter syndrome.

The College Degree That Took Over 15 Years

I’ve earned 174 college credits across four different schools—through every start, stop, and restart. That’s not counting another handful still waiting to be transferred in. And you know what? For a long time, I thought it made me look flaky. Unfocused. Behind.

However, now I see it differently. I wasn’t indecisive—I was exploring, learning, and gathering pieces of myself in all the ways that count, even if they didn’t fit a linear path.

And because of that, I’m now back at Arizona State University, finally putting the pieces together. If all goes to plan, I’ll graduate this December with a double major in English and Business Administration. It’s funny how the long road ended up leading to not one, but two degrees. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be—and slowly learning that imposter syndrome doesn’t get the final say.

Reclaiming My Story from Imposter Syndrome

The best part? I’m writing again.

Book 3 of The Blood Descent series is officially back in progress. In other words, the characters I left behind are talking again—loudly—and I’m finally ready to listen. I’m about a quarter of the way through, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like a writer again.

Or maybe I’ve been one all along. Maybe it’s not about earning the title—it’s about continuing the work. About being brave enough to come back—you can catch up on the earlier books here.

“You are not an imposter. You are becoming.”

What I Know Now

If you’ve ever felt like a fraud… like your path doesn’t make sense on paper… like you’ve lived too many lives to be taken seriously in any one of them—I want you to hear this:
You’re not an imposter. You’re in progress.

We don’t always recognize growth while we’re in it. But the degrees, the chapters, the stumbles, the restarts—they all belong to the same story.

So here I am—writer, student, mother, businesswoman, and soon-to-be graduate—finally giving myself permission to be all the things I once thought I had to choose between.

💬 I’d love to hear your story. Have you ever taken the long way back to something you love? Drop a comment below—I’m listening.