Transformational Trauma and Healing

Transformational Trauma and Healing: How curiosity and faith can transform

• Carrie Rickert

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Join me in our conversation with Karina Pacific, a high-end realtor and trauma survivor in Los Angeles, CA. Learn what helped Karina survived, as well as how she turned what could have been a tragic life story to one with a positive outcome.
You can find Karina at karina@karinapacific.com
https://karinapacific.com
Or find her book "Choosing Magic" on Amazon.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome back to Transformational Trauma and Healing. I am so glad you're here today. We have a story of triumph over trauma. Our guest, Karina Pacific, is a luxury real estate agent in Los Angeles, California. Karina was born and raised in Mexico and immigrated to the United States as a tween where she immediately fell in love with la coming to LA from her hometown. Karina has a unique perspective on the city and can use this insight now as a realtor. She appreciates the opportunities that the land of dreams can offer and works to give back to the community that embraced her and made her feel at home. She believes that every child has the right to a happy, healthy, and safe childhood. She works closely with the Rich Stone Family Center, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing and treating child abuse. She is the Rendo Beach Rotary Club community service chair, and also supports young life, a youth mentoring nonprofit and many others that find themselves in need of volunteers. She is also a published author of Choosing Magic about a girl with a broken heart who changed her story from extremely humble beginnings in Mexico, to now selling luxury Los Angeles real estate while raising a wonderful human being. Her daughter, Kira. Ultimately, Karina gets the job done with a smile and many laughs while remaining committed to serving each of her clients with honesty and integrity. Welcome, Karina. Thank you so much for being here today.

Speaker 2:

Hi, good morning. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I am so excited to talk with you today. Um, let's start out by talking about your life in Mexico before you immigrated to the us What was that like?

Speaker 2:

My life in Mexico was, um, for lack of better words, it was pretty pathetic and lonely, but also very rich. Um, and I was raised by a single mom. Um, she was the youngest of many, I think seven or eight siblings she had. Wow. Um, and she worked a lot. So I was never really raced by her. I was, uh, I didn't have a father either, so I pretty much raced myself. I was pretty much parentless. Okay. She did provide, provide a good, you know, roof of my head and, and food and good schools, but she was not equipped to be a mother. She was very much just a keeper. So I was pawned around from house to house cuz she needed, um, people to care for me as she worked.

Speaker 1:

Right. Um,

Speaker 2:

And that, you know, that loneliness, um, gave me, um, the ability to kind of get curious. We was so, I was so alone and just raising myself and being moved around from home to home, I never really belonged. So what that gave me is sort of a, um, uh, open mind about just being curious. I had to keep myself entertained. Right. So, and, and it was then natural. It's a natural sort of childhood. You know, every child is very curious. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>. So I kinda thankfully that that was, um, very much ingrained in me and I used curiosity as my school of life and learned a lot. So that's the richness that it gave me.

Speaker 1:

That's wonderful. I mean, it, it obviously not a great situation. Um, and I'm sure it wasn't exactly what your mother wanted for you either. Um, and, and sometimes we all have to do what we have to do.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. You just kind of figure it out. Yeah. And hopefully you figure out a positive way. Um, you know, even though it was lonely and sad, it, I found that by just being curious and exploring mm-hmm.<affirmative>, watching people, watching people's behaviors, patterns, uh, just the beauty of everyday in life. It just, it it brought me positivity in my life. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Wonderful. Yeah. So when did you decide to come to the US and, and how did that come about? And did anyone come with you or did you just do that yourself?

Speaker 2:

No, it was a complete a hundred, a thousand percent miracle. Okay. It was, um, my mother, again, just not a very communicative person. She never really ever told me what we were doing, what I was being sent to or being babysat by or, you know. But this one time she came to me somewhere in my 10, 11 years of life, Uhhuh<affirmative>, and said, Hey, um, uh, you are qui in Mexico, we have quinceaneras. It's like this 15 year old birthday party. It's almost like a wedding party. And I actually do not understand that tradition in my Mexican culture. Cause it's almost like putting that like the 15 year old, uh, for like your woman now and you're like celebrating into like, and which is so not a 15 years old. You're still, you know, still a baby.

Speaker 1:

Right, right. Well, certainly in this day and age. Yes. Um, but centuries passed 15 year olds. You were considered a woman at that time.<laugh>.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So I, I was, I did not want, she, she, so she said, your, your quinceaneras coming up and in a few years I would have to save up. Would you like to go and have a quinceanera? Would you like to go to America? And I, I was flabbergasted. I said, she's given me a choice cuz she's never really told me what our plans are. I'm getting a choice, and of course I wanna go to America. Who doesn't in Mexico? It's, it's just being raised for, you know, for in, in today's standards, uh, we were poor. Okay. And so, of course, I would wanna see like what this Land of Dreams was all about. Every what everybody talks about and wants to come to America. So, um, it didn't take until 15 years old. It was actually like two years later. The summer of 85, I was about 12. We came to America. It was with my mother and a few, uh, very distant family members. Okay. Some of here in America. And, um, what she did not tell me is that, um, I thought we were coming to stay and, um, she had gotten a job, full-time job with this really nice family and Houston very affluent oil family. And she, her job was to be like the stay home nanny, stay home manager. They had two kids, um, uh, I call'em the Brady Bunch family. Uhhuh,<affirmative>. They each were divorced. They each had like an older teenager and then two baby girls of their own. So my, my mom's job was to be like full on house mom. Right. And, uh, so during the summer I was allowed to be part of that and explore. This was in Houston, Texas. Um, and at some point, um, she was, she was supposed to have returned me to Mexico with some of these family members. And I was supposed to, you know, be rest in Mexico, be sent money as she worked. Okay. But by grace of God, um, I was not, uh, brought back to Mexico with those family members. They just decided to not, um, not do my mother that favor. And sh my mother was, uh, had to ask the employer, the, her, the, this couple, I either stay here with my daughter or I have to go back because they, they weren't, she wasn't taken back to be cared for in Mexico. And this family opened their house like past the sugar. You're part of our family. Oh, how wonderful. And it was amazing. Like, it was just, it was beautiful. It was great. And they, they brought me in as a family more than my own family, you know, welcomed me. Mm-hmm. They, I was part of, I I I had to, I have no English, so I had to learn, you know, I was trying to understand the culture economically. It was a very different, um, lifestyle. Sure. It's, it was, uh, demographics. It was, I was one of just few little Latinas, maybe a few of African Americans in this very white Anglo, um, school. Um, and, and then I was, uh, uh, scheduled just with the other kids doing flute classes, piano, all kind. I just was sort of thrown into this other world and, uh, that's what happened.

Speaker 1:

Wow. Yeah. Wow. So you were so fortunately that family was really open to having you be a part of things, but that must have been really overwhelming to enter into this whole new situation and then go to school not speaking the language, not looking like everybody else like that. That's hard.

Speaker 2:

You know, I don't remember it being hard. I just remember it being a lot. I think it that age, you know, where kids are so mendable and I was already very agile because my mother always pawned me around everywhere to be taken care of by different people and every different place. So I ha I l I, I, uh, build this ability to be very flexible

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

And have agility and be okay with change. I could have turned out the opposite and want to just be very controlling Right. And have a control of my life. Right. But

Speaker 1:

Sure.

Speaker 2:

Being very agile and flexible was a lot more fun for me. It still is as you just get to see different environments, different people, different experiences. Right. Yeah,

Speaker 1:

Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

So I think I just, and that's what I've always done. I just do, I just kind of, you, I just kind of rise up to whatever the, the moment is.

Speaker 1:

Got it. Um,

Speaker 2:

It, because that's, I, that's all I know,

Speaker 1:

Right?

Speaker 2:

Um, it continue to, I think what post is me continuing to be lonely, maybe this little, uh, fly on the wall because I had to observe and hear the language and, and see the different how America is and in different, and now I have a family, I had to, we would sit down for dinner and pass the bread and pass the sugar. And I've never sat down in a family setting and actually conversed in how was your day? And so that was a lot of my English learning. So that was all new. And, um, and it goes back to curiosity. I was curious enough to just take it all in, take it all in, take it all in.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, so what took you to la?

Speaker 2:

So la um, my mother had originally lived here, um, before, uh, she had me in Mexico. She worked here for many years. And she actually, by writing my book, she told me, I kept on asking her questions about my father. She mm-hmm.<affirmative> said, I actually met your, your father here in Los Angeles conceived you here. And then we went to Mexico and for whatever reason she stayed there. She was supposed to have, you know, returned to la So she already had some roots in here.

Speaker 1:

Oh, okay. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And, um, and then, uh, for after a few years with that family, then we moved over to LA and just hopped all over the place and then ended up being, staying, um, with her friend in a, in a beautiful home in Los Village. And that's where I went to high school.

Speaker 1:

Okay. Yeah. Okay. So what, when, when you moved from Houston to la what were your biggest challenges?

Speaker 2:

Hmm. Also just not knowing what I, from week to week with her, you know mm-hmm.<affirmative>, I, I think I went to different middle schools and junior highs. I hopped around from school to school and different places. So that was hard because it, I wasn't able to establish school friendships.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

Um, and just not knowing where, what we were doing until, uh, probably my early first year of high school. Then we finally settled in Las Feas, and then I was able to sort of establish some kind of plan and some kind of idea of my, my assistance in this world with this woman who just was not informing me anything about life. So. Okay. Um, that was hard. But, but what was good is, you know, Los Angeles, we do have a bad rap for having bad transportation, but we do have some good one. My mother was really good about knowing the bus routes for everything. So we, we were able to move around a lot. Uh, ok. She never, she never drove. So that must've, you know, you just, you get creative.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.<laugh>. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so talk to us about your book Choosing Magic. Um, I know it's memoir. Yeah. Um, so what do you think is the most important part of your book that you want our listeners today to take away from this conversation and your book?

Speaker 2:

Hmm. There's so many layers, but, uh, I wrote the book because I changed my life in and sort of changed the cycle of not turning out like my mother Um-huh.<affirmative> by reading other people's stories, memoirs. Okay. And, um, in, in just biographies and stuff. So I, you know, like if I learned from other people and I changed my, my life, my future by reading other people's story, maybe this will, um, change

Speaker 1:

Someone else story.

Speaker 2:

But it also was to chronicle what I did, you know, some basic guidelines that I, that I used along the way that I still use to this day, to, um, for the future. Because we all go through different decades and seasons, um, of life where we're gonna go through lows and very challenging changes. And I am, I just finished one and coming on the front end of a really tough year last year I just got divorced mm-hmm.<affirmative> after 21 years. So I went back to those tools that I've used before and added to them to come out on the other end better.

Speaker 1:

That's so wonderful. I I am a firm believer in the power of story. Um, I think that story, and it's quite frankly why I do this podcast. Yeah. I think that anytime you can talk about challenges that you have, you have the opportunity to help someone else through their challenges. You're, you're providing hope. Um, your situation may not be the same as everybody else's or the same as anyone else's, and that's fine. But there could be a nugget from your story that helps other people. And, and I think that sharing is very important.

Speaker 2:

That's why I still listen to podcasts. I have a several pod in like, like yours. And you get little nuggets all the time if you are awake enough and, you know, awake enough to listen for those nuggets and the, and, and the, uh, little hints that made the aha moments, you know? Yeah. Because, and then the other choosing magic, it was because it just, I just always chose the magic of life like that, that, that lights, I've always felt like I had this sort of shining light just sort of o over me uhhuh to kind uhhuh guide me and protect me. And, uh, because I didn't have anybody protecting me. I didn't, as a child, I, it wasn't heard, seen, you know, protected, supported, elevated. I was just sort of, but I had always this little light. So I always chose the, you know, the good around the environment, half-ass, you know, I mean, uh, half glass full in, you know, po the positive part of it. I, and it's actually quite obnoxious this two people in my life. I can turn something, um, some, you know, a hard time or something into a positive really quickly. And that is, is probably my survival mode, you know? Sure. And it's also much more fun to me. Um, and some people don't, you know, they don't know how to switch like that. Right. And I have, I've had to learn to give them their space. Maybe I've have, have, do they have to go through their fields, you know? Yeah. And, and then maybe I'll be, you know, I'll be, I'll give them a little nugget of positivity because it, I could come off as dismissive because I'm just obnoxiously positive sometimes<laugh>.

Speaker 1:

So what is your, in you, you said in Choosing Magic, you have some tools in there. What is your favorite tool from that book?

Speaker 2:

Oh, I don't know if I have a favorite one. I have, you know, they're all kind of, they're important, but like, it's a simple, to me, faith. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.<affirmative> very important. Um, um, just faith is, is a very big part of it. Um, moving my body, whatever it is, um, is just either jogging, walking, yoga, uh, weights is very important to me. Just move your body however it is. Do a little dog speed, walk, bike riding, um, stretch, like really listen to the body and move it. Like we all need to move it. And just, you know, um, it just kick in those endorphins a little bit. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>, um, that I used to use working out for Vanity. Now I, I truly use it for sanity. And if it, if it wasn't for that,

Speaker 1:

I always say exercise is my sanity. Absolutely.

Speaker 2:

Right. Yeah. And with the working out is music. I am very inspired by all kinds of music. Uhhuh,<affirmative>. Um, and I have, you know, very, I curate playlists for me and change them and add, and depending on the mood, what I need, something. In the last year, it was a lot of grieving my marriage and, and I needed, I needed to get it out of my system. So I, there was a lot of music there. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>, um, kind of go through the process. Sometimes it's super happy sometimes. So it's just music, working out, faith, curiosity, curiosity. And, you know, it involves growing in some way or another. And so nurturing whatever it is to feel that curiosity, whether it's in the arts, the creative part of me, or the business part of me, or the friendship part, you know what I mean? Like just the right. Um, what else could I tell you? It just, yeah, just so constant, it just moves around. There's all kinds of recipes. It's something as simple as when you eat, I love food. Really taste it and really relish it, and then feel it. What's, well, what's that ingredient? Is that human? Is that like, really get into that? Um mm-hmm.<affirmative>, hug, hugging people. I'm very touchy. Uh, I need that connection. Um, so it's just being around people and, and making them feel good and engaging and learning from them. So it's all types of ingredients, you know? Okay. Yeah. Very basic stuff.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. But, you know, sometimes the basic stuff is exactly what we need. Um, you know, um, so I know your past has heavily influenced your nonprofit, the nonprofit organizations that you've aligned yourself with. Can you talk a little bit about the work that you do with those organizations and why it's so important?

Speaker 2:

Well, I have several, um, at some point, I mean, I've always been somewhat, you know, very helpful in, in somewhere or another. That's just my nature. I don't know what it is, but, uh, being where I come from, obviously I'm very blessed how far I've, how far I've come. So I have a lot to be grateful for. And that's another sort of trait to just wake up in complete gratitude mm-hmm.<affirmative> and see, like, just being gracious for whatever. It's just so important. But, um, when I moved to the South Bay, which is this little town just south of lax, um, uh, in 99 we moved here. Um, I noticed that the, there's a, there were a lot of organizations in charity events and, um, it just outpouring of contribution and somewhere or another. And I was really inspired by a few events and, um, I noticed like, how gracious this town is in various areas. So I re I decided that I needed to narrow down what I wanted to help. Like, whether it is a cancer or you know, MS or whatever, there's all kinds of nonprofits, right? Find the one that is close to your heart that is important to you, that you would be doing it for free. Cuz you're essentially doing it for free. And, um, when I started real Estate 13 years ago, um, I, a friend of mine who was also in real estate, started at the same time, said, Hey, like, um, I need help with, with, um, a gala this coming up. And we went for coffee and, and she said, we is this nonprofit, it's a local center, is for the prevention and treatment of child abuse. And we worked for the family, da da. And I sat there having my coffee and wondered, I mean, not wondered, I just realized like, this is God. Like bringing me this nonprofit for the focus prevention of child abuse because I was sexually abused for many years Okay. In Mexico. And I was like, it would be appropriate the one time that I'm starting to like focus and finding the, the, uh, nonprofit that I, that that would sh that should be in my life, you know, is brought to me. This was it. Yeah. This was it. So I started with that one. And actually last night I was, judges had a meeting dinner with the C E O. I've been with them for 13 years. And we have our, again, our gala 13 years later and just, um, so that's one of them that I do kind of on, you know, per Nita basis because I was of one specific nonprofit. N I wanted to do more.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 2:

I came across, um, through a dear friend of mine, uh, the Rotary, you know, uh, are you familiar with the Rotary Foundation?

Speaker 1:

I, I am. My, um, my grandfather was in the Rotary Club.

Speaker 2:

Yay. What, uh, where,

Speaker 1:

Um, I'm, I'm on the East Coast, so he was in the Rotary Club in Western Maryland.

Speaker 2:

I love that they're everywhere and it's such a network and it's such a network of like-minded people. Cuz it is the one nonprofit that is the majority. I mean, it's like 99% all funds go to the CASAS and the areas of service, like it's a volunteer base. There's no like, um, there's no payroll. It's full volunteer. And so, you know, we do Rotary, international Rotary locally, um, you have international, you have vocational, you have interacts and you have community service. And I, for the last two years, I've been a community service chair and I have 12 areas of community service, uh, from domestic abuse to child abuse. We serve, um, uh, a center where women are brought in. They're from really heavy, bad domestic abuse. Then they're hiding until they're, um, placed in a safe place. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>, we work with the local police departments. Um, so we raised a lot of money for that. And I love that because I can sort of pick, you know, well now I'm chair of all of those, so I manage the budget, but normally you can pick and, and you know, we need hygiene packets for these women or richdale needs tutors for the kids after school. So there's all kinds of different things. Even internationally, we have events. So it's fun because it's different things you can serve. You can pick the areas where you think you can fulfill a hundred percent Sure. Um, and it, um, and it's just being with like-minded people. These, these folks are, they're just good humans doing good work. And the model is, uh, is service above self. And that's, that's kind of what we follow. So, I dunno if you had answers your, your question in the long way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I, I I love that you have chosen organizations to align yourself with that, um, speak to your experience and you're taking your experience and turning it into a positive by helping others move forward. I think that's wonderful.

Speaker 2:

It is. I mean, it's, it's just, it's good to, I mean, we all can serve one another in some way. We all do. By being a good friend, with somebody, being a good neighbor by, you know, just, uh, being a grocery store, gas station and somebody's looking sad, give them a compliment and serve them with a nice little, you know, pick me up. Just, we can do it in small ways.

Speaker 1:

Isn't that the, it's like the best to do. Like when you see somebody with a nice jacket like, Hey, I love your jacket.

Speaker 2:

Yes. You're awesome. You're blocking that outfit. Well done,

Speaker 1:

<laugh>. Yeah. I love doing that. I, I get a lot of weird looks, but I like doing that<laugh><laugh>. So, um, if someone's listening today and has had an experience or is currently experienced in abuse, neglect, abandonment, what would you say to them? So what resources did you have available that you wish or that you wished you had available?

Speaker 2:

Hmm. I, first of all, I would say for anybody that's enduring trauma of any kind mm-hmm.<affirmative>, just, you know, hold on tight to your good heart and know it's not your fault. It's not your fault. And that does not belong to you. Um, it's, I've heard a quote who did this quote, I hope I don't butcher it. It's that things don't happen to us. They happen for us. So while we're in the pain, it's painful and we're going through whatever trauma it is is happening for us for another reason. Hold on to your good heart. For me it was, uh, and, and protected obviously mm-hmm.<affirmative> and know that, you know, it, there's better, bigger, and better. This will pass. And, and make some efforts to kind of move outside of that. Cuz sometimes being in trauma, sexual abuse, domestic abuse is very shaming. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>. And, um, in that shame can really eat up at individuals. I know it's done that for me. Um, and just don't let the shame really sink in. It does not belong to you. You are worthy and you are loved, and you're better than this, and you're gonna come out of the other end. Don't let the shame shrink you. Um, I, what was a big component for me considering I was really parentless, it was faith. I am a strong believer in God and universe and energy, and it all encompasses like, um, I believe that, um, and, and the higher power mm-hmm.<affirmative> and I always felt, even though that happened to me, that's what's carrying me on from that. Um, so find, find your source of power, power, whatever it is. Buddha, you know, uh, God, Jesus, mother Mary, the universe, energy, the trees, whatever. Just find something above self that, that you know, is your source of good energy. Um, and yeah. That's, that's okay. That's, it's pretty, again, simple. And then reach out. I, I was always, um, I love, um, older people. I think they're wives and mm-hmm.<affirmative>, just very blunt. I also love children. So I have this thing where I love children and then the olders, the, they're very wise. Both have such a lens of life that, that it just gives me real lot of fuel. Yeah. Um, so yeah, just, you know, lean in with people and, um, I, besides reading other people's stories, if it wasn't for a lot of these individuals in my life, there were a lot of angels and heroes on Earth that really came in to, Hey, you can do better. Try this or try that. There are people that kind of parented me in small doses along my life and just those, they're not random. They're there to, to kind of pick us up and give us those aha moments, those, you know, light limb bulbs. So yeah, just be aware of that stuff and, um, just know it will pass.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So, wait, you said this earlier. You are incredibly positive. Um, I imagine that that has gotten used through your dark times, right? People have trouble being that positive. So how do you look for those bright spots when you're navigating such difficult circumstances? So, you know, uh, as an example, where did you find the bright spots as you were navigating your divorce?

Speaker 2:

Oh, that, that was tough.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Tough. The last time I, I had a really tough year, like last was in my early twenties when I realized I was, I just ended three back to back really toxic guy relationships. Mm-hmm.<affirmative> and, um, one and one was an alcoholic, one was an alcoholic and a cheater. The other one was like emotionally various. So I was, I was exhausted in my early twenties and I literally dropped down on my knees and said, I need help. And then from there, just, uh, just a, you know, a group of people just started coming towards my life just in, but it, it, it's, um, this last year was also hard also like on my knees, crying, sobbing. Did I do the right thing? I have a daughter who's 21. Did I do the right thing for her? And in, in being back lonely, lonely in the place where, at my house, where I raised a family when I have family. So that was very hard. And as obnoxiously positive as I am, I've learned to feel the feels like really feel it. Like I cried and let that cry out. I grieved and I grieved and I let it through, pass through my body. I, I sobbed and sobbed it until I could smile. Um, so just, I'm not positive enough that, that to be oblivious. Uh, uh, but in a, I'm positive in, in knowing that it's life is still good. Yeah. Life is still good. Yeah.

Speaker 1:

So it, it sounds like you, you're not using positivity as a tool to numb your feelings.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1:

And instead you're using it as a way to show your faith.

Speaker 2:

You could say that. Yeah. Is is that I, the positive that come, came, comes out of me knowing it's there when I'm on the ground crying and feeling maybe lone. So sometimes or sad or grieving, uh, a friendship. You know, some friend, there's that saying, some, some friends come for a season, some for a reason, you know, uhhuh<affirmative> sometimes. And, and you, you grieve those things. It's important to go through it. But I am positive enough that I found the positive in them in that situation. What was the good in that? What was what I, I'm very introspective, obviously. I wrote a book. I had to really think deeper in into my life. Mm-hmm.<affirmative> like, what, what did this person bring me? Even those painful, what did I learn from my hus, my ex-husband from being married, I learned a lot, but there was also a lot of positive stuff. I am better because I ha I was married. Uh, what did I learn by having those toxic relationships? It like, so feeling in, in, in finding out the Jews that gems, the gems that those, the, those relationships and circumstances gave me for the positive.

Speaker 1:

Got it. Yeah. You

Speaker 2:

Know, um, it, it's, you know, it's, it's, you can't have one, but the other, it would be very, it would not be healthy for me to be, there's a saying that toxic positivity, so mm-hmm.<affirmative>. Yeah.<laugh>.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

It would not be it, it would not be genuine either, you know?

Speaker 1:

Right. And I think that, you know, when positivity rubs people the wrong way, it's when it isn't genuine. Right. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Um, so how can people find you, um, if they're looking for a house in LA or if they're interested in reading your book, um, how can they be, how can they connect with you?

Speaker 2:

Oh, and it's, anyway, if you're coming to LA I love this crazy lala land town. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>. And I love the, my daughter and I love pulling the walls and taco trucks and food and, uh, we love to visit the landmarks. So if you need any help and where to go, please reach out. Um, um, for real estate too, like I, I love just being part of it. Um, I think the reason why I got in real estate is cuz my mother worked so hard to own her little duplex back home.

Speaker 1:

Uhhuh<affirmative>

Speaker 2:

That she still has and that's where she lives now as an investment. So I, it brought her so much honor and security, you know, long-term invest. So I, I, I remember that in the back of my mind, like what it brought for her. So that's why I love doing what I do, cuz it is, you know, it's the biggest investment one makes, it brings you security. It's, it's what most moguls do. They always have real estate. Right. So. Right. It's a, it's an important source of our economy. Yeah. Um,

Speaker 1:

And it's part of the American dream, right. It is

Speaker 2:

Important. Yeah. A hundred percent. So yeah, if you're in town, you're gonna be in town. Reach out karina@karinapacific.com. I have an email. I mean yeah. Website, karina pacific.com. Also choosing magic, choosing magic.com. My, my number's all over the place. Just being in real estate. Okay. Um, and then I'm working on, uh, a children's series. I just started, uh,

Speaker 1:

How

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Yeah. Just kind of, you always had an idea of like that age group that gets lost. Um, the tweens to the teens, Uhhuh

Speaker 1:

<affirmative>

Speaker 2:

And just that girl as, as I was and how I kept that light beaming cuz we can all, we all have a light, we just sometimes don't see it. Mm-hmm.<affirmative>, we don't really nurture it. Um, and sometimes it just gets dimmed with life. Right. Right. So don't let it dim. Don't let anybody dim your light. Um, and uh, just keep it light. So it's just thinking of just a perfect format for that little tween teenager that sometimes, you know Yeah. It's harder for them.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Oh absolutely. I have a, I have a 13 year old now, so I, I get that girl. 13 year old girl. Yeah. I have a 17 year old boy too, but the 13 year old girl is definitely in that<laugh>.

Speaker 2:

Oh. Does she have good friends?

Speaker 1:

She does. She has wonderful friends and she plays field hockey and, and so she's got a lot going for her. Um, but it's still hard. It's hard to, they're hard a teenager and you know,

Speaker 2:

With the phone, with social media and girls around that age, um, they're all having their own hard times. So some of them can be mean Uhhuh

Speaker 1:

<affirmative>.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. And, um, and, and they're not by, that's not their nature is just how they're surviving this right stage, you know. Right,

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Well, well congrats. I mean, girls are awesome girls.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. Yeah. It's um, you know, it's an interesting journey. I, it's funny cuz she and I are very similar in personality and that can, um, cause some trouble<laugh>.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they're here to teach us

Speaker 1:

Yes. About our, i i learn something every day,<laugh>. Uh, but yeah, we have, um, national indoor tournament for field hockey next weekend and so I love getting to travel with her and, and see her really excel and get excited about that.

Speaker 2:

So That's awesome. No, and that's actually great. The sports, my daughter did, um, did beach volleyball, which is a big deal here in the South Bay. Yeah. In, in, uh, what other sport does she do? An indoor. Um, and it's just so good for them to have that sort of competitive little, you know, nature. Oh,

Speaker 1:

Outlet. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

So, um, what is one thing you would like to leave with our listeners today?

Speaker 2:

One thing is, that's tough.

Speaker 1:

I know. Just one<laugh>,

Speaker 2:

One that, well, two that go together and one I guess is okay. You are enough and you're worthy. You're just, you're enough and you're worthy.

Speaker 1:

I think that's beautiful. Thank you so much, Karina. I really appreciate your time today. This was great fun getting to talk with you. And I think that your story is going to help a lot of people, so thanks.

Speaker 2:

Oh, well thank you for, you know, putting the platform out there and it's, it's, it's a lot of work to do a podcast, so thank you

Speaker 1:

<laugh>. I'm still learning too.<laugh> and you know, you talk about being curious, uh, I was curious about how podcasts worked and then, oh look, I have podcasts,<laugh>, so I learned stuff on that all the time.<laugh>,

Speaker 2:

It's work. It's not just, you don't just get to record. Like it's the organization, the editing, the posting, the, yeah. So yeah, kudos to

Speaker 1:

You. Thank you. Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun and I've gotten to meet really great people like, like yourself, so, ah, so thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Transformational Trauma and Healing. Please be sure to subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss any future episodes. Thanks so much. See you soon.

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Carrie Rickert

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