THE JOURNEY OF A NOMADIC WRITER
Behind my novels and adventures, there is my path... sometimes winding, often unpredictable, but always guided by the impulse of the heart. From childhood to today, I have followed the signs, weathered storms, tasted the sun of distant lands and found, at each step, a way to reinvent myself. Here, I share with you the behind the scenes: the choices, the turns, the encounters and the bursts of life that have shaped the woman and the author that I am.
My roots and my trials
I was born in Beloeil, on the South Shore of Montreal, where I also spent my teenage years. My childhood may not have always been rosy from the outside, but for me, it was simply life... my life.
Very early on, I encountered illness. My mother's illness, especially. Then, after she left, I explored other facets of life. Some gentler, others rougher.
There were losses, hurts, toxic relationships, and dark experiences. But deep down, I always felt a light. A tenacious, indomitable inner strength that brought me back—again and again—to what was most true within me.
After high school, I pursued studies in Arts and Letters, then in Communications, Journalism and Advertising at the University of Montreal. I worked full-time to pay for my studies, while studying at night… I was already determined to build my own path.
Behind the scenes of my old world...
After studying communications, journalism and advertising at the University of Montreal, I worked as a journalist for various weeklies on the South Shore of Montreal.
Then, in 2008, I plunged into the world of art magazines. I climbed the ladder to become editor-in-chief at La Semaine magazine. A coveted position. A great sense of security. A certain prestige.
But that wasn't my life. At 33, I left everything behind: job, condo, stability... To live my dreams. To write. To go to the sun.
I worked and worked… Today, I live. And I no longer feel like I'm working, because I deeply love what I do. Writing has never been a job. It's my passion, my vocation, my mission.
Marilyn, then editor-in-chief of the magazine... who presents a report on her new life as a writer!
The Call of Writing
I've always been writing. When I was little, I filled notebooks with thoughts, poems, emotions...💛
But I was quickly made to understand that writing wasn't a profession. That I had to find a "real job." So, I took a parallel path, more "serious," more profitable.
Journalism, advertising, communication… But that wasn’t it.
The words came back to me. Stronger than ever. Not to please. Not to sell. To heal. To tell. To transmit.
Today, my novels reflect a journey. A sensitivity. An awakening.
They are also an invitation. A hand extended to those who need a mirror... or a breath to dare, too.😇
My life under the sun ☀️
In 2015, I left everything: job, condo, security... for a life of freedom, living in the sun. I moved to Costa Rica, after buying a house online—without visiting it first, and without even setting foot in this warm little country.😅
This is how the famous Casa de Marilyn was born: a little corner of the jungle where, for several years, I welcomed travelers and readers from all over the world. Between two receptions or two cleaning sessions, I wrote. I lived. And each day, I got a little closer to who I really was.✨
Then, when the momentum ran out, I sold the Casa. I put away the hostess sheets, grabbed my backpack... and hit the road again with my faithful cat, Monsieur.
The path called me elsewhere — and I followed it.🙏🏼
Conquering the world...
After several years in Costa Rica, I felt the call of elsewhere.
I set sail, and for nearly two years, I followed the impulses, the signs, and the synchronicities. Italy, Switzerland, France, Nepal, Hawaii, the Dominican Republic… Each place transformed me.😇 Each detour brought me closer to what was essential.
In Nepal, I volunteered as an English teacher in a small village school for three months. Then, the road took me elsewhere, to other countries, other missions, and others not.
After more than eight years abroad, I returned to Quebec. An attempt to get back to my roots, to put down roots, to find some peace and stability. I completed massage therapy training and pursued my creative projects... before leaving again. About two years later.
The wind took me to Peru, where I ran a wilderness lodge, and then to Colombia, where I taught yoga – which I can now officially pass on, diploma in hand.🧘🏽♀️
Even today, I continue my projects from Colombia, carried by my novels, my dreams, and this free life that I sculpt day after day.
While I was volunteering to teach English to children in a small school in Nepal.
