From Transylvanian Gardens to Aromatherapy: My Journey to Blessed Sunshine Aromatics 

Where It All Began

I grew up in Romania, and some of my most vivid childhood memories are of summers spent in Transylvania with my grandparents, who were gardeners. They didn’t just grow plants — they understood them. I spent those summers learning how to read soil, balance a microfarm, and work with nature instead of against it. I didn’t know it then, but those quiet lessons in my grandparents’ garden were the first steps of a path that would eventually lead me to aromatherapy.

A Life Built on Science

That early curiosity turned into a lifelong commitment to studying the natural world. I earned a degree in Biology, a Master’s in Biology-Ecology, and an Advanced Studies Certification in Natural Resources Management. For years, I taught Biology and Ecology at the high school level in Romania, and I threw myself into environmental work beyond the classroom — serving as president of the environmental NGO Proteco, and coordinating a Science Shop at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Bacău University. Those roles took me across Europe, working on environmental education projects and meeting people who cared as much about the planet as I did.

In 2006, a teaching contract brought me to South Carolina, and two years later, I married my husband, Dave, and we settled in Las Vegas. I’ve been teaching science at a public high school here ever since — a career I still love and haven’t left behind.

The Moment Everything Changed

In 2009, a birthmark on my right shoulder started changing shape and growing. I had it removed, and the biopsy came back with cancerous cells. That diagnosis was frightening, but it was also the beginning of something new: I started searching for natural, holistic ways to care for my skin and support my body’s healing.

I began making my own soaps and lotions, experimenting with what nature could offer. What started as personal necessity slowly became a passion I couldn’t put down.

Learning From the World’s Best

Once I had the chance, I dove into formal aromatherapy education — taking classes, attending retreats, and learning directly from aromatherapists, healers, and shamans from around the world. I earned my Aromatherapy Level I certification, then Level II, and I’m currently working toward my Clinical Aromatherapist certification.

Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of studying with instructors from the New York School of Aromatic Studies, Stillpoint Aromatics, the Aromahead Institute, and the Tisserand Institute. I’ve also learned from shamans who shared their understanding of plant intelligence — how plants communicate, adapt, and interact with the people who work with them. That perspective has shaped how I think about aromatherapy as much as any textbook has.

I’m still learning. I don’t think that ever stops. But somewhere along the way, it became time to start sharing what I’ve gathered.

Building Blessed Sunshine Aromatics

I started my LLC, Blessed Sunshine Aromatics, during the pandemic. My husband Dave, and I began experimenting with aromatic plant distillation together, turning our home into something of a lab and a garden all at once.

Then COVID hit us — hard. We both got seriously ill, and for a while, it was unclear whether we’d recover at all. We did, but it took a long time, and it put the business on hold. Recovery wasn’t quick or easy, but it taught me something I now bring into everything I teach: healing takes patience, and the natural world has a remarkable capacity to support that process, if we let it.

Where I Am Now

Today, after a long road back, Dave and I are finally able to grow Blessed Sunshine Aromatics the way we always envisioned — as a space for education, connection, and genuine plant-based healing.

Part of that vision has taken the form of writing. I’ve started writing aromatherapy books for children, teenagers, and adults, each one aimed at helping communities build a closer, more informed relationship with plants — understanding them, respecting them, and using them correctly, without causing harm to our planet. It’s a natural extension of everything I’ve learned: if I can teach a child to see a plant as something intelligent and worth caring for, that curiosity can shape a lifetime of more sustainable choices. My path here wasn’t a straight line. It wound through gardens in Transylvania, classrooms in Romania and Nevada, a biopsy with cancerous cells, a global pandemic, and years of study with teachers and healers across the world. Every part of it shows up in how I teach aromatherapy today: grounded in science, respectful of tradition, and honest about the fact that this is a lifelong practice, not a destination.

I’d love to meet new students and connect with people who share these values. If you’re curious about aromatherapy — whether you’re looking for a class, a consultation, or just a conversation about plants — I’d be glad to hear from you.

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