Daring to see unhappiness in an uncertain world – Ashlie’s Story.
Article by Laura Martin for ZigZag Magazine.
The world we live in is unpredictable – sometimes you don’t get the job you wanted, or a relationship ends unexpectedly. For Ashlie Davis, the unpredictable included a near-death experience, a natural disaster and a loss that changed her life.
Ashlie grew up in Wisconsin and lived there for most of her life. She grew up in a religious family and experienced Midwestern America at its strongest. She went to college to study medicine and aspired to work with Doctors Without Borders. She was inspired to help others after embarking on a mission trip to Haiti in 2001.
Her work in this field came to a halt in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit. Ashlie had experienced severe weather conditions before and had even driven in blizzards, but this hurricane was unlike anything she could have expected.
“Hurricanes and their destruction were not something I was used to or knew how to deal with”.
Ashlie stayed with a friend on a college campus in Mississippi and tried to protect herself from the destruction. She remembers watching college students run around like crazy, get hit by trees and bang on doors in an attempt to reach safety. Ashlie revealed that the hardest part of living through this was that no one had any power or service. She was away from her mother and the rest of her family, and had no way to confirm their safety or declare her own. This experience began to shape Ashlie’s life is short mindset – and reminded her that life is valuable.
After the hurricane, Ashlie decided to take a career break. When she returned, she started working in events as a membership coordinator and registration manager. This line of work required her to move around the States, and sparked her taste for travelling.
Ashlie was always close to her grandmother. She encouraged Ashlie to go to church, asthe pair shared a strong faith. When she passed away, Ashlie had the worst year of her life. She stopped participating in organised religion and channelled her faith into spirituality, clinging to her values of helping others.
“If I can improve the day of someone around me, I’ll do it”.
Ashlie’s grandmother always encouraged her to see the world and leave her small town. However, a life-changing event was on her horizon – an illness that nearly killed her at 35.
“Covid really changed who I am”.
Ashlie became sick with COVID, and the virus left her with double pneumonia. She was admitted to the critical care unit. When she was released, the hospital didn’t give her oxygen for another 3 months, and in that time her lungs began to collapse. After receiving oxygen, doctors came to the realisation she was dying without it. “ I was starting to die – it made a change in me. I had to make myself happy”.
Being sick reminded Ashlie of the lessons she learned after Hurricane Katrina. She began to see life as precious and stopped caring about small, insignificant details. Ashlie recalled a time her niece dropped a carton of eggs and was stunned that she wasn’t in trouble – Ashlie didn’t care. Being healthy and safe was all that mattered.
These experiences inspired her to live her life to the fullest. Living in Milwaukee came with a sense of unease for Ashlie. She often experienced racial abuse and felt disconnected from the city. She was offered a job with a French tech company that required travelling, and she knew she had to take it. This led to her relocation to Malta, where she has lived for the last few years. Ashlie saw Malta as a fresh start, a place she could heal from traumatic experiences.
“It was time for a change – I was looking at a lot of places, and Malta showed up. I said let’s try it.”
She thought Malta would be like England, but was pleasantly surprised to discover its low-key, Mediterranean charm. She feels welcomed and at home here, and enjoys engaging with her neighbours, young or old.
Ashlie is now happily settled in Malta with her fiancé. She is still working in events and is getting married in August. Her plans for the future are constantly changing, and are now joint plans with her husband-to-be. Ashlie and her partner are happy in Malta and have no intention of returning to the United States.
Ashlie’s path has not been typical or easy, but she has paved the way with kindness, ambition and perseverance. Ashlee knows what she wants and dares to seek happiness. Despite loss, illness and times of uncertainty being factors of life there is always fulfilment out there if you have the courage to pursue it.
“I refuse to settle for anything else than the best of what I deserve – I don’t just take what I’m given”
