This is always difficult to do but I'll try my best.

I'm a 32 year old Pakistani American occupational therapist, born and raised in NYC. I would describe myself as family-oriented and someone who has chosen to keep a select few friends around me. Not a social butterfly but someone who values the quality of friends over the quantity of them. I wear hijab, pray 5 times a day (I always manage to find a way to be creative with that!) and try to put Islam first over anything and everything, practicing it as much as I can. I am conservative, shy, reserved, cautious and love to give back to the Muslim community however I can. I'm also sensitive, compassionate, caring, kind, have been told that I "exude warmth" and am incredibly loyal to those that I love. I would say I'm more of an introvert and a homebody.

And yet, I can also be extroverated and am just as modern and open-minded as I am conservative. I've been told that I'm ambitious, have leadership qualities as I like to take initiative at times and can have a "strong personality". I admit that I can be a perfectionist but I've also learned to be very flexible. I grew up feeling misunderstood (still feel that way sometimes) and that led me to develop a "tough" persona. I can be edgy, witty and sarcastic. However, as an adult, I've learned to put a positive spin on things and have been told that I'm "feisty", fierce and have a fiery personality. My patients literally refer to me as a "drill sergeant".

I left home a little over 3 years ago and love being on my own as I'm learning so much about myself. I love traveling and volunteering. One of my goals is to take part in medical missions to Muslim countries affected by war and trauma.  I love reading (non-fiction, self-help and different kinds of history) and watching horror movies, as well as swimming, horseback riding, spin, yoga and dance. Being from NYC, I have an immense love of fashion/style, beauty and breaking stereotypes about hijabis, in the sense that I can be edgy, say what's on my mind and have my own fierce sense of style (which I love! I freely embrace the term "rebel" and am known as that in whatever group of friends that I'm in.

Finally, I love learning about inner transformation and like to do as much inner work as much as possible. This includes taking online and in-person seminars on purification of the soul, learning about the law of attraction and doing everything I can to live a life that I love!

Hope that tells you a little something :)