We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Karina Trapizona a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Karina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
In August of 2018 I took a trip to Pittsburgh, PA. A city I’ve been obsessing over since childhood. I grew up in Canada, an army brat, having been born in Québec, to Dartmouth, NS to Alberta to Ontario. Playing hockey my whole life and obsessing over the Penguins (why yes I did have a mullet, here’s to you Jaromir Jagr and well of course I have a picture!) and the city of Pittsburgh. It’s funny, because you ask anyone I know and they will tell you all about how I wouldn’t stop talking about 2 things: hockey, hockey hockey specific Pittsburgh hockey, and professional wrestling but anyway. Fast forward to the summer of 2018, I’m 25 and scored Steelers tickets. I drive down (heck of a border story there alone), and this city is magical. Screaming at me as to how the hell do I not live here yet? Needless to say my heart belonged there. I have so much fun that I FORGET why I was in Pittsburgh in the first place.. Steelers game! I scramble to find someone to go with. Download Tinder, Bumble, was ready to put out an ad in a newspaper if I didn’t have a couple hours to work with. I power swipe on EVERYONE. (Bio was literally: only here for 1 more day, need someone to tag along have an extra Steelers ticket that’s it) I match with this guy wearing a Slipknot shirt (metalhead here as well so this one won.), and was like dude you down let’s go!! After some light convincing a FaceTime call to prove I was real and had tickets lol, he hesitantly agreed. We had so much fun, he toured me around the city some more and I’ll never forget that moment when I was on the river walk on the North Shore, turned to him and said.. I’m gonna live here one day. 5 years later, he proposed on Mount Washington, the first place he showed me after the Steelers game. With that being said, having gone through COVID together, border closures, immigration lawyers and no income the first year of living here.. has been a rollercoaster of emotions, heartaches, anxiety and stress… but I would do it all over again if it meant I’d be sitting on my couch, sick as heck right now though lol, in my comfy Steelers blanket and a good book.. I’m home.
Karina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I work in dental. I got into dentistry back when I lived in Canada and fell in love with how much you can drastically change a patients life in 1 appointment. I was nervous about dentistry in the USA and how different it could be but I love it just as much. It’s an industry where you’re constantly learning daily but changing people’s lives regularly. I’m into fitness as well, post my journey on Instagram throughout everything I’ve been through from Canada to the USA. I’ve been through hell and back and have slipped a few times so it’s nice to see other people go through things to and help keep each other accountable!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
When I first moved to the USA I wasn’t able to work until I got my green card/or EAD, whichever came first. I spent all this time reading, keeping my mind busy as much as I could. There was no income coming in and I had to heavily rely on my husband. As a girl who is incredibly independent, went from working 3 jobs, daily workouts seeing family and friends to… nothing was so incredibly depressing. I couldn’t even pay to see doctors out here as I wasn’t a citizen, green card holder, no insurance, had to book a wedding in 90 days, lost my cat in the first month of my move, my baby girl that had been with me for 10 years.. it was one of the darkest moments of my life. I became snappy, drank daily, fitness which was once my passion, disappeared. Had it not been for my husband, my family from afar and in-laws, I genuinely don’t think I would be here today. I kept pushing, got anxiety/depression medication, a job and I look back simply thankful I kept going.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
“If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Is one thing I genuinely feel as adults is something we all need to unlearn. If there’s anything I can teach anyone, especially woman in all industries is to speak your mind. I feel I’ve been through so much and have dealt with people in all career paths where I’ve held my tongue and let people walk all over me or talk down to me because of my gender or because I was “too nice” that they knew I would just take it. It is horrible on your mental health, the impact on your career and you as a person when you want to say something but you’re scared of the outcome. Speak your mind, let your feelings be heard.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _karinatrap