“I was a teacher in Thailand for 20 years and love helping and supporting people. In 2010, I got a scholarship to get my Master’s in Education and came to Boston because two of my best friends were already there. I met my husband in a Starbucks and that changed my story. My husband is a Musician and DJ for weddings and he gives me support at every step. I feel like he is my soulmate. We are so compatible. I can think of something, and he will say it.
We moved to the Upper Valley from western Massachusetts. We checked out the area, found a home, and loved it! When I first moved here, I thought it was too quiet. But the more I live here, the more I fall in love with the area. We travel to Boston almost every month because I have 2 sisters living there. Every time we travel there, we are reminded of how the Upper Valley is like a peaceful heaven. When I first came here, I actually worried about how it was so far away. But the Upper Valley has nice weather, beautiful trees, and very few cranky people. This is why I love this area.
When I was young, my grandma and my mom would ask me to massage them or “walk” on their backs. Massages are the thing that I think help people the most, especially with their pain and soreness. So I thought, why not do that? Even though it’s not teaching (my original profession), it still about supporting and helping people. When I give massages, people who are stressed will also talk to me like I’m their therapist. I opened my business during covid and had maybe two customers per week. No one knew me yet and people were scared to come with the risk of covid. I learned to be patient and eventually, more and more customers began to learn about my business and loved the style of my massages. I think I get most of my customers from word of mouth. I also love getting a massage. When we go to Thailand, we will get a 3-hour massage one day and a 2-hour massage the next day.
I live a happy life. I don’t need anything else. Why not spend it helping other people?”
– Lily Topfer, Norwich, VT
