The Story of Moonbow Spa

I'm so sad to be leaving Moonbow Spa in Kenmore, WA but, I have an exciting new chapter ahead of me in California.

What started Moonbow Spa? Some of you have heard this story but it felt like a good time to put it in writing. We have to go through a bit of personal history first.

I moved to Washington from Southern California in July of 2020, peak COIVD. It was a trying time for the world but, for me it was the opportunity of a life time. With the wheels of the world ground to a halt I saw a rare window in a relentlessly busy life to hit reset. For a few years I had been feeling the call north. I didn't have anywhere specific in mind or any idea what I wanted out of the answer to the call. There was just a longing that was growing more difficult to ignore every day.

One day on an evening run in Santa Monica, I looked down at an intersection where I saw a literal sign that said, I kid you not, "Please, need to go further north." It felt like the universe was begging me to make a move. I didn't need any more information, the universe had spoken.

While I gave my friends and family about two weeks notice to my departure, I had been thinking about this for a while. This move was a partial whim but it was partially a test of self reliance, while simultaneously being exactly what I needed to get out of some bad habits and dull the less favorable facets of my life.

The two day drive was, long. I thought I was going to take my time and stop for adventure, seeing the sights of California, the Oregon cost, and then some. The first night somewhere, out in the wilderness of Northern California I cooked dinner by a river where I was surrounded by wild roses. A smell so sweet and a feeling so free. I was also shooting content for a freelance marketing project I was working on. A reminder that I was still hustling odd jobs to make it city to city and that even though I had food every night it was mostly potatoes. This contrast of sensations and watching a man roll up on my campsite, me gripping a large stick in defensive stance, took the adventure out of my migration north. I looked at my feet in the stream and I was exhausted.

I was coming off two years of living in an RV and I was eager to start my new life in Seattle, even though I had never been to Washington. I wanted to go north as quickly as possible. I craved unlimited water and electricity. A bed the didn't shake when cars drove by.

My next night was in Eugene, Oregon, where I had been before. A cute little crack town with the most charming bridges. This was just a sleep stop and I kept it pushing to Seattle as soon as I could. Just a short bike ride around the area after dinner. My AirPods were starting to die and the universe left me a new pair in the gutter (thanks Rebecca!)

Why did I choose Seattle. In my head I was considering three places: Portland (too try hard "weird"), Vancouver B.C. (border was closed due to pandemic), or Seattle (winner!) When I arrived I didn't know where to go. I set up a Tinder date and he suggested Gas Works park where I stayed the night and figured out my next move.

I continued to live in my RV for several more weeks while I looked for work because, I moved without a job. Looked for housing because, I moved here not knowing anyone. Looked for the reason why I came north.

A friend of my brother let me park my RV in front of his house for a couple weeks, where I was recruited for the Navy by a woman who saw me a couple days in a row and realized I wasn't on vacation. At one point I had hurt my knee hiking and wasn't able to walk for a few days. Even if I wanted to go back to California now I physically couldn't. I spent a lot of my time looking for free electricity. I had a generator but it was noisy and I was trying to stay inconspicuous.

If you know me now, you can clearly see a lot has changed in the past five years. I had to take myself seriously. After finding some interim dead end jobs, I started to gain clarity on what was actually going to work. I got myself into a house and off the street in the RV. Sold the RV. Then started to step back and look at my options.

During this move Aki Lashes kept me employed part time and had asked me to start working on an education program for lash extensions. Initially I was only meant to teach the theory portion, as I'm a good talker, and someone else would teach hands on lash extensions. After taking a lash training course I found a special sort of meditation in applying lash extensions (I also knew a lot about lash extensions.) I found my first clients on Tinder, desperate to find girls near me, to practice lashes on. Desperate times call for desperate measures. But guess what, it worked.

I set up a make shift "spa" in my basement, bless my roommate that just kinda let that happen. Signed up for esthetician school, and continued to work on my lash extension training course for Aki Lashes. If you ever had an appointment in this basement, thank you from the bottom of my heart for believing in me. You first lot of crazies who braved the pandemic and trusted me with your lashes, you changed my life. Thank you thank you thank you.

Everything was happening all at once and I felt like my, uh, general idea of successful new life, was starting to take shape. After graduating esthetician school and receiving my license I was immediately able to open a studio space, that just so happened to be available two blocks from my home. When I ask the universe for something, or I express that I'm ready for the next opportunity, it typically manifests quickly. The chances of finding this studio space so quickly and in Kenmore was not by accident. It was meant to be.

So in short, Moonbow Spa, me being an esthetician, me making beauty my entire personality. This was not the plan. I wanted to continue my career path in fashion product development. When I moved here I wanted nothing more than to work for Filson or REI. Everything happens for a reason.

I got to spend the majority of my time in Seattle building beautiful connections with hundreds of clients. There were over 600 people on my mailing list by 2025. I never stopped feeling honored to be trusted with your care and, not just your lashes or your face. So many of you trusted me with your emotions, heart, secrets, in moments of raw vulnerability that I never took for granted. There have been countless tears cried at Moonbow Spa by you and me alike. It's been so special. I'm going to miss this, a lot.

BUT I'M A ROLLING STONE BABY!

I love working for myself, making my own schedule, taking three week vacations without a second thought. I'm also thinking towards the future. I'd love to retire someday and be in a less volatile financial situation. That and, I met someone who was worth moving my entire like BACK to California for. I started looking for a way back into the corporate space. 9-5 work hours instead of 24/7, paid time off, spending other people's money. I have always been a natural leader and I see a place for myself in management to help mentor and coach a team to success. Sorry, interview speak.

I convinced a company (Salt & Stone) to give me a chance despite my seven year employment history gap (self employed.) I started working for Salt & Stone as a brand representative in 2024 with the intention to network and gain experience in the beauty industry outside Aki Lashes and Moonbow Spa. Even though this started to take up a lot of my time and cut hours short at Moonbow, I know I was going to need to stay loyal to this for my next steps in life to succeed.

Now I'll be moving to Northern California with my partner where I will continue to work for Salt & Stone with prospects of being promoted to Account Executive in 2026.

Life if short, think long, and follow your heart. Thanks for being a part of this wild ride.

Love,

-Katt