About Ellie
I'm Eleanor Cottrill, but everyone calls me Ellie. I live in the East Bay in California with my parents, two sisters, brother, golden retriever, vizsla, rabbit, and nine chickens. Before living in California, my parents, sisters, and I (sorry Luke) lived in Mayfair, London for two years. Since I was only two years old, I don't remember much about living there, but I think living in London ignited my inner-loves for travel and planning. Last summer, my mom and I planned our dream family vacation to Turks and Caicos (the water was even clearer than I dreamed about). Another one of my passions is soccer--I played competitively starting at three years old--but my role as center-mid abruptly ended in March of 2017 when I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Three viruses back-to-back wiped out my immune system and triggered GBS, an autonomic disorder that left me paralyzed for six months due to nerve deterioration. When my life got flipped upside down (like my nana not-so-gracefully removing her pineapple upside down cake from the pan), I had to fight to stay alive. Rallied by my friends, family, and community, I beat my disease, and now my greatest passion is sharing my story:) As I began to regain my strength, I started writing my own memoir: Stars Can't Shine Without Darkness. While I embark on the editing and publishing of my story, I will be sharing updates as well as writing tips I have learned during the process of writing my memoir on this blog :)
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