On November 15th, 2018, shortly after my 30th birthday, I went from model Asian child to giant disappointing “failure.”
I spent 12+ years of my life becoming a doctor, only to leave traditional medicine behind to pursue my other passions of cartooning, teaching, and traveling the world full-time as a long term digital nomad.
To my family, I threw it all away – salutatorian of high school, a prestigious college/medical school education, and two residency programs.
To me, I only just started truly living. All those years I had never allowed myself to take time to question, to reflect, and to really figure out who I was.
I had so many parts of me yearning to be expressed, so much creativity inside of me. I had always been more of an arts than a sciences person.
I liked connecting with people, but hated learning the science behind physical illnesses. Despite my best efforts for many years, I could never make being a traditional doctor “fit” or feel “right.”
However, the fear and pain of hurting my immigrant family who had worked so hard to give me a better life, and wasting all the years and efforts I had put in kept me stuck for a long time.
I thought staying in it was what a noble person “should” do, to “show appreciation” for all the sacrifices and gifts given to me, and besides, I was afraid of pursuing a higher risk “unstable income” job or a lifestyle off the beaten path.
Already considered a “Leftover Woman” by Chinese cultural standards, still single and childless at age 30, I should be focused on settling down with a nice man and house and white picket fence, not floating around the world.
But one day, as I went skydiving, I realized I was just waiting to die. I had no fear of anything going wrong since the life I was leaving behind didn’t mean much to me anyway.
No one deserves to feel that way or live like that!
So I made a change. I finally decided to listen to my heart. I took that leap of faith, saved up, packed my bags, and bought a one-way ticket.
Now I am living my dream life! Pushing my boundaries, learning from and sharing in other cultures, and bringing us all closer together in unconditional acceptance, love, and understanding.
I’ve expanded beyond an MD and all boxes. I get to help others not just as a doctor, but as a relationship coach, mental health & social justice advocate, and educator with my artwork.
I no longer hold myself back out of fear of what others would think or say. I now know my values and can stand by them even when nobody else does.
While life hasn’t been easy, there’s been a sense of inner peace and okayness that no one can take away from me.
I created this blog to help others find and align themselves with their hearts, souls, and whom they believe they were meant to be.
Join my Acceptsians community and/or contact me directly to see how I can help you!
Book a chat with me anytime:
P.S. If you’re curious, here’s the history behind this site creation…
Before I settled on “Dr. Tooni,” which is a lot more clear because I’m Dr. Toni, the carTOONIst, I had a different name (pardon if I missed updating any links!)
From 2019-2021, I started with the blog name “LTNoM(a)D”. Why??
According to me: Liu Tong, Long Term NoM(a)D
NoMaD because I’m living my dream life, nomadically all over the world, doing only work I truly love.
NoMD because I trained for 12+ years to become a board-certified doctor, but the MD will not define me.
According to naysayers: Lazy, Terribly Naïve, Obstinate, Misguided Asian Daughter
Depends on whom you ask, I guess 😛
You can’t always please everyone, unless you don’t stand for anything at all.
My dream is to help you stand proudly for your values, no matter what they are, and live boldly & AUTHENTICALLY.
For my full story, read my Memoir (& healing guide)!:
