In reunion she discovered her heritage is tied to native people of North America and that her instinct to search was well-timed because her passionate drive was matched by someone else very important to Monica who was looking for her too.

Will Hall, an adoptee herself, crumble under pressure and relinquish her only known blood relative for adoption? Will she ever feel the sense of belonging she craves by reuniting with the mother who gave her away?

Monica experienced the infamous 1964 Great Alaska earthquake that traumatized many. Monica’s way of coping was to “stuff down deep inside” the dysfunction she experienced.Facing signing relinquishment papers after giving birth in the hospital was overwhelming.

There were some very unexpected twists which left me wide-eyed. Perhaps the most important thing I personally took from Monica was a deeper understanding and empathy for my own birthmother, who was also very young, like Monica.

Monica Hall shares her experience as a transracial adoptee and her journey to reconnect with her birth family. She discusses her identity struggles, feeling like an outsider in her adoptive family, and the impact of trauma on her life.

After being reunited with her biological family, Monica learned that she was indigenous and began traveling to Canada to connect more with her biological family, roots, and culture. She also makes frequent visits to Anchorage, the land of her youth.

"Practically Still a Virgin”, which will be released on Saturday March 23rd. Born in Canada, Monica was adopted by American parents and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where she spent the first sixteen years of her life and had many of the foundational experiences that drive her writing.

Join Corissa and Monica Hall, an entrepreneur, speaker, life coach, and the author of a new memoir called, "Practically Still a Virgin,” that chronicles her life growing up adopted and abused, being raped as a teen and giving up her daughter for adoption, struggling with addiction, and finally, discovering her truth within.

Have you ever stood at the crossroads of identity, where the past and present collide in a mosaic of loss and discovery? Monica Hall's life is a living embodiment of such a crossroads, as she gracefully carries the dual mantle of being both an adoptee and a birth parent.

In this, sometimes hilarious and very entertaining interview I discuss my journey from leaving corporate America to starting my own soap company and finding my indigenous roots. Along the way, I’ve had some memorable experiences, like selling peppermint soap to a gay community, which was a big success. I also open up about my personal life, including my relationships and the challenges I faced during my childhood.

Excerpt of transcript from this podcast episode:

Monica Hall: I live in Sacramento. I was adopted out of Canada from a foster home with about 10 other babies. I was raised in Anchorage, Alaska, because that's where my parents had been living. That's where a lot of the trauma happened and caused me to write a memoir. We moved to California when I was 16. I'm still in California. It’s been a long journey being an adoptee and relinquishing a child for adoption.

The thing that adoptees most often ask me is, “Being an adoptee, how could you give up your own baby?”

I was the guest on the podcast, Claiming Your Voice with Janeice Garrard , a fellow adoptee. Over the months we’ve had a number zooms, connecting one adoptee to another. In this interview I reveal some of the things I write about in my memoir, Practically Still a Virgin. I believe this conversation… (although as usual I do most of the talking), will resonate with anyone impacted by adoption and others who have experienced family dysfunction, and difficulties in general. Adoption is part of my story but not all of my story…. Listen and you will see that it’s absolutely possible to heal no matter what the circumstances.

Monica Hall, an adoptee and birth mother who has recently published her memoir titled Practically Still a Virgin: an Adoption Memoir. Monica shares her journey of healing and self-discovery through writing her memoir, which delves into the complexities of adoption, trauma, and family relationships.

Monica Hall is an author, adoptee, and birthmother. She was born in Canada, adopted by American parents, and raised in Anchorage, Alaska where she spent the first sixteen years of her life and had many of the foundational experiences that drive her writing.

“What if what had happened to us happened for us?

Adoptee and birth mother Monica shares her healing insights to help us heal and access our higher self. This has to be one of the most powerful and empowering episodes ever to air on this podcast.”

Life sometimes sends us unexpected derailments where we find ourselves in situations that test our strength and resilience. As an adoptee, I have always had a longing for a sense of connection and belonging…

This May I was a guest on “Alaska Public Radio”, an affiliate of National Public Radio (NPR). They connected me live from the NPR Studio in Sacramento where I told my story of being an adoptee who also gave up a baby up for adoption…