quote [ Alexandra (not her real name, but more on that later) grew up in the île-de-France region with a Freemason father and a Catholic mother. Where most girls her age were being pressed to take up needle-point, Alexandra spent her time fasting, and plotting a run away trip to England, almost as if she knew she were destined for a spiritual path. She didn’t quite have the money to see it through, being only 15, but it didn’t matter. The trip had jump-started a lifelong taste for adventure in her. ]