Emily Jenkins was never one to follow the easy path and it took a trip halfway around the world before deciding what she wanted to do in life.
Her dream to become a midwife though was never realised. Her life was cut short at 24, when she boarded the southbound Piccadilly Line Tube on 7 July 2005.
Her half-brother James Bowles was the last to hear from her at 0845 BST when she was at King's Cross station and about to head towards Russell Square, where a bomb exploded.
At the inquest into her death, her parents Sarah and Nick Jenkins said Emily had been on a path of fulfilment when she was killed.
The youngest of four children, Emily was born in Hammersmith, west London.
At school, she showed signs of the caring woman she was to become - often befriending the lame duck of the class.
She started ballet classes, and continued to dance until she was 18, passing all her exams with high grades.
In class at Surbiton High, in south-west London, she did well until A-levels when her rebellious streak took over.
The following year, she had a gap year in South America, learning to speak Spanish, rough it and support her group.
She tried university but only lasted a term. Salamanca in western Spain was her next stop. She stayed for a year, before heading to Australia with no plans in place. There, she lived with a group of self-sufficient people in Melbourne, working when she ran out of money.
On returning to the UK, she tried to settle in Cornwall.
At her inquest, her parents said this did not work out as she missed London and her family.
"At last Em had a goal and decided that she wanted to be a midwife but, sadly, she did not have biology at the right level."
She found work at AYH, a project management company in London, soon becoming PA to her boss, and living in a flat in Peckham.
By this time, she was an aunt to two nieces, a role she adored.
"She was the last person who would always be digging sandcastles on the beach and babysitting at every opportunity," Mrs Jenkins said, at the inquest.
"She had a large, varied group of friends and was extremely sociable and popular.
"She was the only grandchild to get away with teasing my austere mother and father."
Shortly after her death, her family said in a statement: "She had a love of life and a great ability to bring out the best in people. Emily will be remembered for her enthusiasm and her deep passion for her family and friends."
Rachael Oliver-Redgate, who was an A-level classmate of Emily's at Surbiton High School, said: "I always remember her with a cheeky smile on her face.
"She was a lively and funny girl, always surrounded by her friends. She was also extremely kind and caring and would have made a great midwife."