And throughout her experiences, she credits her Scottish humour as being the one thing which has helped her the most. The 31-year-old left Ardler in Dundee a decade ago and has since lived in Australia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Norway but currently calls Los Angeles her home. Her book, A Guide To Surviving Childhood, takes a nostalgic look at her formative years spent in Dundee’s housing schemes. She said: “My mum had me when she was just 16 so my childhood faced some challenges that not every child did but to me that was a normal, fun childhood.
“The many hilarious things that happened in my house and my friends’ houses over the years still make me smile. Writing them down reinforced how great growing up is when you look back.”
Former Lawside Academy pupil Maxie added: “I wrote the book to produce laughter from people.
“Scottish humour is the best humour I’ve ever come across.
“We laugh at things that probably shouldn’t be laughed at, joke about things that shouldn’t be joked about and we can do all of that at the same time as having the most serious of conversations, which is most definitely reflected in the book.
“I once ran away from my mum on the street, got in the door of my aunt’s house, locked it and left her outside for what I thought would be hours… until she climbed up the drainpipe and in the upstairs window, took my victory biscuit from me and sat me outside for two hours.”
She added: “There was a lot packed into my childhood so I don’t really get overwhelmed as an adult.
“Moving around Dundee a lot has made it second nature for me to get up and live and work in new places without any apprehension.
“My mum always, always told me, and continues to tell me, I can do anything I put my mind to and believing that has given me the confidence to tackle new areas and careers without caring what anyone else thinks or being put off if it’s a hard leap.”