I moved from the US to Scotland to live out my 'Outlander' fantasy 3 years ago. Now I've found my very own Jamie Fraser and give tours of the Highlands.

• After falling in love with the TV show "Outlander," Hailey Beaupre moved from the US to Scotland.
• The loss of her best friend in 2020 made her realize life is too short not to follow your dreams.

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Hailey Beaupre, 25, a fan of the Starz series "Outlander" who moved from her small town in Connecticut to Glasgow, Scotland, after falling in love with the show and all things Scotland. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I first discovered "Outlander" more than five years ago. It was 2018, and I was in my second year of college and looking for a bit of escapism as exam season began to wind down.

My mom had mentioned the show to me before and thought I might enjoy it because I have always been interested in history, and it's a historical series set mostly in Scotland. I also had a trip planned to Scotland that summer.

But when I clicked play on the first episode of the Sam Heughan and Caitríona Balfe series one Sunday night after a long day of studying, I had no idea my life was about to change.

I stayed up watching it until 4:30 a.m. and took my final exam on barely two hours of sleep (I passed it).

By Wednesday of that week, I had inhaled every episode. That same day, I started reading the book series the show is based on by Diana Gabaldon.

It left me even more excited about my vacation to Scotland. My mom helped me plan the trip and knowing how much I had been enjoying the show, went online and asked in a Facebook group if anyone knew about any "Outlander" tours. There was one and it just so happened to have spaces available the one day of my trip I had an afternoon free.

When I visited Scotland for the first time aged 20, I fell in love with the country's quaint streets, incredible people, and cozy pubs almost immediately.

On the day of my "Outlander" tour, I was naturally excited but had no idea that in the space of just a few hours, it would change everything for me.

I remember walking up the long, scenic drive to Midhope Castle, the 15th-century tower that doubles for Jamie Fraser's family home in the TV show, and becoming overwhelmed with emotion.

I didn't quite understand at first but then, with complete clarity, I did.

I realized that I had found my calling. This is where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. I had only been on the tour for 20 minutes, but I felt something shift inside me. It honestly felt like I had been sleepwalking through life and I had finally woken up.

Once I got home, three things happened: I dumped my boyfriend at the time, I got a therapist, and I changed my major in school from education to history.

My whole focus academically and personally became nothing but Scotland and, by extension, "Outlander."

Knowing in my heart that Scotland was my spiritual home, I decided to apply to study abroad there. Unfortunately, the only time I could do this was in the final semester of my final year, meaning I had to wait two years to return.

During those two years, I spent my time getting involved in the fandom, reading the rest of the books, watching the show on repeat, and learning as much about Scottish history as I could.

When it finally came time for me to study abroad it was January 2020.

Just three months into my program, the world shut down because of COVID-19, and I was asked to return home for my own safety. I had waited so long to be back in Scotland and having to leave so soon just sucked.

Back home, I found myself celebrating my 22nd birthday alone while self-isolating in a campervan in my parents' backyard, and dwelling on how I had gotten so close to my dreams only to have them torn away from me. I thought things really couldn't get worse.

But then they did.

Just a few days later, I learned that my best friend in the whole world had been killed in a car accident.

I had never experienced a loss like that before, and it plunged me into a horrifically dark place. When I came out of isolation and the world began to open back up, the last place I wanted to be was in my small hometown. There were memories of my best friend and the life we shared together on every street corner.

I became even more resolved to get back to Scotland, and for good this time.

I'll never say I'm grateful for what I went through but I can recognize what it led to because now, three years on, I'm living in Scotland full time.

In the fall of 2020, deep in the midst of my grief, I pulled myself together to apply for grad school in Scotland. I knew it was what my best friend would have wanted for me and wanted to make them proud.

Even though the program was completely online, I did not care whatsoever because at the end of the day, my feet were on Scottish soil, and that was all that mattered to me.

After graduating, I began working as a tour guide at a Highlands castle. It was such an amazing experience. I've now set up my own tour guide company, Sassenach Historian Tours, which specializes in tours of "Outlander" filming locations.

It's been so heartening to see other "Outlander" fans from all over the world visit Scotland like I once did and fall in love with the country. I absolutely love what I do, and I'm so proud of myself.

From the very beginning, I knew deep down that "Outlander" meant more to me than to the average TV watcher.

It wasn't just a show or a book — it was everything.

Truly what got me through my deepest, darkest times was my love for the show and the inspiration I found in Caitríona Balfe, who plays the show's courageous and compassionate lead character, Claire. I am so happy to say that I've had the privilege of telling her this on more than one occasion.

I've also found my very own Jamie Fraser, so to speak.

My fiancé Grant is a Scot through and through and is just the most incredible man. After two years of dating, he proposed to me on the steps of Midhope Castle — the place where my Scottish journey began.

We're getting married next year, and you probably have already guessed that "Outlander" is going to play a part in our wedding.

Our ceremony will be at the kirk — a Scottish word for "church" — where Jamie and Claire marry on the show. I'm counting down the days and can't wait for my family and friends in America to come over and see for themselves the incredible life I've built for myself here in Scotland.

You can find Hailey on Instagram at @sassenachhistorian.