Lovina Zook grew up in a strict Amish community where cell phones, computers, and social media were off-limits. At 18, she had never used a smartphone, and she believed she would spend the rest of her life following the traditions she had been raised with.
Now, her life looks very different. Keep reading to learn more.
Today, 23-year-old Lovina Zook has more than 3.6 million followers on TikTok, where she shares recipes, explains Amish customs, and answers questions about her former way of life.
Her journey began in 2021, when she left her family home in the middle of a cold night with just $24 in her pocket. Since then, she has learned to navigate the modern world, become a content creator, published her own cookbook, and built a life with her husband, who also left the Amish faith.
She belonged to one of the strictest Amish subgroups
Zook grew up in the Swartzentruber Amish community, one of the more conservative Amish subgroups known for its strict rules governing technology and everyday life.
Members of her community did not use electricity in their homes, cell phones, or computers. Makeup, dancing, drinking, and modern machinery were also restricted or prohibited. Even certain expressions were considered inappropriate.
“And no cursing. Absolutely not. You can’t even say, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ That’s considered a bad word,” Zook told CBS News.
Her family spoke Pennsylvania Dutch at home, and daily life revolved around the customs and expectations of the community.
Zook was the second-oldest of 13 children. Like many women in her community, she was expected to follow traditional gender roles, marry within the faith, and eventually raise a family.
Leaving the Amish order was strongly discouraged, and Zook recalled being taught that those who left were doing something wrong and risked going to hell.
Dating followed strict rules
Zook has also discussed the rules surrounding courtship in her former community, describing a system that differed considerably from conventional dating.
According to her account, couples could meet only once a week and typically saw each other at night. A boyfriend might arrive at around 9 p.m., enter the house, and stay until approximately 4 a.m.
“You do it in the dark,” she told CBS News.
Zook explained that couples would talk and sleep beside each other, while physical intimacy was restricted. Kissing was permitted if both people agreed, but other forms of intimacy were not allowed.
“You just talk and sleep, and that’s all,” she said.
Marriage and family were central expectations in the community, and Zook once believed she would follow the same path.
“Before, I thought anybody that left the Amish was condemned. They were doing wrong, and I was never going to be one of those people. I was going to stay Amish, be respectful, raise a whole big family and I never thought that would change,” she told People.
She worked as a teacher before her father told her to quit
Before leaving the community, Zook worked as a schoolteacher, traveling approximately eight miles each day by horse and buggy to reach the school.
Although she enjoyed teaching, she earned only $12 a day. Her father eventually told her to leave the job and work at a sawmill instead.
At the time, Zook believed her future had already been decided. She expected to remain in the Amish order, follow its traditions, and raise a family within the community.
However, she gradually began questioning whether that was the life she wanted.
The argument that led to her decision to leave
In 2021, a disagreement with her mother over a church dress became a turning point.
Zook recalled feeling frustrated by the constant expectations placed on her and the pressure to meet other people’s standards.
“I was so tired of people telling me what to do. I’m always trying to be perfect, and it’s never right. I was just done,” she told CBS News.
She decided to leave, but the process required careful planning. Having grown up without modern technology, she had little experience of the outside world and no established independent life waiting for her.
Zook spent around two weeks preparing to escape. On the night she left, she quietly oiled the hinges on the doors inside her family home so they would not squeak and wake anyone.
Once her family was asleep, she slipped out into the cold night with just $24.
Her brother helped her adjust to life outside the community
After leaving home, Zook went to stay with her brother, who had already left the Amish community, and his girlfriend.
They helped her find work cleaning houses and supported her as she began learning how to live independently.
At 18, she received her first smartphone. For the first time, she could access the internet and explore a world she had previously known very little about.
The transition involved learning basic skills and adapting to unfamiliar routines. She also had to work out what kind of life she wanted after growing up in a community where many personal decisions were governed by established rules.
“I went against every respectful bone in my body to leave. It was a very scary time. But it led to beautiful things,” she told People.
She kept her family’s recipes and traditional clothing
Although Zook left the Amish community, she kept several items connected to her religious upbringing, including traditional dresses and a handwritten notebook containing her great-grandmother’s recipes.
Those recipes later became a central part of her social media content.
Zook began sharing traditional dishes and cooking methods, introducing viewers to foods they might not otherwise encounter. Her videos also cover Amish clothing, hairstyles, household routines, and other customs.
One of her most popular TikTok videos demonstrates how Amish women style their hair beneath their bonnets. The tutorial has reportedly received more than 50 million views.
She now answers questions about Amish life to millions of people
Zook’s TikTok account has grown to more than 3.6 million followers. Her content ranges from recipes for coffee soup, peanut butter pie, and fruit pizza to explanations of how Amish communities approach taxes, marriage, divorce, and everyday responsibilities.
She also explains cultural differences that often surprise viewers, including the use of the word “cheeseburger” to describe a grilled cheese sandwich.
Her audience has given her a platform to share her experiences directly, offering insight into a community that many people know only through documentaries or secondhand accounts.
Rather than focusing exclusively on her decision to leave, Zook continues to discuss the traditions she remembers and the parts of her upbringing she has chosen to preserve.
From Amish schoolteacher to full-time content creator
Five years after leaving her former community, Zook has learned to drive, published her own cookbook, and built a career creating online content. She is also married to a man who left the Amish faith.
Her daily life now includes activities and opportunities that were unavailable to her growing up, including using social media, making independent decisions about her appearance, and sharing her ideas with an international audience.
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