2017

What did 2017 teach me? 2017 taught me to learn to listen more. This all started with my inner voice telling me I needed to get out of my job, and make some serious life choices to be where I want to be by the time I turn 25. I also needed to follow through on that half marathon I signed up for without knowing how many miles it was and my life seemed to sort of fall into place.

Orangetheory Fitness

I first heard of OTF at a movie premiere with my boyfriend in October 2016. It was casually brought up in conversation because one had been opened across the street from my house and the person I was talking to was a member. So, “New Year, New Me” kicked in and in the beginning of January I took my first class. The next day I cancelled my gym membership and signed up for the 8 class program. At the time, I was training for my first half marathon so I was doing a lot of running out doors and training that way with different “how to train for your first half marathon when you don’t consider yourself a runner” type of articles. A few months in, I increased my membership to unlimited, ran my half marathon, and started going to OTF five times a week.

I’ve increased my running times, can lift stronger, and feel overall more in shape. This year, my goal is to maintain and slim down. Last year was a whole bunch of experimenting and now that I have found something that works, I want to solidify my commitment to my strength and health and fitness journey because last year was just the beginning.

Run Away?

December 2015 I get a text from my best friend saying “sign up for this with me” followed by a link. I click the link respond “what is this why is it $200?” and proceed to continue the signup process. She responds “it’s in May, we have time! I signed up with my coworkers and the pre-sale price is ending soon” so I exit the text, and proceed the checkout, pull out my credit card while in my car, stopped in my driveway, and click process.

That was it. I signed up. I was doing it. I go to work and walk in and say my good mornings, followed by, “you’ll never guess what I did this morning!” Crickets. “I signed up for a half marathon!” I hear giggles, I heard audible shock, I hear “good for you, I don’t think I could run 13.1 miles!” The number thirteen went more like thhhhhhhhirrrrrteeeeeeen. I look up “what?! Neither could I!” I turn on my computer, and google search *half marathon* and see that the distance is 13.1 miles. I text my friend, “you know it’s 13 miles?!” Everyone in my office continues to correct me with 13.1, you’re forgetting the .1.

Luckily, my coworker and friend is a runner and knew what to do. She sent me training plans, running schedules, shoe options, food choices, and send check-ins to make sure I was running after work like I said I would. 

Flash forward to May 2017, I go to Disneyland and carbo-load the day before, run the 13.1 the next morning on Mother’s Day at the crack of dawn, I can’t feel my feet after, go back to the hotel and nap, and wake up and can’t feel my legs. I limp to the car, I go home, ice everything, wake up 5 hours later, and limp to Mother’s Day dinner.

Don’t think you’re a runner. Think again.

Support

I love love and I’ve never experienced it more than I have in 2017. Without getting too sappy, it is truly incredible to find a person and surrounding people who care about you but more importantly, support you.
I celebrated an anniversary and officially the longest relationship I've ever had with a person who understands me and loves me for all that I am and so much more.
This year taught me to focus on the relationships that mean the most to me, and say no to relationships, people, activities, and environments that sucked energy out of me and left me feeling awful about myself, my progress, and just negative in general. I learned the difference between leaving a social situation feeling tired but full of positive energy, and leaving feeling drained. I've noticed a huge trend with "saying no" and I am all about that. Embrace your inner grandma. Your sleep habits, body, and future will thank you for saying no to a few nights out and yes to a night in with a face mask, Netflix, glass (or bottle) of wine, or whatever suits your fancy. 

Adventure

2017 was full of adventures. We adventured to Hogwarts, Seattle, Vegas (never enough times), photo-op pop-up museums, Paso Robles, Laguna Beach, Outside Lands, New York, Philadelphia, new job, new foods, shows, more than I can even remember to list. Here’s to more adventures in 2018. Whether they include leaving my city, leaving the state, or just leaving my house.  

Shavasana

Yoga? Namaste in bed. But in all honesty, let's get down dog and talk about how great yoga is. I have done a few classes throughout high school and college, but nothing really stuck. Then I started following all of these podcasts and blogs and they were all shavasana this, and core power that, and hot flow this. So I caved. I took my first real yoga class. Not only was it a real yoga class, but it was a hot yoga class.

That is correct. I survived my first hot yoga class.

I was all on board with Orange Theory Fitness and Barre - don't worry I will go into detail about my favorite barre classes - but this is about yoga.

How I Turned My Nightmare Of Working Out Into My Dream Reality

Flashback to two years ago:

I was just about to graduate college, where I had full access to a beautiful, clean gym, walking distance from my apartment. Real world settled in: I was going through a breakup, I realized that gyms outside of college were not free, so I did the math, put two and two together, and found myself at the gym 2 to 3 times a week as a distraction method.

First things first, just to get it out there in the open, I had no idea what I was doing. I would go on the treadmill and/or elliptical and watch other people, then wait for them to leave, and do what they were doing. Is this the best way to spend your time at the gym? Probably not. Did it work for me? Hell yeah! I would do squats with dumbbells and weights, I would do lunges, bicycle crunches, you name it, I was trying it – if, of course, it was a main stream, not super difficult looking exercise. I would get adventurous sometimes, brace yourselves, and I would try things on a yoga ball. One time, I even had the courage to face the weight room. Looking back now, I have no idea why I was so terrified of the weight room, because no one is really looking at you, but there was good ol’ self-conscious me at the gym!

For the last few months of college, I kept up this routine. Then, when I was home I decided I should probably keep with this routine entering the real world, and join a gym. I tried a trial period with LA Fitness, realized it was not my cup of tea, and then found 24 Hour Fitness. I am proud to say, that I have now been a member of 24 Hour Fitness since May 2015.

My gym membership was perfect. I had two part time jobs, and I would alternate work-outs with my days off from one of the jobs, it was truly the perfect balance. And on top of that, since I was a new member, they offered me 6 personal training sessions for a super low rate! How could I say no to that?!

Then, as life often does, though, things in my work life changed, and my two part time jobs became one full time job. This meant either no gym, waking up super early to go to the gym, or night gym. I tried out all three. The only one that stuck was waking up early to go to the gym. I stuck with this for a few months. I would make a conscious effort not to beat myself up over the mornings I didn’t go to the gym, and push myself extra harder the mornings I did. I took practices and workouts from my personal trainer, and tried implementing them into my morning workouts. Did this work? Sometimes! But I also wasn’t getting anywhere near the results I was getting when I was with my personal trainer.

So, the next step in my fitness journey, was to try classes offered at my gym. This was difficult to space out with timing, and the only class that truly worked with my schedule was spin. Now, don’t get me wrong, and this goes for the entirety of this post, but some workouts just aren’t for certain people!

I am grateful to currently have the ability with a lifestyle that allows for me to afford to take these different classes - though the best part of this journey has been riding the free class wave, and signing up for great "new member!" benefits like 75% off memberships, free classes, and free gear - no kidding, I got a free sweatshirt and a $50 giftcard. 

What's your favorite way to get active? Taking any and all recommendations for more classes to try, new workouts to test out, and any other suggestions or articles anyone may have!

Until next time...

Be The Light At The End of The Tunnel, Look for The Rainbow

When it rains, dance. Things are only as gloomy as you allow them to be Always look for the rainbow in a gray sky.

November 9, 2016 was supposed to be like waking up on Christmas morning. Going to bed with anxious nerves, not knowing how to feel, upset about drama – which could easily be associated with family drama surrounding the holidays – yet, this is the polar opposite of how I felt, and still feel in this moment as I type these words.

I woke up with tears in my eyes. I went to be reminding myself of how grateful I am for everything in my life, reminding myself to focus on the positives, and that maybe, just maybe, when I woke up in the morning, it would all be okay, and we as a collective population will make the correct decision.

I was wrong. I sat up in my bed, on my phone for 30 minutes, staring at my phone. Reading all of the positive and hopeful messages on social media, I thought that this would inspire me enough to get out of bed and move forward, but it was not. The tears in my eyes lingered, and as I dragged myself out of bed, I felt the weight of the world on my chest. I moped to the bathroom, continued with my daily routine, and trying to remember the hope, inspiration, and excitement that I had just 24 hours prior.

Yet, with everything going on, and this nightmare-like reality that we are currently in, all I can manage to say is thank you.

Thank you to all of the millennials who saw a future in a woman who has inspired me for years, and who I felt was best fit for the position of President.

Thank you to all of these beautiful souls who are fighting for hope and positivity on social media, a place that is often buried with hate and disrespect. I am now a member of several groups on social media that encourage women’s rights, that inspire me daily, and that have people from across the world that are sharing their stories of how we will move forward, how we will persevere.

Thank you to the endless support of family and friends, who can all come together for causes that will better our state.

Thank you to the people of our state, a state where I am proud to call home, and that I love.

I understand not everyone is able to see this yet. I understand that this is going to take time. I understand that this is not a permanent fix.

Rather, it is my way of moving forward. It is my way of changing my mindset, to focus on gratitude, to focus on what I know is right in my heart and mind, to focus on the blessings I have received in my 23 years of life, and make sure that all of these things are available to all people moving forward. Education, housing, food, freedom. These are our rights as Americans, our rights as humans. Each individual in this country deserves equal rights. Just because the election is over, does not mean our fight is. We will continue to rise, to break the glass ceiling, to move forward for all, together.

No matter your political preference, we are all humans. We are all breathing, moving, beings with intentions, with ideas, with opinions, with opportunities. Opportunities that are able to turn into movements, and inspirations to others, and, best of all, change. So as I write this, not know who will read it, I am grateful for being able to write it. For being able to voice my opinions, and to have an outlet.

Feel the emotions, voice your opinions, share your views, and receive energy from others, but rather than turning that energy into negative comments or anger, turn it into positivity and light. Because right now, more than ever, we need to be the light; the light that leads our future, the light that will still shine bright when our grandchildren vote for their next president.

And yet, even on my way, all I could do was complain.
Complain about traffic, complain about how far away my work is from my house,
etc. But, I am fortunate to drive every morning to a job I love. I am fortunate
enough to have a job. I am fortunate enough to have a car. And I am beyond
grateful for all of this. And it is with this daily gratitude, that I will
manifest more positive energy, and work to come out of this funk, and work to
help, and to find a change, and to do my part as a human, as a spiritual being,
as a citizen of the United States of America.

"I've had successes and setbacks and sometimes painful ones. Many of you are at the beginning of
your professional, public, and political careers — you will have successes and setbacks too. This loss hurts, but please never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it." - HRC

 

Let's Get Away! | Packing Must Haves

Traveling brings out emotions that a lot of other things in life don’t. You can go from an overly excited kid in a candy store, to anxious because you don’t know what to pack, suffering from the panic of feeling like you forgot something, and then the whirlwind that your entire trip is all over in an instant.

Luckily, the internet is making traveling easier. Not only can you plan your entire trip itinerary by the click of a few buttons, but with the miracle of apps like Pinterest, we have access to premade packing lists, and travel itineraries based on city at the tip of our fingertips.

Along with Pinterest packing tips and advice on the cutest places to see and eat at, places like Air BnB and HomeAway have blown up because they give you a true sense of how it is to live in that city, and experience life as someone more than just a tourist. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a tourist, especially in my own city, but there is something comforting about staying in a house or apartment that makes traveling that much easier and calming.

Weekend getaways are my weakness. If I anyone says they want to go somewhere, I am the first to say yes! I think they are the perfect amount of escape and since they are only for the weekend, they are extremely budget friendly, especially if you get a whole group together.

Here are a few of my must have items I will definitely be packing on my weekend getaways and my upcoming Euro trip!

 

What are you must have packing essentials?

Memorial Day is just around the corner, be sure to plan your weekend get away now at HomeAway!

 If you’re looking for sunshine you have to check out Pensacola Beach – the area is popular this time of year for a reason!