Year 25

Today is the first full day of my 26th year of life. I don’t feel too much older but I am starting to hear a clock ticking! (Yikes) Last year at this time it was an important birthday for me; it was a quarter of a century! I made a vow to myself to make 25 my best year yet. The main goal was to reach for the stars and start moving forward with a career and to grow into a strong woman. I’m not sure if I can say it was my best year, but I do know that is was a successful year! I wanted to see progress and I did!

Early birthday dinner at Disneyland!

I started the year out strong while I began to grow towards a more active, healthy lifestyle. This has slowed down but what I learned about my health was important and I will always have that. I have also found that I enjoy the benefits of daily exercise – has that motivated me enough to be active every day, no, but life is a work in progress right? I’m listening to my body more and trying to give it what it needs in that moment. That’s the main lesson I learned; 

Listen to your body to create the healthiest lifestyle for you! 

I also went in 100% with starting my career. I made a plan, which has changed from time to time, but I am constantly working to move forward. The best part of my journey so far is taking classes at UCR Extension. What was holding me back for so long was the fear and doubt that I didn't have enough knowledge to own my boutique. But in year 25 I eliminated that doubt! Each course completed feeds my soul; I am that much closer to my dream job. Now I have a time-line that has “Open for Business” on it and I couldn't be more excited! The main lesson I learned:

No obstacle is too big to get over! 

Year 25 may have been filled with an immense amount of joy but it was also tainted by a dark cloud. I struggle with acute long-term depression and this past year was a very hard one. There is no particular reason, as depression is from a chemical imbalance, but it is very hard to move forward and grow when it’s there. However, this dark cloud might have been the most important part of my 25th year. I have fought so hard to continue to grow into someone I am proud of. Despite what my mind tells me some days, when I go to bed each day, I know I am that much stronger because of that fight. I have changed into someone who values her body, her health, and her heart. I have grasped my life’s mission and have charged forward by starting an I AM THAT GIRL local chapter, going back to school to own my own business, and started writing a motivational book. 

Looking back, year 25 has been one of my strongest years. I grew so much that I can’t help but be overwhelmed with excitement for year 26! The strength I gained will help me to continue to take control and demand my best life. Year 26 will be filled with so much fierceness and courage – I’m so excited for YOU to see where I go! And through my strength I hope YOU find your courage to charge forward as well! 

Aquatic Dreams

While I was growing up, my family spent many vacations at our condo in Florida. We were a close drive to the beach and many magical attractions. I had been to SeaWorld a handful of times, always admiring the trainers. I would daydream about what it would be like to swim with dolphins and orcas whales. I mean, what 90’s kid didn't want to be best friends with an Orca named Willy?!  

A few years ago, my boyfriend and I went to SeaWorld in San Diego. We had a long weekend therefore it was time for an adventure. I was reminded of how much I love getting to know the animal species from the ocean. It’s a whole different world, mysterious and magical. And lucky for us, our ticket came with a year free of park admission! We made our way back a few months later. This trip was a surprise birthday gift for me. And what a way to spend my 25^th birthday! Because we had free admission, my boyfriend registered us for multiple animal encounters.

All of my aquatic dreams came true!

We started the day at Dolphin Cove to meet some of the swimmers. We learned training tricks and spent quality time with adult and baby dolphins. We got a little wet but to have a dolphin do a flip because you signaled it to, was an experience I had always imagined. The second encounter for the day was something special just for me. I slipped into a SeaWorld wetsuit, climbed into Arctic water, and met the most wonderful Beluga whale! I was in the water hugging and training the Arctic’s sea canary. We bonded so much that she even gave me a kiss! And after our interactions, we ended the day relaxing with a delicious dinner by a private training pool for the Orca whales. Just on the other side of the glass wall were the beautiful creatures. The close proximity to this animal was just enough to make tears of joy trickle down my cheeks.

This my friends, is a once in a lifetime experience; a dream of mine that I never expected to reach. I know you have them too, goals or dreams that are so fun to think about but you feel that you may never get the chance to actually reach it. That’s why it is so special when you have a support system. Sometimes you need help reaching a dream, and sometimes the journey is that much better when you work with someone else. In these moments, when you catch that intangible dream, be grateful for whatever got you there! Remember how blessed life can be.

What dream did you catch that you never thought you would?