Her Real Alter Ego

Today is Sunday, September 25th, 2016. Today’s topic is Five ways to win my heart, off the top of my head, this morning.

1. Laughter - making me laugh is so important, especially in todays world, where there are so many things that are scary or not funny.

2. Food - of course. Who doesn’t love food. I love food. I love cooking. I love when people cook for me. I like to refine my pallet.

3. Dancing - whether you’re a dancer, or just like to dance, that’s a straight path to my heart. Even if you can’t dance, if you try, and just enjoy goofing around with me in private, you’re winning my heart.

4. How you carry yourself - I can get along with a diverse amount of people. But if you carry yourself professionally, not super arrogant, you can win my heart as well

Today is Thursday, September 22nd, 2016. And these are the 5 places I’d like to visit, as of today.

1. Fiji - there is just something about it being so far away and in the middle of nowhere that is so appealing to me. Not to mention, the clear blue ocean and the beautiful beaches that I see in pictures. This is also my number 1 honeymoon destination. But also, probably the most expensive one.

2. Europe - Graham went backpacking in Europe right after high school with a friend. I really want to do the same, but now I’m a little older, with a few more responsibilities. My two main places of interest in Europe are because of my heritage. My dad is from Italy, Calabria (I’m pretty sure) and Sicily, and my mom was born in Faial, Acores, Portugal. I want to see where my family is from, and the hospital (even if it was rebuilt) that my mom was born in.

3. Jamaica - I love the idea of Rastafarian beliefs and culture (minus dreads.. I think). And I want to explore the area, and see the beaches, and be a beach bum for a little while. I love being a beach bum.

4. A jungle - Doesn’t matter where, but a jungle. And with an experienced guide, so that I have less of a chance of dying.

5. Hawaii - I want to visit every inch of the Hawaiian islands. I want to see a volcano erupting (from a safe distance). I want to ride a quad across their lands. I want to try surfing.

Today is Wednesday September 21st, 2016. I’m supposed to write about someone who inspires me.. To be quite honest, I’m not a hundred percent sure about who inspires me. I’m kind of at the lost, in-between stage of my life- what with being unemployed, and not sure what I want to do with my future..

I guess I’m most inspired by the women around me..? My dance coaches and instructors, because they kick my ass every day I’m there, and still manage to look like they have it together, even if they don’t. And then there is a friend of mine from high school. She’s pursuing dance farther than I imagined taking it. And she’s doing Beachbody DAILY, motivating herself, and doing assisted pull ups, and all these crazy exercises that I don’t even see myself attempting. She’s holding herself accountable. That in itself is an inspiration. She posts her daily activities on social media, and even made me interested enough in the book #GIRLBOSS, that I purchased it. Another inspiring person in my life would be an old coworker of mine. Her life seems to be something that I’d want. Two beautiful grown adults, a wonderful husband, a beautiful home, sibling love. Even if it’s not all rainbows and what not, she still came to work, interested in what others had to say, provided cut up fruit in the kitchen for everyone. 

Those ladies are all inspirations to me. And sometimes, I need to continue to look at them and stay inspired. It’s all to easy to get discouraged by what you think you should have or where you think you should be at in life.

Today is Tuesday September 20th, 2016. And it’s time to discuss my top three pet peeves.. I’m sure I have more, but we’ll stick to the first three I can think of.

1. Lying in the work setting. A little white lie here and there happens. But when you’re at work and what you do is relied on by others, you don’t lie. ESPECIALLY when you can get caught, OR you’re management. It’s just not smart.

2. Not having good classroom etiquette when you’re in a dance class. Don’t talk when the teacher is talking, don’t sit because it’s not your turn to go across the floor, don’t hang all over the barres as if they were a jungle gym. I could probably go on.

3. People that don’t pay attention to the no soliciting signs!! OMG if you don’t know what that means, then you shouldn’t be soliciting.

Today is September 19th, 2016. It was took a little longer than I had anticipated to get back to Tumblr to post my day two. This one is a tough one. Any time anyone asks to have you remember something off the top of your head, you only think about what has happened recently. I only think about what has happened recently.

Today was my first day being unemployed. I mean, I’m employed part time, but I teach ballet 3 hours a week which will hardly help with bills. My friend and now ex-coworker asked me how I was doing. I responded that I was bored, job hunting, had a cavity filled (my lip is finally feeling normal again), missed the girls at the office, and was trying not to get discouraged. Her response: we all miss you too. And: “Just keep chugging”.

First thing is first: Today is Sunday September 11th, 2016. 15 years after the two World Trade Center Towers toppled to the ground after a terrorist attack. I was 11 years old, wiping the sleep out of my eyes and just about to get ready for school when I walked into my parents room to the news on. It took me a second to realize what was going on, to realize the severity of the situation. Every year, I remember worrying about our country and if WW3 was going to start. Every year, I remember mourning losses of people I will never know. Every year, I will remember; I will never forget.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.. ↓↓↓

I was compiling this list and planning on posting it a few nights ago, but I accidentally closed my app, and there went my list, so.... here we go again.

10 things that make me really happy:

1. Dance, specifically ballet. It has been the one constant in my life for the past 22 years. It allows me to speak without saying a word. Ballet was my first love.

2. Graham. My fiance. He makes me really happy as well. No relationship is perfect, and I’m blessed to continue to grow alongside of him as both an individual and a couple.

3. Laughter. Laughter of course makes me very happy. I love to be around anything that will make me laugh. After all, laughter is the best medicine.

4. Dogs. I don’t have my own yet, and haven’t been blessed to have a dog for quite a few years. But I love dogs nonetheless. My parents recently got a chihuahua mix, Bella, and she’s the cutest little puppy ever. And then Graham’s mom has a Maltese mix, Hendrix, named after Jimi Hendrix (I LOVE THAT) and he’s one of the smartest, coolest dogs I know. I’m lucky enough to be dog sitting him right now.

5. Music. But music can also make you feel so many other emotions; however, that doesn’t matter. It makes me really happy because there is something for every mood or emotion I’m feeling.. and I just love that.

6. Memories. More specifically, pictures. I love looking back at a great memory. One important example would be one that I just found yesterday. A Polaroid of me around age 5, with my Nani and Papi at our old house/their rental units, helping fix a fence. My grandma left it in her apartment, which happens to be right next door to me, in her linen closet, in between some unused frames, in a letter I wrote to her when I was little that she often talked about. I was definitely not expecting to find something that sentimental at her apartment. If that’s any indicator of what I’m to find when we go through her house, I should probably buy stock in Kleenex..

7. Dove Dark Chocolate. I don’t know what it is, but these little gems just make me so happy. And their little quotes help, too!

8. Water. Water makes me so happy as well. Whether it’s drinking water, a lake, an ocean, a shower, I just love it all. May be because I’m a Pisces.

9. Being outdoors. There’s something inherent about being outdoors. We began that way, if you believe like I do. Being outdoors provides all that we may need, minus technology of course. But most importantly to me, being outdoors recharges and rejuvenates my soul.