Making Things Happen.

I try so hard to live an amazing life.

I firmly believe that the best opportunities in life are created by us…that they’re simply choices and we carry them out with tenacity. With hope. With faith. And we just MAKE. THEM. HAPPEN.

The last couple of years have been really difficult for me. I left a job in 2014 that was pretty cushy in terms of pay and hours due to a growing amount of stress that was starting to cause a lot of negativity and sadness in my life. In order to maintain my lifestyle (ahem, pay my bills), I ended up having to take two new jobs. I worked for one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, Dr. Brew, at Vitality Chiropractic, and I also started working for an ambulance company.

I was working upwards of 90 hours a week, with only every other Sunday off. Living off of 2 hour naps, sleeping in my car between jobs to make sure I would never be late, and always trying to keep a smile on my face and bring my “A” game to work….it was rewarding, but exhausting.

I was fortunate to find the job at the ambulance company (thanks, Lidia!), because it introduced me to the field that I wanted to begin my career in. I continued to learn, and applied to work as a Fire Dispatcher for San Diego Fire-Rescue in 2015. I was hired and training by the end of the year, and just celebrated my one-year mark with them in December.

It’s been a long road. But it’s been worth it.

The issue is, now I still feel so…..tired. I work 3-4 days a week, 12 hour shifts…and I have so much more time on my hands. Somehow, I still haven’t slept enough to make up for that 21 months of insanity.

This year, I decided, I have to keep on pushing like I did working crazy hours, and do some things to shake my life up and live it like I said I would.

So, I planned a trip to Italy in April. I just found out Zainab is officially going with me again, and I am SO excited! We are flying into Florence and staying in a beautiful apartment while we use the beautiful city as a home base to see Tuscany (there is a day touring prosciutto, parmesan and balsamic factories involved, y’all).

The end of this month, I’ll be road-tripping to Arizona with my friend Brian to see one of our favorite country duos, Dan + Shay, and catch a game while the Padres are at Spring Training! I’m also insisting on stops at Dateland (every kind of date, date shakes, date ice cream….I buy dates for Whole30 goodies here) in Yuma, and a Cracker Barrel….because obviously!

I am going to Greece at the end of June with The Boudoir Divas (I believe they opened one more coveted spot last minute since the four original ones went so quickly) to do a photoshoot in Mykonos and Santorini. Going on one of their International trips has been on my bucket list FOREVER, and Greece has been on that list, as well!

I flew to DC during my birthday week to see my family. My “sister cousins,” their beautiful babies, and the aunt and uncle who took me in during my teen years.

I flew to Denver in January to visit my Bestie in her new home state, and even brought Zainab along and managed to surprise her!

The end of summer, you’ll find me in New Orleans with the Obesity Action Coalition, attending my third Your Weight Matters Convention. Pretty excited to be in the big easy with people I love, expanding my knowledge and working to be a better advocate for Obesity treatment and bias-fighting!

I’ve got some other plans pending for this year, but I think I’m off to a pretty good start! I’m also starting another round of Whole30 this Sunday, to get my mind and body ready for all this jet-setting and indulgence. I need to feel my best to live my best. I hate how growing up makes you actually respect realities such as these (and if you don’t, you’ll find yourself vomiting Jack in the Box tacos and cursing yourself for eating like you’re 19 again, so…there’s that).

Moral of the story? Don’t forget to make room for LIVING. Life is too short.

Sean’s grandpa, whom I affectionately thought of as my own, passed away the day after my birthday, on March 2nd. He is one person who always said “I’m blessed!” when you asked how he was doing, and always made it a point to tell the stories of the amazing 93 year-long life he lived. We will be celebrating his life today at his wake, and tomorrow at his funeral.

I want to be a person who lives to tell of the adventures, and says with pride that she did it because she could. Because she MADE IT HAPPEN.

Life is waiting for you!