The countdown to 2018 has begun and in just a few short hours we will say goodbye to 2017, but before we do I'd like to take this time to reflect on my adventure-filled year...the good, the bad, and the beautiful.
Well to start, I've had a weird curve ball thrown my way towards the ending of the year with these random medical issues I've been experiencing these last few weeks. I had so much planned, but that unfortunately was put on halt when I began having unexplained itching accompanied with some intense joint pain and swelling. Since first feeling the pain I've had tests done, but everything came back normal so there's no definitive explanation and I'm still dealing with the joint paint/swelling. (Some days it gets so bad I can't make a fist, bend my wrists, or even straighten out my legs. I'm hoping I'll be able to figure out what's going on soon because I've got so much coming up...getting trained for Soul Body Barre, starting new hip hop and fitness classes, building my business IB Creations, and just any other adventures I encounter.
Although, I must say despite what I'm going through I'm sticking to my optimist mindset and taking out all the positives from this situation. For one, I'm now taking time out to focus on myself and well-being, especially because I've been so busy the rest of the year, maybe this is my body telling me to slow down. Now I can get back on my health and fitness game properly, instead of jumping in for aesthetic purposes and really strengthen my mind, body, and soul simultaneously. This is life...good and bad...I'm all in, so let's dive into some of my most memorable moments from 2017.
THE GOOD
For this section I'll be sharing my favorite photo shoot as well as my most memorable moment from 2017 (hint, hint...it involves a cruise). Let's get to it!!
This is a photo shoot I never shared on my site, but I have posted quite a few of the images to my Instagram and I'm totally in love with the way they turned out. All I did was throw on some workout gear, which ended up being a crazy cool color combo, headed to my spare room and just let my body do the posing. I was able to be creative letting my dance background and passion really shine through in the shots. They inspire me when I look through them and I hope you find some inspiration from them as well. ENJOY!!!
This was so fun, I really hope I can do a similar shoot soon. The last two images are just body shots to show personal progress and the outfit.
My standout moment of the year had to be mine and my mom's birthday/vacation cruise with our two best friends. It was truly an experience I'll never forget. To get more insight into my trip you can read all about it in an older post under the Design & Lifestyle section of my site. However, I will share some of my favorite moments and photos from the cruise to give you a little peek, but it's hard to describe just how much fun we all had and the people we were able to meet.
The image above was probably one of the best pictures I took during the trip...I mean the sunset, the colors, the clouds, and even the little bird flying off in the corner...it's awe-inspiring to me and the perfect way to start off my cruise reflection.
Let's take it back to Day #1 when we first arrived and got settled on the boat. Our mini girl crew was cracking jokes and laughing so hard I was crying, little did we know it was foreshadowing the mood/vibe of the whole cruise. All of the people were there to have a good time too and it definitely showed in not only their actions, but mainly in their openness to interact with others, which is what made the trip so enjoyable. Yes the places, but oh the people were amazing. Night #1, Sarah and I took to the night club on the ship and tore that mofo down!!!! We owned the dance floor and our milkshake absolutely brought all the boys to the yard, although I was wing-woman for Sarah since my man was home and I could tell she really enjoyed herself too.
Besides spending our nights in the club, my next favorite moment was exploring Ensenada and being silly. We got to tour an old casino, enjoy a beach side margarita with chips and salsa, plus dance around the streets of downtown, an all around amazing time! I also was really into my outfit that day, the denim jumpsuit, which is surprisingly comfortable and I paired with with platform lace-up sandals and my mini red backpack. Great for dancing around the streets of Ensenada.
Nothing like dancing in the rain on the streets of Mexico. Other highlights from the cruise include hanging out in the hot tub with cruise friends, the adult scavenger hunt, eating dinner together each night, chilling at midnight on mini golf course, my black & white zig zag short set, watching the shows, and really just spending time with my mom, auntie, and best friend...they made this trip so memorable. Here are some of my favorite miscellaneous shots...
THE BAD
Even though I don't dislike this photo, I though it was fitting for this next section where I'll share a few of the not so awesome moments of 2017. In my own personal life there wasn't actually very much bad, however there are things I wish I would have accomplished. Really though, I feel as if the world went through a difficult year and besides trying to navigate through all that's going on, it really impacted my general outlook of the world and life, which in turn end up affecting my motivation. I lost fitness motivation and creative motivation...it was like having writer's block accompanied with not wanting to do anything.
That's when I decided to refresh The Inspirista and update my site. Everything was awesome for a while, but then that same feeling began creeping back up on me and I could feel myself loosing motivation again, except this time it was paired with a bit of depression. I haven't really shared this with anyone besides my boyfriend and mom, not mention I'm getting anxiety just typing it out, but I think it's important to share so hopefully others who are experiencing a similar situation don't feel alone because that's how it gets worse and you start slipping deeper and deeper into that state of mind...not a good place to be to say the very least. So, you're not alone, I too struggle with feelings of depression and self-doubt. I am a confident person, I believe in myself, and I have big life aspirations...sometimes though I get so overwhelmed I doubt myself and if my dreams are even possible, plus not everything moves at a pace you want and you don't always accomplish your goals in the time frame intended. It took time for me to understand this concept and there's things I absolutely can't control; hell I still battle with this concept regularly, but it's a process and I'm ready to roll with the punches and fight back!
That brings me to these last few weeks of December, where I've been experiencing unexplained itching accompanied by crippling joint paint and swelling. After a few trips to Urgent Care and visits with my doctor, there's still no real explanation as to why these things are happening. I've had blood work and lab tests, but everything has come back within normal ranges or with a negative result. Of course I'm grateful for those results, as now I know I don't have any diseases or cancer. Except I still don't have answers for dealing/managing this pain and sometimes it gets so bad I can't walk or even move my fingers...it's actually pretty scary now that I'm really thinking about it. I did get some pain and inflammation medication, but to be honest they don't really feel like they're helping although it could just be in my head. I'm continuously trying to stay on the bright side of the whole situation and some days may be harder than others, but I know I can get through it and with the love and support of my friends and family anything is possible! This is life, the awesome and the unfortunate...one thing is for sure though, it's all beautiful in it's own way.
THE BEAUTIFUL
Whenever I feel like I'm loosing myself or my inner light, I immediately turn to nature to help regain that essence. Usually, it is within nature where I'm the most happy and comfortable. SO many beautiful things exist in nature and some of my all-time favorite shots have been taken outdoors. Let's take a look...
The other beautiful part of my year has been my hair transformation. It's gotten so much healthier now that I've stopped straightening and dying it as much. My curls have taken on a better shape, which has also created my own little afro style and I'm smitten. The hair does have it's own personality though sometimes making it hard to actually style, but I've embraced it and can't wait to see how big I can grow the fro.
Here's a little hair comparison of me from the beginning of the year till now.
The first image is from January while the other is from October and I think you can totally notice the difference. Before the curls were touched-up with a curling wand in order to give them some shape, but now it's completely natural with just a wash-n-go style and minimal product. The result is fuller and softer curls plus less split ends and breakage!! Very pleased with where this journey is going...
That's going to bring us to the end of this post and almost the end of the year. Keep browsing the site for more posts and even more inspiration! Happy New Year everyone!!!!