I was “that girl,” the one that always put on her best outfit, highest heels, and eye-popping shadow when friends wanted to hit the town. Every time we stepped into a bar/club/mall, I was convinced I would meet “the one” and we would live in fairy tale bliss with a house, dog, 2.5 kids and a yard with a picket fence. And when the night came to its inevitable end, I limped home (stupid high heels) in gleeful expectation of a phone call from whichever guy I had graced with my number. To say I have kissed my fair share of frogs would be a mild understatement. Every chance encounter with a guy at the grocery store or gas station or employee breakroom would send my mind reeling with the possibilities of kismet, leaving me with a whimsical story to tell our friends at our chanced meeting. Needless to say, as I sit here on my couch with only the male company of my dog, no ring laded left hand, none of that was the case. And I can finally say, that’s ok.
Martial arts was never “my thing.” I wasn’t athletic growing up. As a matter of fact, I have always been “fluffy.” P.E. class was a struggle because sweat and I have always loved food. In a quest to develop a healthier lifestyle, I tried just about every kind of physical activity you could think of: aerobic classes, gym memberships, group boot-camps, salsa dancing, you get the picture. The problem, though, was none of them ever really stuck because I found them to be boring. Except salsa dancing, which was REALLY fun, but only occurred at night. Dancing into the wee hours of the morning is a no-go when you have to get up at 5:00AM to teach tiny humans. Long story short, I stumbled upon a Martial Arts studio literally five minutes from my condo. I took a few intro classes and was hooked. Shortly after, my coach asked if I wanted to try competing. I said “yes” before really even thinking about it. Seven years later, I’m still active in the sport and I have learned a tremendous amount about myself. Read more...
Martial arts was never “my thing.” I wasn’t athletic growing up. As a matter of fact, I have always been “fluffy.” P.E. class was a struggle because sweat and I have always loved food. In a quest to develop a healthier lifestyle, I tried just about every kind of physical activity you could think of: aerobic classes, gym memberships, group boot-camps, salsa dancing, you get the picture. The problem, though, was none of them ever really stuck because I found them to be boring. Except salsa dancing, which was REALLY fun, but only occurred at night. Dancing into the wee hours of the morning is a no-go when you have to get up at 5:00AM to teach tiny humans. Long story short, I stumbled upon a Martial Arts studio literally five minutes from my condo. I took a few intro classes and was hooked. Shortly after, my coach asked if I wanted to try competing. I said “yes” before really even thinking about it. Seven years later, I’m still active in the sport and I have learned a tremendous amount about myself. Read more...