It’s Been A Minute.

Long time, no blog. 

No, seriously. It’s been 9 months since the last time I wrote a blog. Sorry for going ghost, y’all! But to be fair, life got crazy and so much of my life changed since the last time I wrote, and something had to come off of the docket…so unfortunately, it was the blog. 

But for now, I’m back! Will I write every week? Probably not. But when I feel like sharing thoughts or spilling tea or giving advice, you’ll see a new post from me about what’s going on in this lil brain of mine. 

So where did we leave off? I last wrote in March 2024. A LOT has happened since then. Honestly, my life looks pretty different now. 

The biggest change in the last ¾ of 2024 is that I said goodbye to the NBA. After 5 seasons in the league (and 6 years…thanks pandemic), I made the very difficult decision to walk away from the job that brought me such memorable opportunities. As a true loyal Leo, I’m not usually one to end something mid-contract, but another opportunity presented itself that I truly couldn’t say no to. So when I said goodbye to the NBA, I said hello to…

…the Disneyland Resort! A LITERAL DREAM COME TRUE! I had always wanted to work for the Walt Disney Company theme parks in some way, in true Disney adult fashion. I submitted for a general Disneyland dance audition in January 2024 and received a callback, in which I was one of three dancers selected to join their AGVA crew of dancers. My first job with Disneyland was a show called Club Pixar at Disney California Adventure, in which I got to tell the stories of Carl and Ellie from Up, Riley and all her emotions from Inside Out, and Wall-E and Eve from Wall-E. This show was short-lived, but one of the most magical experiences I could have imagined to have been a part of. After that show, I also got the fantastic opportunities to be a part of the cast for Disney D23 (which was the coolest job I’ve done thus far in my career) and a corporate performance to open the new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride. Working for Disneyland has been nothing but the most magical experience, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this role.

While work was fun, I also had to get some R&R in my life. You guys, I FINALLY WENT ON A VACATION. For my birthday last year, all I truly wanted was a break. I was working nonstop and was feeling burnt out on 90% of the things that were happening in my life. I’m not really a New Year’s Resolutions kind of girlie, but one goal that I had for 2024 was to take a real vacation. The last time that I had traveled without the responsibility of work was when my dad died in 2022, and my last vacation before that was my 21st birthday before COVID even started. But lo and behold, my incredibly thoughtful boyfriend got me a weekend getaway for my birthday, gifting me rest, relaxation, and quality time spent with him. We went to Scottsdale together and explored Old Town, enjoyed amazing food, went to museums, danced the night away out on the town, and even caught up with friends from college who now live in the area. It was the perfect break from reality and I’m so glad we got to experience that together.

That vacation wasn’t my only break from LA, though. I traveled – a LOT. Orlando. Las Vegas. Orlando again. Fallbrook. Riverside. Galveston (where I endured my first hurricane?!). Denver. Temecula. Scottsdale. Memphis. New Jersey. Philadelphia. New York City. Back to Denver. Back to Orlando. Temecula again. Orlando once again. Denver once again. My car is now at almost 100,000 miles (which blows my mind) and my flight miles are racking up! 

I also faced my imposter syndrome and filmed my first ever concept video. If you’re a creative, you probably understand where my fear came in…especially with a concept as near and dear to my heart as this one was. My friend JJ and I teamed up to create a visual expressing my grief for the loss of my dad. It stemmed from seeing a shooting star in the sky as the song “chemtrails” by Lizzy McAlpine came on shuffle, and later that week, we shot the visual. It was about seeing people we’ve lost in random signs throughout life, which happens to me nearly daily with my dad. It’s now been over two years since we lost him, and though it was painful to get through, creating this visual in his honor was therapeutic and helped me continue to pass on his legacy.

Aside from all of those changes/updates/happenings, I’ve also still been up to the same old, same old. I’m still teaching pilates at my fitness home, Tunnel Pilates, in Venice Beach. I have truthfully become obsessed with the movement and the practice, and my body has never felt stronger. I am also still teaching and judging on tour with various dance competitions/conventions, which has been a dream. I am starting to believe that my passion lies in education, and I’m excited to continue exploring that passion of mine.

And there we are.

2024 was a whirlwind. Last year, I said on this blog that each year, I find myself saying, “that was the hardest year of my life,” but the reality is that life in general is just fucking hard. And I still hold that to be true. 

I’m proud of myself for a lot that happened in 2024. Especially in the last two months of the year, life kinda put me through the ringer. But I made it through all of these changes (and more) with my resilience a little stronger, my heart a little softer, my grit a little tougher, and my crown a little straighter.

Meanwhile, my word for 2025? Patience. Change is inevitable, and I’m a control freak. But when I can’t necessarily teleport myself to the exact scenario that I want in that instant, I’m going to challenge myself to sit back, take a breath, and wait for what’s supposed to happen. I can only control so much, and sometimes, with a little breath, you find that the right things will fall into place.

Cheers to 2025, y’all 🥂Sending you all light and love in this new year.

What’s something you’re proud of from 2025?