10.21.2015

Inst-Book cleanse

Recently deleted my Facebook and Instagram. I love you and am doing fine!

This was a long time coming. Over the past few years I turned into a less frequent user of Facebook and Instagram. I recently came to the decision to deactivate both social media platforms.

My decision is not political. Ironically, I own shares of Facebook (& they are treating me nicely.) After a while, enough is enough.

I want to have real life experiences for myself, without having it qualitatively approved (Liked) by friends and casual acquaintances. The internet provides the perfect backdrop to create a false facade of ourselves. But life is not always perfectly filtered all the time. Real life can be hell and real life can be amazing. I want to feel life. I want to experience life. What I do not want: is to worry if it is worthy of ______ amount of likes. I'm sick of searching for quantitative approval.

Maybe it's my own fault. Maybe I should have just deleted certain friends or acquaintances I met at a party five years ago. I just don't have the time for that. FB and IG just brought more negatives than positives in my life. And believe me, I searched for both. I do love setting mile markers in my life and posting memories. But Facebook is not that for me anymore. It turned into people complaining, sharing poorly investigated/one-sided news articles and content that I saw on Reddit two days prior.

I hope my decision sparks others to have the conversation with themselves and decide if a life attached to others is worth it.

To quote Dinosaur Jr. "you are so occupied with what other people are occupied with."

10.10.2015

wwwwiiiipppe out

had a bit of a tumble.


I was just riding along the Santa Ana River Trail, when I hit a wet patch on a corner and face planted. The next thing I fully remember is riding my bike home. I vaguely remember getting up, and vaguely remember someone helping me to my feet and telling me to call someone to pick me up.

My front wheel washed out so I fell at a really weird angle. I face planted. Chipped two teeth. Lost consciousness for a few seconds.

I went to the Urgent Care where they bandaged me up. Once I told them I lost consciousness for a small amount of time, or rather- I don't remember if I did or not, that was enough for them to send me to the ER in a cab. In the ER they examined my head, took x-rays of my jaw, then sent me home to rest for a few days.

The following day, I went to the dentist to get my teeth fixed. Once my lips and gums heeled I was ready to get my teeth capped. BOOM new teeth!

I got back on the bike today and it felt great. Im going to Mallorca in a few weeks and am starting winter training shortly. Good things to come!

6.25.2015

Getting out of my comfort zone

I have this terrible habit of getting out of contact with a friend and waiting way too long to reconnect. It's usually in the back of my head to talk to that person but I feel like I have dug a hole too deep to fill it in with a 5min conversation. I wouldn't know where to start anyways.

A lot has happened in a year, or actually the past three months.
1. I quit my job.
After 5yrs working for Miu Miu I decided to resign and take some time to re-evaluate life. I hadn't saved a ton of money. There was no once I saved xxx amount of dollars, then I can comfortably live for xxx amount of time plan. It was more of a vague, Yeah, I have enough and I will figure it out scenario. I quit my job without having anything lined up. This goes against everything I was taught in my youth from parents, teachers, friends, etc. but strangely enough it was my mom who gave me the courage to make the jump. I would call her on my lunch breaks and complain and complain about my boss, disorganized corporate office, and how I was going INTO work already stressed out. "That is no way to live your life." my mom would constantly tell me.

So I did it. Gave a month and a half notice and left. I chose to rather not have a job, not have any income than to work for Miu Miu. That speaks volumes. A lot of people don't have the courage to break out of their comfort zone.

2. Took some time off
I spent a lot of time in California with Jonathan Redic. He was in the same boat as me. He just got wise a few months earlier. BUT two weeks to the day after i left I got a job offer from, what would otherwise be a dream job, from Aria. I got the call as I was walking to Jonathan's house in Redondo Beach, CA. We had just finished up an amazing bike ride on the coast and we talked a lot about life; and a lot about me moving to California.

I said yes to the job, but immediately regretted it once I hung up the phone. I had to be back in Vegas the next day to sign papers. I drove back in complete silence. No music. Just me and my thoughts: trying to figure out my next move. Do I take the job and stay in Vegas where it is easy, comfortable, and cheap or do I move to California and start over.

3. Turn down the job and liquidate my life.
I go through the motions with Aria but the day after I signed the job offer I call them to withdraw the offer. The next day it was decided. I was going to move to Costa Mesa.

In the interim, I took some time to relax. I woke up, watched cycling races in Europe, rode my bike around 9 or 10am, made lunch, watched Netflix, and just enjoyed life. I realized something. I have always had a job since I was 15.5yrs old. Since I was old enough to legally work, I worked. So it was hard getting used to this new found freedom. But I think I did okay.

I knew I was leaving soon so I made a honest effort to speak with as many as I could, and say Goodbye.

4. I moved to Costa Mesa!
I wanted to make a lateral move as far as employment goes. I know that if I wanted to continue working in luxury retail, it was either Beverly Hills or Costa Mesa. The thought of driving in LA gives me nightmares. I weighed my options and decided that Costa Mesa better fit my personality. Besides, i knew that a Celine store was opening in South Coast Plaza so that was enough of a reason for me.

So I am writing to you from beautiful and sunny Costa Mesa, California. I found a roommate. Left some stuff in storage in Las Vegas. Told a few friends I was leaving. And that was that.

All of this was in the span of about three months. I left my job April 1st and on June 1st I signed a lease for an apartment. Things are slowly coming together and I am proud of what I have accomplished. The story continues though....things are happening...and I am not done making waves.

A lot of people don't have the courage to break out of their comfort zone. I'm glad I made the jump.