CEOLA

Hey guys,

Just back from NYC and trying to hammer out a Ole Years/New Years post on the blog before midnight…because my lack of posting would be twice as bad if I don’t round off the year with some notes on 2013.

It was an absolutely fantastic year. Full of ups and downs, as with most years, but the ups lingered a little longer than I recall them ever sticking around. I’m referring here not just to the promising developments in local fashion and the local creative industry as a whole, but also to some personal progress I’ve made.

In 2013, I made a resolution. I resolved to join a gym and start exercising regularly. Now, on December 31st, looking back on my journey over the last 12 months, I see I’ve done so much more than I originally set out to do. Exercise and health have become as important to me as food, clothing and travel (my trifecta of indulgence). I began working out at Studio W the week before Carnival this year (I wasn’t playing mas) and haven’t looked back since. The W has given me so much inspiration and focus and has taught me that numbers on a scale are the least important indicator of health and wellness. I’ve seen myself get stronger, I’ve seen where my clothing fits a little looser in some places, I’ve felt firmness where once I was soft. Simple accomplishments like squatting to view some jewellery in the lower showcase of Macy’s, and getting up seamlessly, in one clean motion; never having to ask my boyfriend to open a jar for me; not feeling winded after walking up a flight of stairs – these little indicators that my body is working the way I want it to.

This is all a big deal for me. Because I spent the better part of my early twenties telling myself I couldn’t exercise, that I was no good at it and I hated it. When I started exercising regularly and loved it, I then told myself I couldn’t work out outside in the ‘wilderness’ as I like to call it. Then I did the Arbanya bootcamp with ChauFit, and spent my Saturday mornings running around the Savannah, doing calisthenics in the grass. I flipped tires, swung sledgehammers and did battle ropes in the hot sun and loved it. I told myself I hated cardio. Then I joined SpinnersWorld and started doing spin classes two – three times a week (though I really want to do more) and loved it.

2013 has been instrumental in showing me how much I really can do if I put my mind to it. It’s cliche. It’s said a million times, but we never really believe it until we DO it. That push to DO is what happened this year, and I’m so grateful that it did.

In 2014 I want to focus on improving my mental wellness, and my diet. Diet I know I can do…it just requires even more discipline than I had to have for my physical exercises. Discipline and raw materials. From January 1st I’ll be cleaning up my eating significantly – cooking more for myself and eating as organic as possible.

As for my mental wellness – it’s not that I’m mentally ill per se (though that may depend on who you ask) – it’s just that I really want to be able to find that ‘inner peace’ that people talk about. It always surprises people when I tell them I suffer from anxiety. I want to be able to quiet my mind at will, to meditate, to release anger and hate easily, to sleep better. I may try adding yoga to my work out schedule, but my main focus will definitely be on meditation. If anyone has any books or videos they’d like to recommend on the topic, please leave a comment below.

I hope all of my followers and all of my readers have an absolutely amazing (and safe) Ole Year’s Night. Wishing you all nothing but the best for the New Year. I’m sorry this post didn’t have more fashion-y leanings but I’m all fashioned out for the year. I have a ‘What’s in My Travel Handbag’ post that was supposed to go up when I left for NYC but my laptop got busted up and I didn’t get to post before I left (because of my panic). I’ll try and upload regardless by the end of the week.

Lots of Love & Well Wishes for 2014!