One Year Ago
I was heading to Costa Rica, to escape the world and travel alone. It seemed like the last chance I'd get before things kicked up a notch- like I knew somehow what a busy year I had ahead. I was wanting an epiphany, the kind you read about. I had wanted to travel alone, just once, to prove that I could do it. And I did. My time there, traveling to two cities alone were exhilarating, full of adventure and at times lonely. I missed Alex. I felt like the end of Into The Wild. I had swallowed a raw turtle egg, went ziplining miles above the ground, and met a handful of interesting characters. I discovered a passion and talent for travel-writing. I learned that true love means finding a friend. Would you actually be good friends with your ex's? Probably not. I'd hang with Alex even if we weren't together, like that. I came back yearning to be back there. I wasn't ready for LA. I wasn't up to the challenge. And we say that time flies, which it does, but when reflecting on the past year since I boarded that plane to the Cloud Forest, I can honestly say that although it flew, it's been a momentous time. From then til now- I hired two interns at the end of June, Syretta and Kristine, who worked with me on weddings throughout the Fall. Syretta is now a freelancer for me and Kristine is a business partner at Flour LA. Sales doubled at Flour LA from 2010 to 2011. Alex and I moved to the Marina from his studio apartment. I think we both secretly miss living in a studio together, but for me, it's probably more nostalgic. We traveled well together in Costa Rica. Traveling together, alone, is a test for love. I finally got a literary agent for my book The Flower Chef in November. That spiraled a string of actions, and momentum for my personal brand. I began writing for the Huffington Post, after emailing Arianna and being persistent with their editors. I contributed to styled shoots for weddings. Last Spring, I had Alex film me a floral segment of me. Now I've been on CBS, Yahoo, and AOL. Although I still am working on more film clips. I wrote Dine and Design on the Fly, which I'll be selling through self-publishing this Spring. I got to be in my first gallery show at Royal-T. I had originally contacted them when I returned from Costa Rica in June 2011 . 11 months later I got to do it . I started doing free floral classes at Whole Foods when I returned in June 2011. Now I teach paid ones at Surfas. With fellow vendors, I got to do florals for a shoot that will be published this Summer. TBD: Opening my first Flour LA pop-up shop And so what will next year bring? We don't know what lies ahead, but we have faith in ourselves and our abilities to do what we do. When you believe in yourself, and have laser-tight focus on what you want to accomplish, you can and will.
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