Hold my taco

*begins to write*

Well hello there! It's been close to three years since my last blog post and a lot has happen since then. I've met new friends, explored new places, went back to school and everything in between. 

So let's see what I've been up to since 2015. 

Traveling. 

I was blessed with the opportunity to check out some cool placesfrom New York City to Miami to the west side of Texas. It's my dream to travel some more and venture off into the west coast. 

New York City. Empire State Building. June 2017.

Brooklyn Bridge. June 2017

Waco, Texas. Huge Fixer Upper Fan! September 2016. 

Austin Texas. September 2016. 

Gruene Texas. Actually pronounced: Green, Texas. September 2016.

Midland, Texas. Petroleum Museum. Literally nothing else to do. September 2016

San Antonio, TX. Alamo. September 2016. 

Canton, Texas. First Monday Trade Days. Summer 2017.

Buffalo, New York. Niagara Falls. May 2016

Miami Beach, Florida. I hate the beach FYI. September 2015.

Concerts

Saw some pretty cool live shows including Guns N Roses, Metallica, Blink 182 at EdgeFest 2017 and top christian worship bands. There were also live shows like a 90s Rocks and cover bands that I enjoyed as well.

Guns N Roses. September 2016. 

Jesus Culture. Summer 2016? 

Metallica. June 2017. 

EdgeFest 2017. 

Lots and Lots of Drinking 
There was a time I was going out drinking even during the week. I'll admit it got a bit out of hand. I did get the chance to try new beers and find the right one for me. Now I drink maybe once or twice on any given month.

Random Shenanigans 

Staying true to myself even during a late night of fun.

Midget Wrestling is kind of a thing with my team. Second time.

That one time.. 

I made sushi... 

and it was a total fail... 

Random picture while out for a run.

FC Dallas Games were LIT in 2017.

First Rocky Horror Picture Show. I've gone twice since then. 

Making a mess while at church.

Dr. Pepper to cure any thirst. Waco Texas 2016. 

My first escape room with the church singles. 

Volunteering at a fire station. Beyond awesome! 

Folks think I'm weak but wait until they duck. 

If you've made it this far.... thank you for reading. 
As you can see I've been up to a lot since the last time I published a post. My plan is to bring this blog back to life in an effort to create and share new adventures. From time to time, I'll also pop in to share what's on my mind from struggles to funny stories and everything in between. See you soon! 

No Strangers in Running

 2014 Michelob ULTRA Dallas 13.1 Marathon

Third half-marathon in the books! My attitude going into this race was different and I believe that's what helped me set a new half-marathon PR(personal best). I made adjustments to my running form and my thinking game. I also ran without music, which I usually don't do. On mile 12 I did put on my headphones and listened to Eminem tell me "success is my only motherf*cking option, failure's not!" Can you guess the song? I was running out of mental toughness by then, I needed an extra push.

Anyway, I came to this race solo and left sharing this experience with an unexpected friend.

 about to take off, the sun was not even out.

Races are not as fun when family and friends can't make it out to cheer you on. To my surprise, I ran into Lucy as we were about to take off. Lucy and I went to high school together. At the time I wouldn't had consider her my friend, but more of an acquaintance. She was a friend of a friend, if you get what I mean. As recent as a few months ago, I discovered that we both shared a passion for running. We have kept in touch since then. In the past, we've participated in the same running events but always fail to run into each other. As we set out for the finish line, we wished each other luck.

BEFORE

AFTER

Bringing it home!

 

Lucy finished with a time of 2:01:59 and as for me I came in at 2:21:07. A NEW PR FOR ME! I tried to get in under 2:20 but that's for next race. I was also happy that my chip time matched exactly with my Garmin watch.

It was thoughtful of her to wait for me after the race. We took pictures and walked around for a bit. We walked more than usual because she didn't know where she'd parked. She was nice enough to give me a ride home :-)

Through running, I've been able to make connections with friends from all over the country. It's amazing to share this passion with others and even more exciting when you see them at the same running events.

Cheers to 2013

What an amazing year 2013 has been. I had the opportunity to travel, finish my first mud run, meet new people, discover a love for reading, experience personal growth and so much more.

So let's rock 2014!

Fired Up 5k 2013

A week ago I ran the Town North YMCA Fired Up 5k with a couple of friends. I stayed out late the night before for a Halloween party, so a personal best was not even in mind.

Left to Right: Antonio, me, Monica and Joel. 

It was a small race, 295 runners to be exact. The 5k started at 8 AM. It was cloudy with temperatures in the low 60's.

The course took us through a nice quiet neighborhood, one a kid from my hood only dreams of living on some day. I spend the first few minutes trying to get the right tunes on my iPod. After ten minutes, I took of my headphones and decided to enjoy the scenery. Just be in the moment.

The majority of the course was flat, until I hit mile 2. I knew I didn't want to walk so I slowed down a lot. I kept telling myself, "your legs are giving up, your body is giving up. Time to run with your heart!" 

My friends were all done. They were waiting for me at the finish line. So I was surprised when it was announced I came in 3rd place in my age group! First time I win an award of any kind for a race. 

Monica came in 2nd under the same division and our friend Joel also placed in his age group. 

My official time was 32:14. A new personal best, even though I felt like I could of done better. Either way I have come a long way! In February at the Texas Half 5k, I finished in 38:55. In May at the Heel and Hills 5k, I finished in 38:39. I know with better preparation, proper rest AKA not partying the night before I can do much better.

This definitely has me excited for my next race! I just know my hard work is paying off!

Halloween Weekend Parites

In honor of Halloween, take a look at my costumes from parties I attended over the weekend.

Friday night, Jarrah and I went to a friend's party. I dressed up like a pirate and she went as a pimp. The music was great, the people were dressed up really cool and we had a great time.

Saturday night, Isabel and her roommates hosted their Halloween/House Warming Party. I went as a fortune teller, although somebody confused me for a princess. I laughed and said "Thank you."

All the girls looked great! They had plenty of drinks and snacks to get you through the night. After posing for pictures, we were off to the dance floor. We danced for the rest of the night until we said "no mas."

Happy Halloween!!!