Embrace it

What’s your story and how have you learned to embrace it?

My story is that of a Mexican American girl confronting challenges and obstacles to find her voice, develop boundaries, and build strength to become the strong women she is today.

My childhood was beautiful and magical, filled with so much love and adventure. We traveled, snowboarded, surfed, rode jet ski’s, went camping and lit fireworks in Mexico every year.

I was reserved, shy and nervous in middle school and took my feelings of not “fitting in” and attached them to my studies and athleticism in high school. I was shining and never noticed. I did not know my worth.

Attention from people around me is where I found validation to know I was good enough or needed to try harder.

College was a time of growth, trial & error and exceeding expectations as a student. I was the first one in class and the last one out-If something wasn’t clear or didn’t make sense to me, I made the time to learn from my professors and fellow students.

I worked hard to be honored Summa Cum Laude.

My story continued to grow in an unexpected way into my senior year of college, at age 21.

Two months away from graduating, I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. A facial paralysis with no cure & also one of the most humbling times in my life. Perfective and reality changed for me.

Life had been revealed to me, I learned that it was the unknown, unpredictable & was a scary place.

I learned that beauty was beyond my appearance, my smile, my face, my clothes, my accomplishments…

Despite the heaviness that found me, I continued to chase my passions. I joined the Peace Corps.

I served in beautiful Costa Rica for one year where I connected with a community, made life long friends, learned from a new culture, opened my self up to new perspectives & beliefs…

With one year remaining of service, I was faced with a new battle that I would fight forever. I was diagnosed as a type one diabetic.

This meant I was insulin dependent, I would use syringes and needs to inject myself with insulin every day, I would be pricking my finger to monitor my blood sugar levels and I would forever see health & my body in a different light.

The only way forward was to learn, educate myself, connect with experts, peers, be strong & fight for the life I wanted to live.

I sat alone with this pressure for four years…navigated the world of diabetes alone. Traveled alone. Read alone. Cried alone. My family supported me but I was too stubborn to let them see the true fear and pain I carried.

It has been almost 5 years now since I was diagnosed on January 5th, 2016 at age 23.

I now look in the mirror and see strength, not scars. I appreciate my story and plan to inspire others.

I want you to follow your dreams & keep moving forward as I always have.

I have traveled to 12 countries, I have fallen in love, I have surfed in different oceans, I have met amazing people, ate new foods, found new adventures, climbed boulders and mountains.

My story continues and so does yours. You can rewrite your story and walk a new path.