I Am

"I am the girl who prefers to spend her Friday night curled up with her pillow, reading a good novel, and I am also the girl who likes to go out on a Saturday night and dance until the DJ plays his last song. I am the girl who wants to wear beat up converses and an oversized sweatshirt, and I am also the girl who who owns over sixty dresses and too many shoes to count. Why did it become okay to say one is better than the other? Because I am all of that."

Ming D. Liu, What is “better?”

Have you ever come across a quote that so perfectly describes your current life status at the moment? Almost as if it was meant for you and only you?

For me, it is almost daily that I find a quote that is somewhat relatable, and I'm sure anyone can make the same claim.  I seem to have come to a realization, however, that there has only been a few that really ,well, punch me in the gut.





This quote above is one of them. I found it while lurking  the tumblr of one of my favorite fitness icons at the moment, Nikki Blacketter. (It is blondevsworld.tumblr.com, and you should seriously check it out because she is awesome.) Finding this quote was like discovering a translator in a foreign country; it iterated what I had been dying to say but could not put into words.

It reminded me that I can be so much more than one thing. I struggle with this concept that although everyone plays a part in this fiasco called life, not everyone is entitled to that role and that role only. I get stuck in this notion that we all belong to a status quo, and that each of us has a specific job that appoints them a certain personality, a certain way to live, behave, dress, and be. It is such a closed minded approach to how to live and act, and it is beyond frustrating that I can not seem to dismantle this crazy idea that I must state my one position in this world, wear it with pride, and march on without looking back or  at anything else.

Truth is, I am all over the place. Some days I am this, others I am that. Some days I go insane with cabin fever, itching to explore the world and meet the people in it. Other days I want nothing more than to lock my self in my room, and dwell in the comfort of my own company.

Some days I feel confident strutting in sky-high stilettos at a gathering, while other days my shining moment comes with  a good ole' fashion sweat fest at the gym in my three year old Nikes.

I needed this quote to remind me that it is more than ok to watch the NFL Draft Academy at seven-thirty and The Devil Wear Prada at nine. That I can be just as attracted to the high pressure life of the corporate industry, as to the laid-back lifestyle of a yogi.

I believe that when we think we can only do one thing, only dress one way, or only aspire to one goal we limit ourselves. Our lives are not to meant to be black and white, they are meant to have splashes of red, blue, and maybe even a tint of grey.

They are meant to be vivid and full of endless possibilities. Ming D. Liu was on to something with her words "I am all of that."

I am a girl who likes to be a somebody and a homebody. Who can be California bohemian and New York City chic.Who likes to pick apart the offensive line of the Miami Dolphins, and the fashion trends in Marie Claire. Who reads for fun, and hates to read. Who drinks a green juice, and eats a hamburger. Who listens to Carrie Underwood and Biggie Smalls. Who talks and acts like a gringa, but embraces the inner Cuban around fellow "Miamians".

Who feeds off others at social gatherings and becomes the loudest in the room, and who shuts out the world to be alone. Who loves the feeling of euphoria after an intense weightlifting session at the gym as much as the satisfaction of a lazy day well spent  on the couch.

 I can be confident, loud, and spontaneous, but I can also be reserved, quiet, and insecure. I can be a journalist, a writer, an observer, a leader, a follower,a sports freak, an athlete, and an artist.

I am all of these things. What are you?

XO,
Adri