I said this was going to be a place where I wrote about different trips and the artisanal crafts I find there; well it’s already evolved to something else. To be honest I wrote the two first entries a year and a half ago and I am just now ready to launch my website. And that’s not because I was working on AMA VIDA but because, truth be told, I was too scared to go for it.

I feel like I want to be completely honest about that.

I recently went to NYC for a work trip and Kyle and I decided to spend a weekend prior to my work stuff with one of my best friends, Kelley and her husband Harry. They just moved into a new place on the Upper West Side and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go see it and enjoy NYC with Kyle and the newlyweds before work began that week. I had no idea that I would have a major epiphany/life shift on this trip. I was excited to go have fun in NYC and jaunt around.  But a major energy shift happened that weekend and I feel like I want to write it down, so I don’t forget it.

Kelley and I have been friends since 2007. She took me under her wing the first day of college. We sat pretty much in the front row of this huge lecture and after class she just started talking to me. Mind you I literally had no friends and knew not one soul in Tucson, Arizona. Apparently, she said she liked that I sat close to the front, and she liked my outfit. Oddly enough I know what I was wearing that day. A white Lacoste polo, salmon linen shorts from J.Crew and Sperry boat shoes. Super, “Hey, I just moved here from Pennsylvania” vibes.

Kelley had us join the blue-chip leadership club, rush for a second time, spring semester after not getting into any of the houses I wanted, the first time I went out for a sorority, had me join a kickboxing club Monday, Wednesday, Friday, yoga Tuesday, Thursdays, move to Telluride after college, a cross country road trip. I mean all the things. And I was like YES, Kelley! I was all in.  The truth is that Kelley and the energy she brings has had a huge positive impact on my life.

Let’s start with the Animal Spirit card deck. To give you a sense of my friend Kelley she has also been my yogi friend, astrology lover, spirit world guide, thought provoker if you will. So last year we went on this yoga retreat in upstate NY and before we left, we were in her apartment at the time and she told me about this Animal Spirt card deck she and her then fiancé, Harry, found on a weekend trip upstate. She basically said let’s see what your spirit animal is for the weekend, and I was yet again, all in. I think I got the Lion, middle of the road in this kingdom, I was happy with my animal spirit and whatever life went on. But the second I walked into her place this time, over a year later, I was like GIVE ME my Animal Spirit! I was pumped and I couldn’t wait to see what Animal Spirit Kyle would get too. So we’re getting the stuff out and Kelley is telling us this hilarious story about how when her parents were in town, they did it and her dad got the lowest animal, and her mom got the highest possible animal and how hilarious that was.. well, I didn’t get the lowest animal on the scale of life, but I got a pretty low animal. I got a spider. The spider when in balance: appreciative, enthusiastic, prosperous, when out of balance: discouraged, tired, forlorn, to bring into balance: playful creativity. Then Kyle goes. And what does Kyle get but the Cosmic freaking Egg. The highest card in the realm. The Cosmic Egg is Completion, Harmony, The Infinite within the Finite. It doesn’t even have notes on whether you’re in balance or out of balance. It’s basically like you are at your peak and no one can touch you. If you know Kyle, you know he is pretty cosmic egg like, but he is definitely not into this kind of horse play shit. Whereas I am chomping at the bit for my spirit animal prognosis. But whatever, in all, I took it as I need to be more focused on my creative side and I had a slight hint of AMA VIDA in the back of my mind, but I didn’t put too much emphasis on it. The next morning though I practically jump out of bed to get a redo on my spirit animal. Surely, I would be more cosmic egg like now after some espresso martinis, vino and ranch water. (PS. Do not order ranch water in New York City. Classic mistake on my part.) I do the whole song and dance and I get… the Earthworm. Definitely lower than the spider, second to lowest animal in the kingdom. The Earthworm is Shy, Hesitant, Reluctant to Share Inner Vision. When in balance: earnest, intelligent, valuable, when out of balance: self-conscious, apprehensive, to bring into balance: speak up, risk embarrassment. Now I knew we were talking AMA VIDA. It was like the sirens were going off in my head. And as much as I liked playing with Earthworms as a kid, I cannot begin to share with you the ick I got imaging that my spirit animal is an Earthworm. An Earthworm. The little writhing thing that pigeons peck on for breakfast. Like no. I wasn’t going to die an Earthworm. I knew then that it was time to get into balance. Something I honestly knew for the past year and a half, but I wouldn’t let myself acknowledge or change due to fear of failing and embarrassment. I mean I truly felt all the things the Spider and Earthworm represent when out of balance. Even though I hated being called an Earthworm, I was seriously grateful for this enlightenment, and I knew it was time to make a change.

Numero dos epiphany comes Sunday afternoon/evening. To set the scene, Kelley is a huge Face Gym fan. She’s been to a Master Class where the founder of Face Gym, Inge Theron, gave a whole lesson. Kelley has gotten Harry, her mom, her dad and pretty much anyone she knows to do it. I knew next time I was in New York; I obviously would try it too. It was really cool. I hope they make it to Dallas soon. For Kelley’s 31^st birthday in 2020 she hosted a lymphatic drainage educative session via zoom. Such a Kelley thing to do. It was the best!

On the way home from our “work outs” Kelley asked me what I was going to do for dinner. I briefly thought of ordering sweet greens to my hotel room as, I was meant to check into my hotel and get settled for work the next day. I wanted to eat something healthy after a weekend of pasta and previously mentioned, espresso martinis. Kelley suggested another option. She said she was going to get Brodo for her and Harry and asked if I wanted to join. She assured me it would be the perfect healthy meal for the current rainy Sunday evening we were in. I was like ok sure I’ll try it. So, we get into this little NY hut of a place and Kelley starts telling me that I get to choose what kind I want and she’s ordering Sipping Beauty for herself which is lemon and parsley, and Harry likes Tom Yum which is Calabrian chili, coconut milk, thai curry spice and lime. My stomach immediately drops, and my head literally turns to look at the exit. I think to myself wtf did I just get myself into and why would Kelley take me to this place. This is not sympatico with my current lifestyle. Not even a little bit. My heartbeat picks up a little and I start sweating. I am not sure how Kelley thought I would be cool with having parsley and lemon for dinner. I start thinking to myself, “How am I going to play it cool and also get myself out of this situation?” Then I see an add on the wall next to me for tortellini and I’m like cool, cool… Kelley isn’t completely mental. I’ll just get whatever this healthy shit is with tortellini so I can actually chomp something during this meal. She starts telling me about how all the models eat here and she discovered it through Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop. And I’m thinking to myself I don’t care if Jesus, himself drinks it daily I am not eating lemon and parsley for dinner. And then as soon as I’m about to get to the counter and order my tortellini ala lemon and parsley, something in my gut tells me if you’re so grateful for all the positive influence Kelley has had on your life why are you so scared to go all in? Essentially, don’t be an earthworm.

Now this is truly a bold statement, but that was my favorite meal in New York City that weekend. And we had a lot of yummy pasta and pizza. And still, I stand by it. It was the best meal and was absolutely delicious. It also helps that it comes with a huge slice of buttered bread. But honestly, sans bread it’s still amazing and apparently good for you too. Another hopeful for Dallas.

Right before I called my uber, Kelley suggests I do the Spirit Animal one last time before I leave and hesitantly, I do. I got the Nightingale. Fearless voice, speech, communication, or song. When in balance, sings, speaks, freely with kindness, when out of balance: shy, lump in the throat. I left Kelleys apartment with such an excitement, I couldn't wait to begin.

Anyways, every time I’m with Kelley I have, as Oprah says, an AHA moment. If I lived in the same city Kelley did, I would be 50 pounds lighter, AMA VIDA would be up and running, in essence, I would be living my best life. But we live in the year 2023 and to be 34 and living in the same general area as your closest friends is almost unheard of. If you do, consider yourself super lucky. I just had a realization that I need to take control of my own life. I need to make the tough decisions that come so easily to Kelley but so hard to me. To take full advantage of my time here. We only get one chance; I mean maybe I’ll come back as an earthworm next time and that will be chill. But this time I was given the chance to be a human, the most intelligent creature on planet earth and time is ticking. I have a daughter that is almost 2 and a half years old. I feel like I had her yesterday, truly. This time I am not the earthworm, I am me and I’m lucky enough to be able to take risks. So why have my inner thoughts prevented me from doing so?

The very next day, after life altering Brodo, I heard a quote which I’ve heard a million times before. I’m sure you’ve heard it too:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming; but who does actually stive to do the deeds; who knows great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt.

Every other time I’ve heard or read it I was like, cool, cool, Teddy was a bright man. But this time I heard it and I repeated it on my audio book 7 times. Those cold and timid souls are earthworm energy. And that just aint me. Whoever came up with the phrase the “stars are aligned” was a smart woman.

I've never felt more like the stars are aligning in my life. Pushing me to open AMA VIDA. This is not even a huge deal at all. I come from a family of entrepreneurs who have serious businesses, I mean the real deal. I am a party of one with a small dream to help women from a place that I hold near my heart. A place I sincerely enjoy traveling to. Someday I hope to be able to step inside Venezuela again, to show Kyle, Camila and JJ the beauty of that land. But in this political climate that is not allowed. Thank God there's still Colombia. Most of the items you'll find here are from Colombia. The only Venezuelan items I have are spoons which I found in Colombia from Venezuelan immigrants who had crossed the border of Colombia where they can actually sell and provide for their families. I am committed to bringing to this site the most beautiful pieces from both lands and hopefully that means a balance of both.

I'm truly grateful for my incredible friend Kelley who has always pushed me to be better. For lemon and parsley from Brodo (and the bread too). And for whatever this feeling of fire is in me to go for it. Here's to risking embarrassment. I'm all in.