Road to Disney Princess Half

January 26, 2019

#runDisney Medal Monday: How are you celebrating your royal accomplishments?

13.4k Likes, 260 Comments - runDisney (@rundisney) on Instagram: "#runDisney Medal Monday: How are you celebrating your royal accomplishments?"

I've been on a slow journey since last spring to complete a half marathon. I'm actually not even sure why, when I think about it. Actually, to be honest, I just want that pretty Disney medal. Vain, I know.

But last year when I started working out, I had a goal each time. And it helped a lot to keep me on track. I kept resetting my goals once I reached them. So I set my sights on a new goal, not about the number on the scale but a different measurement of my personal abilities. One of my best friends ran a half marathon for a Tiffany prize, which I found so cool since I love anything Tiffany. Unfortunately she said Nike no longer has those races anymore with those prizes. But then I saw that Disney gave out cool medals and I was intrigued. They’re so freaking cute and pretty. Last year’s medals had me sold. I set my goals on this and that same best friend was all for it too so she signed us up for the 2019 Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Unfortunately they don’t release what the medals look like for the race until months after you sign up, but fortunately enough the half marathon medal I’m racing for is actually cute! I’m not crazy about the other medals for the 5k and 10k races so I’m glad I didn’t sign up for those. As soon as I saw this year’s medal, I changed my race costume from Rapunzel to Sleeping Beauty so I could match my aesthetic to it once I cross that finish line and earn my medal.

#runDisney Medal Monday: Prepare to run your happily ever after for the 2019 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend finisher medals! ⬅️Swipe to see the full 🏅collection! #PrincessHalf

20.5k Likes, 1,795 Comments - runDisney (@rundisney) on Instagram: "#runDisney Medal Monday: Prepare to run your happily ever after for the 2019 Disney Princess Half..."

Admittedly, I had and have no idea what I signed up for. Before she signed us up, it had only been a thought in my head. The minute she forwarded me the email of my race registration, it started to sink in. Oh shit. I’m going to have to actually do this. I was and still am both terrified and excited.

Let’s be clear. I am not an athlete. I didn’t do any sports growing up; I was not an active person. I was the girl in gym class doing the bare minimum for participation to get a passing grade. Basically, just showing up to class but sitting on the bench. I didn’t put in any effort or try. I would bring my own popsicle sticks when they tried to make us run miles around the football field. I walked most of it. In short, I was a lazy piece of shit.

So honestly, I have no business signing up for this. I’m not really sure still what I’m doing here. But last year when I started getting more pro-active in my exercise and diet lifestyle change, I committed to it and did a 180. Now I go to the gym pretty much every day. I would say I’m still not really “good” at anything but I’m more conscious about taking care of my body and keeping in shape. I learned that every time I tried something new, whether it be lifting weights, biking, the elliptical or a new exercise, that I would struggle embarrassingly with it for a few weeks, but eventually get it and improve. I was pushing myself to improve all my personal records. When I first started on the bike, I could barely do a few miles without hating it. Now I can stay on the full hour and push myself to 20-21 miles per hour.

So I knew that this race would definitely be a challenge for me, but had faith that if I worked at it, it would just become like anything else in the gym that I picked up. Just another obstacle to overcome.

I started last spring but then slowed down over the summer since it got too warm to run outside, and I read that it was more recommended to train closer to date of the race. I didn’t need to push myself that early and burn myself out. I also didn’t want to bore myself and hate running if I did it for too long before the race. During the spring training though, it did help to give me a sense of where my starting point was. I needed a lot of work. I was tiring myself out way too early and pushing myself too hard in the beginning of my runs. I would run too fast and not pace myself.

So in the fall when I started up again, I learned to pace myself better. I ran a little slower so that I could keep a more even pace so I could run longer without needing to stop. But then I also burned myself out again in a different way. I pushed myself too hard by running too often consecutive days in a row. This caused me to develop pain in my right knee during my runs and have to limp home when completing my runs. I eventually gave in and stopped running for a few weeks to give myself a break but when I started up again, the pain came back, but sooner and worse. I got worried because I didn’t want this to stop me from participating in the race. I eventually got it checked out by a doctor to confirm there was nothing broken or damaged to prevent me from completing my goal, and started attending physical therapy to see if I could figure out what was wrong with my knee.

Good news, they definitely didn’t find anything major either, but my PT trainer suggested that I might not be warming up well enough before my runs and activating my glutes/hips properly and causing too much pressure to shift to my knees towards the end of my runs, and thus my pain. So we worked on learning some moves to strengthen up and activate those muscles. At first I worried that it was a bunch of hoopla and I was wasting my time every morning coming to PT twice a week. I didn’t see how these small exercises would help. It felt silly. But I stuck with it since my insurance was paying for it anyway so what did I have to lose? I really wanted to go through with this because I already made it my goal to run this half marathon and a commitment with my friend to do this with her. I didn’t want to quit before it even started.

January 1st came around and I realized the race is nearly upon us. I started running again, taking it easy and at a slower pace and shorter distance than I previously had pushed myself to, and taking enough rest days in between runs, but realized that there was no longer any pain developing as I ran. I finished up PT and my trainer re-tested me to compare with my baseline from the first day I stepped into the office, and determined that I no longer needed his help as long as I kept up with the exercises I learned, on my own. So here I am, 2 weeks out from PT and almost 4 weeks out from when I started training again for the run. I was able to build myself back up to the pace where I left off back in the fall, right under 8.5 km/hr (5.28 miles/hr), but also I’ve been able to successfully push myself to 12.11 km endurance wise this past Friday, and most importantly, without any knee pain. It’s not an impressive feat for some, but coming from my lazy starting point, I’ll take it. Besides, it's not about comparing yourself to other people. It's about your own personal progress, which I find pretty good considering I didn't do this a year ago. Currently, my pace is about 11.5 minutes per mile, putting me right in the middle of pacing requirements for the race.

Oh yeah, I also had thought maybe the PT was a bunch of hoopla and maybe my knee pain is only not returning because I gave it enough time to fully rest before I started up training again. But then earlier last week, I didn’t have enough time to warm up and decided to go on a short, light run anyway to get some distance in for my day’s workout before I had to leave for work. Big mistake. I realized then that what I learned in PT made a big difference. I only ran for 30 minutes but I definitely started to feel the fatigue and beginning onset of my knee pain towards the end of that 30 minute run. So I rested a few extra days and when I went for my run this past Friday, I made sure to definitely warm up with my exercises as well as start my run with a 5 minute walk before fully running and it made a big difference! I was finally able to push myself to that 12.11 km, which is the farthest I’ve run in a session during my training. I only stopped because I had to get back home to get ready and leave for work, but had I had the time to keep going, I probably could’ve gone a little further. I had no pain in my knee, nor did I feel tired during the run. I felt good enough to keep going. And I didn't feel sore in my legs or anything the day after either. I now have a little more confidence in myself to actually complete this. Granted, still terrified, but I have more faith now that I might actually be able to do this! I have 3 weeks left out to train - I want to stop a few days before leaving for my trip as it’s not recommended to overexert yourself too much week of the race - and 4 weeks till the actual race is here!

Originally this trip was only going to be my best friend and I - my husband can’t make it due to limited days off from work - but as of the past week, two of my sisters are now accompanying me on this trip to root me on! I was excited before but now I’m really excited to have them there to support me! It really does mean a lot and I’m excited to run through the parks and see them as I pass by. It’s going to give me that extra push to get through it. You don’t think it means much but it actually does mean a lot to have your friends and family cheering you on. It makes a BIG difference and knowing that you have that support is a huge motivator. It gives you something to look forward to, and might be just the thing you need to get you through the tough, mental parts of the race to cross that finish line. My brother was really cute and took me shopping to look for appropriate shoes and gear for the race (he’s a sneakerhead). Even little things like that made a big difference. Especially since I’m clueless on what the appropriate shoe is. I kept picking out shoes based on color and cuteness, while he yelled at me because all the shoes I picked out weren’t designed for running. (But seriously why are a majority of running shoes so ugly and in boring colors?!?) I found an outfit for the race too along with matching shoes finally. Now I just gotta accessorize it up and tweak some things to look more Sleeping Beauty inspired. I didn’t want to run in a full on costume for my first race though. I didn’t want to be uncomfortable on my first run.

I’m excited to update with another blog post, post-race, once I cross that finish line and write about my experience if I live to tell the tale.

In the meantime, here’s my advice to anyone starting out like me in their training, if you’ve never run before and want to work towards any type of goal, whether it be a 5k, 10k, or half. I can’t say for a full marathon as I feel this is a different ballgame that I just can’t speak for. That shit looks even more terrifying so kudos to those that have done it and more.

Warm up! Start with a 5 minute walk before throwing yourself fully into a run. And cool down after your run. Don’t come to a full stop but rather keep walking for a few. Before your run, activate your hips/glutes with a resistance band. Especially if you’re going for long distance and notice any onset of pain in your legs at all. You can look up different exercises to activate these muscles on Youtube.
Make sure you’re running in the right shoes. I’ve been running in the same sneakers I’ve worn for working out/gymming/anything active since 2012. Surprising, right? Considering I own 213912890381 pairs of black boots but one pair of actual sneakers for activewear.
Give yourself enough rest days in between runs. I looked up half marathon training schedules on Pinterest and they really did help once I started following them instead of trying to run consecutive days in a row. I thought it was better to just keep pushing yourself to speed up your progress but it actually doesn’t. You need to give yourself enough time to recover in between runs or you’ll just burn yourself out and cause injury. RunDisney.com actually has great training programs on their site, free of charge to read through and use, for both beginners and more experienced runners.
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition. In any case, training for a run or not. This is always important. You wouldn’t start a trip with an empty tank, right? So make sure you’re fueling your body correctly so it can tap into energy stores sufficiently. Now that I’m eating healthy and on a regular basis, I do feel a lot better during the day, and it helps to motivate me to actually finish my workouts, as well as give me the energy to complete.
Put together a great fast-paced playlist. There’s a lot to choose from on Spotify as well, depending on your desired genre of music. Don’t underestimate the power of a great song to workout or run to. I’ve been in plenty of situations where I was really close to giving up, but the magical skip to a fire track helped throw it back up for me.
Make and follow a training schedule. Get a calendar if you have to. Write down what you’re going to do each day and check it off as you complete it. There’s a lot of great ones on Pinterest if you look them up that tell you how far you should run on which days, and what kind of workouts you can do in between to help strengthen as well as rest your body of work as you train.
Motivation. Have a good support team! Make sure you have people you can talk to when you need advice. One of my coworkers runs marathons like it’s his job and I find him really helpful when I need tips or have questions. I feel really intimidated by his accomplishments but having him believe in me is really powerful for me when I feel like this is impossible. Find someone to do it with if you have friends with similar interests/goals. A workout buddy helps to keep you motivated as well as accountable.
Have fun with it! Remember why you’re doing this. Whether it be to prove something to yourself, unlock a new achievement on your bucket list, collect a pretty medal or whatever. Set a treat yourself prize for achieving your goal. Don’t kick yourself if you fail either. It's just a setback if you don't complete it. Make a promise to try harder next time and reset your goals to achieve them small steps at a time. Celebrate the small wins, even if it’s adding 1 km onto your distance. Enjoy the journey of your training as you work towards the date of your race. I’m excited to run through the parks because well, Disney. It’s going to look so kick ass running through Cinderella’s castle at sunrise as I push towards the end.

(Both photos are from the @rundisney Instagram account.)

Goals for 2018 & 2019

December 31, 2018

Goals for 2018

̶̶T̶r̶a̶v̶e̶l̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶P̶a̶r̶i̶s̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶l̶a̶n̶d̶.̶ ̶D̶i̶s̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶.̶ ̶H̶a̶l̶l̶o̶w̶e̶e̶n̶, Christmas or NYE.
̶S̶e̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶B̶r̶o̶a̶d̶w̶a̶y̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶w̶, opera, ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶e̶t̶.
Furnish and complete the spare room into a full guest room.
I never got around to doing this. But I did finally clear out the room last month and got rid of a lot of stuff. Hopefully next year I can finally get a bedframe and complete this project.
Clean out the garage.
This was pure laziness. I never even opened the garage all year, honestly.
̶ ̶G̶o̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶y̶m̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶u̶l̶l̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶!̶
̶R̶u̶n̶ ̶a̶ ̶5̶k̶,̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶w̶a̶r̶d̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶1̶0̶k̶.
Launch floating lanterns into the sky - Lantern Fest.
This was not my fault. We drove all the way there to have them cancel it hours before on account of rain. The raindate wasn’t worth it either.
Learn to sew again and make my own skirts.
I just never got around to buying a sewing machine and starting this project. Although now I’m getting rather lazy and would just buy everything or ask my mom to make it, given enough time.
Read one book a month.
I actually did this half way. I read only half the year. After the summer I got lazy. So I read 6 books this year instead of 12. Does this count? Better than last year.
Get rid of all personal debts and dig myself out of my credit card debt so I can pay my card off in full again every month.
I screwed up this goal through my birthday vacation YOLO-ing. I probably could’ve completed this if I wasn’t so reckless. But YOLO. No regrets. My birthday was awesome. Hopefully in 2019 I can get this under control if I discipline myself enough.

Reflection on 2018

Travel - I didn’t expect Paris to actually happen. I was scared of doing this and being in a foreign country with a language barrier but it ended up being not an issue at all. And I did almost everything I wanted to do while I was there! I fell in love with this city and I can’t wait to go back one day. The people, the lights, the sights, the old history. And my Eiffel Tower photos! Everything was so magical. I’m glad I devoted a week to this city instead of trying to rush through it. I was able to soak it all in. And my Disney World birthday was absolutely amazing. And oh yeah! I checked off yet another Disneyland off my list in Paris. The last one left is now Hong Kong. Hopefully I get to visit that in the next few years. I also went on my first family vacation in years! It was actually a lot of fun and I really do want to go on more with my family and spend more time with them as I get older. I also visited Chicago for a hot minute this summer on a spontaneous trip. I do like planning itineraries, as stressful as they can be, and I like being able to check everything off as I go. Or watch myself do as much as I set out to do.
Weddings - I went to so many weddings this year! I went to 3 weddings from my college friends and 1 from family on my husband’s side. And on top of that, a lot of people had babies this year. Something in the water. But I’m still not ready to drink from it. But I did love watching all my friends get married. Something about weddings are so magical. I love watching ceremonies and the wedding traditions. And I love celebrating my loved ones, being in love! I love the food, dressing up, the dancing, everything. It’s always a good time with great memories. I also love that a lot of them are like mini reunions so I get to see all my friends again. It’s hard now that we’re all adulting on different schedules in different zip codes. It’s interesting to see all the lives and paths we’ve set ourselves on post-college. We’re all growing up in different ways and at different paces.
Cons - I actually only attended 2 comic cons this year and 2 beauty conventions. I made absolutely no new cosplays this year and just re-wore all my old ones with my revamped body so everything looked so much better than it ever did before. I’m not sure if any cons are in the cards for next year but I will probably continue with rewearing old costumes at this point if I do attend. I have no desire or motivation to make anything new anymore. I enjoy cosplaying but I don’t enjoy pouring any more time and money into it. I also hate that the majority of my follower count on Instagram is due to cosplay, making it hard for me to grow organically on my account. Sometimes I wonder if I should start over so that my acquired following is more genuine to the content I’m posting. I also hate that audience is 81% male. Males don’t tend to actively engage with your content as much (unless the intent is to troll, 90% of the time), which hurts how well my content is seen. It makes beating the Instagram algorithm very hard. I don’t care about getting famous or a lot of followers - I just wish that the people who actually wanted to see my content could actually see it and know of it.
Exercise - If there was a theme for my 2018, this would be it. This was my main focus all year round. I worked on making this a reality, after years of so much trial and error and disappointment. I was determined to succeed this year and I’m really glad I pushed through and conquered this goal. The funny thing is if you look at the list I had set out for myself for 2018, I didn’t really accomplish much at all. In 2016, I made my weight loss goal a target of 115 lbs but I never reached it. I kept gaining weight instead of losing it. So it discouraged me from setting a target goal for 2018 when I made this list. I simply said I wanted to try going to the gym for a full year. Baby steps. And this ended up being the year I not only reached that target weight of 115 lbs but I dipped 10 lbs further than that! That alone and my results gave me such a high that made my entire year. I feel so accomplished from this alone that only fulfilling 4 of my 10 goals can’t get me down. This was such a big obstacle for me and I’m really proud of myself for finally pushing through and exceeding my own expectations. Within this one goal, I achieved so many little “wins” to help bring me to this place and I’m really just in awe of everything I achieved with my own two hands. In January, I was intimidated AF and never had done a deadlift or anything involving weights. Now I lift 3-5x a week and I absolutely love it. I never thought I would love lifting so much and find a new love for fitness. I’m excited to see if I can keep this up for 2019 and make it a true lifestyle change.
Diet - This goes hand in hand with my exercise goal but I wanted to speak on this separately because I struggled with this more than actual exercising. I have no problem with working out as I really do enjoy it. But the diet part is the hardest part, and the actual 90% of the work to really see the results. So the commitment to this is a real challenge. I did it twice this year, in the winter-spring and then later in the fall to lose from 130 to 110 and then 115 to 105 respectively. Both times were equally hard even if the weight was less to lose the second time around. I can’t commit to the diet as a lifestyle change completely as the foodie in me misses food and bigger portions. So I made a compromise to myself. During my maintenance phase, I allow myself cheat meals and cheat days more often, so long as I watch the scale and know when to dial back. I try to eat healthy during the week 5 out of 7 days. I did make some diet lifestyle changes permanent though. I do make a conscious effort to eat more protein and less sugar and carbs. I’m also more conscious of watching my portion sizes.
Pop-ups - This was the year of the pop-ups. It seems I traded in my cosplay life for exploring pop-ups instead for photo ops. I found that not all pop-ups are created equal and that a lot of places can do a lot with very little space, and vice versa - some places could be a big warehouse full of potential and be a flop if not done properly and creatively. I enjoyed visiting all of them and experiencing them for myself firsthand. I found them a great creative outlet for me to play with. I hope to find more great quality pop-ups to explore in 2019. Oh yes, I even had the opportunity of meeting my number one favorite supermodel of all time, the beautiful and gracious Adriana Lima herself due to these pop-ups!
Photoshoots - In 2017, I had set a goal of doing at least one shoot a month and in 2018, I kept the same goal and fulfilled it. I want to keep shooting to keep building my portfolio and feed my creative nature, as well as fulfill the fashion bug in me. I have to tone down my style for work so my days off are my opportunities to let it all out. In 2019, I want to continue this, but hopefully build upon it even more and step up my game as well. Originally, the boy and I weren’t going to do Christmas gifts this year as we didn’t have any “wants” or “needs.” We’re at that age where we just don’t want random knick-knacks or tchotchkes anymore. But then he surprised me with a beautiful new camera for me to play with and finally get into learning some photography skills to be able to take better photos and on my own when I’m not able to schedule a photographer to shoot with. I’m always with my sister and we’re always gramming on our phones but now I’m excited to upgrade our IG game for the next year. I’m always on the search for beautiful places as well as ordinary places that photograph beautifully to show that you can turn any place into something magical through photos. You can take beautiful photos anywhere as long as you have a good eye. I’m also really happy because this gift shows how supportive he is towards my passions and love for photos. He’s also willing to learn and has been looking into it as well to take better photos for me when we travel. You don’t know how much this means to me and how something so little like this excites me. Somehow I still am finding ways to fall in love with this boy more and more every day.
Adventures/Time Spent With Friends - A few years ago, I also made it a goal to spend less time on work and focus on spending more time with friends and family. And as time went on, I did. I let go of retail and switched over to hospital pharmacy and although I had to let go of a comfortable paycheck, I learned to downsize and budget, in exchange for my sanity. My shift in fields allowed me to leave work at work and spend more time with my loved ones. This year was packed with a lot of dates with my sisters! I enjoyed this a lot and I really hope to continue this trend next year. This year was not as successful as I would’ve liked for my friends though. We vacationed separately this year, which I am disappointed and sad about it, but adulting happens. One day the stars will align again. I’m happy and grateful we’re still able to make time for each other for small dates though and saw each other about once a month this year. It’s just hard when we all are on different schedules, different area codes and it looks like we’re all on different paths lately. But I’m excited for everyone and their changes. I want nothing but amazing things to happen for them and I know one day we’ll make our amazing adventures happen again. You have to let each other grow - you don’t have to grow apart, but you do have to allow each other room to grow up. And it seems like we all are finally growing up in little ways. Letting go of all the silly little things we used to do back then in our 20s. We still make time to talk to each other pretty much daily even if we’re just sharing dumb memes and photos.
Bruno Mars Concert - This was my second big concert (my first being the Weeknd last year). Bruno really is the Michael Jackson of this generation with his energy and performances. He really puts on an amazing show and is over the top with all his effects - lights, glitter, fire everything! I also haven’t met a Bruno Mars song that I haven’t liked yet. Well, except for his collaboration with Cardi B because sorry not sorry, I just can’t stand her. But that song was out way before he added her onto it, so I still like it, just the version without her.
Started my blog - I finally sat down and figured how this thing works after years of privately blogging on Blogger. I got over the trolls and said fuck it, here we go. It’s still a bit filtered but I do enjoy sharing my world, my thoughts, and my adventures with you guys. I hope to be able to continue this for as long as I can without running out of topics, sounding repetitive or getting boring. I don’t have a central theme like fashion, makeup or travel or anything unfortunately. I didn’t want to limit myself to one niche because I personally like writing about everything and anything that’s on my mind. I hope you guys have enjoyed the past year since I’ve started. My goal is not to become a social media influencer or star from this. I simply want to share my adventures and see where it leads me. I also want a central place to document all my adventures with the written word. Instagram is simply a highlight of my life with one quick photo and a limitation of what I can write. Sometimes I want to share more than one photo from a shoot and write more than a paragraph. And sometimes followers get annoyed with seeing so many photos from one shoot or even reading a caption. This is where my blog comes in for those who want to learn more about me than a quick snapshot. Although I’m still selective about what I blog about, I promised myself that I will keep everything as raw and truthful as I can. I’ll always post my honest opinion while remaining tactful. If anything, my goal is for this blog to be genuinely ME. I’ve never been able to identify myself to fit in a box or one word, so I hope this blog is a good representation of the many different pieces of me as you guys sift through the disorganization. I enjoy reading everyone’s comments and thoughts and I’m glad there are avid returning readers and supporters. So thank you guys for sticking around!

Pop-ups of 2018

I went to a lot more than 12 but these were some of my favorite photos from the ones I did visit.

Top 9 of Instagram

It looks like fitness was a favorite on the gram, as well as my cosplays even though I rarely cosplayed this year.

Looking Back at 2018 Adventures

There are more than 12 photos I want to post but these are some of my favorite.

New Goals for 2019

Maintain a 105-110 lb weight range and a sustainable diet and exercise balance.
Run a half marathon.
- I really don’t want to embarrass myself in 2 months so I really need to be able to complete this.
Finish the spare room.
Italy in the spring? or Paris in the fall? Disneyland for Halloween, Disneyworld for NYE possibly.
Learn to drive stick.
- The boy’s new car is a manual. I need to learn this so I can move his car out of the driveway when necessary or just in case I need it for any emergencies.
Finally pick up photography. Learn the basics so I can take and edit my own photos.
- I’ve modeled for so many years and I realized how sad it is that I never took the time to learn. It would really help me take better photos when traveling and even when I’m just hanging out with friends and family. It’s an useful skill and good hobby to have and I’m excited to learn and start with my new camera.
Learn how to drive a motorcycle.
- It would just be nice to be able to ride with the boy one day. And have the skill and know-how just in case for traveling purposes. Although I’m terrified to drive one around in Vietnam, it would still be nice to know for late night rides if I ever make it back there. Or even cute Vespa rides in Paris.
Take more photos with the boy!
- I always look like I’m single or traveling solo but the truth is he hates photos. And it’s not that I don’t want him in my photos. I LOVE taking photos with him. I want to do more couple sessions and shoots.
Work with more creatives.
- I love working with my favorite reliable and trusted photographers! But I also want to meet new creatives with different styles and eyes for a great shot. Regardless of my bad and unprofessional experiences I’ve encountered, I still want to give new people a shot and create some beautiful work.
Finish my pharmacy CEs early.
- I have this terrible habit of waiting till last minute or letting it creep up on me. I’m trying to make a conscious effort to not let this happen this renewal time around.

Overall, my 2018 was about a lot of personal growth. This was a big theme for me in 2018. My fitness journey definitely opened my eyes up to a lot of things and made me realize the important things, and how in control I really am of my life. It helped me in a lot of ways, not just my weight loss. It activated a better level of happiness for me and I realized that I could do anything I wanted as long as I set my mind to it and worked at it. If I wanted to do something, I got up off my ass and hopped to it. I went to a lot of places this year, even if locally. I spent a lot of time being more positive than I’ve been previously, as I started to believe in myself a lot more. The high you get from working out is real. And it’s amazing how it snowballs into great things and allows you to not let the little things get to you. It actually helps you to let them bounce right off. I hope to take this attitude with me into 2019. It’s funny because 2018 actually started a little rough for me. January was really depressing and I was actually crying a lot. But as the year grew on, it got better and now that time when I was crying about my weight seems so far away. I’m actually worried at the same time about 2019. Did I peak in 2018? I mean, how much more can I do in 2019 to step up my game in everything? But you don’t know if you don’t go. I’m ready to jump into 2019 and see what great things lay ahead. Cheers to 2018 and it’s great gifts, and here’s to what the new year will bring us!

Mickey: The True Original Exhibition

November 28, 2018

I had the pleasure of attending the press preview of the Mickey: The True Original Exhibition in the city, located right next to the location of this summer’s Pint Shop, at 60 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10014. The cost of admission is $38 and it’s running from now until February 10, 2019. Like most pop-ups, the Mickey exhibit is available by time slot so you have to purchase your tickets in advance online and enter according to the time you selected. You do not have to purchase a ticket to access the retail store inside though if you just want to view and buy the merchandise.

I learned of this exhibit over the summer, when the walls were already heavily decorated outside, and Disney had started advertising heavily for Mickey’s birthday in advance through special Oreos, Goldfish and other food merchandise and such you can buy at your local supermarket. The Highline ended up being an area this summer that I would visit multiple times since this block is so popular for quick temporary pop-ups. I was even here a few weeks prior for the Brandless pop-up.

Upon checking in, you are given a limited edition set of Mickey ears and pin to commemorate the exhibit and Mickey’s birthday. The waiting area before you’re officially introduced into the exhibit has a map of all the rooms you can walk through, as well as a few quick backdrops for cute selfies. There’s also a list of all the artists who contributed to the exhibit. From there, you walk into a huge room where they play a quick video about Mickey and his contribution to the world over the years and his evolution. Videos and photos are highly encouraged throughout the entire exhibit so don’t worry about overdoing it. The next room showcased Walt’s Oscar from his work with Mickey and the Steamboat Willie film. You can watch two different versions of the film too in a dark room, the original and a modern day interpretation. There’s even a lifesize steamboat for you to walk on to and take photos. My gripe with this room and a few other rooms in the exhibit though, is the lighting isn’t that great. It was hard to take photos in some areas due to this. For pop-ups, this is a big faux pas. Lighting is key for grammable photos. One of my favorite rooms was the Ink and Paint room but it was hard to capture nice photos here because it was so dark and the light changed too quickly between patterns. Same thing with the Sorcerer’s Apprentice room. There was so much potential but dampered by low lighting.

As we walked through the exhibit, we saw many different variations of Mickey, seen through the eyes of all the artists that contributed to it, as well as original artwork and pieces. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, as well as helpful if you need a hand with taking photos. I found some rooms were very monochromatic and some rooms were splashes of color. Of course, I enjoyed the splashes of color more. Towards the end of the exhibit, you’re given a sample of Ample Hills Creamery ice cream, with flavors designed specifically for the exhibit.

Towards the end, there’s a room where you can play Mickey trivia with other guests on the Google home Mickey, and then view a collection of old Mickey Mouse memorabilia and merchandise throughout the years. The exhibit finishes into the retail store, which hides the neon room, the psychedelic room of hidden Mickeys. The lighting in this room also makes it hard to capture photos nicely.

So what is my review of the exhibit? Honestly, compared to other pop-ups I’ve attended, I think the $38 price tag is a bit steep for the content. I appreciate all the art and displays you can view, but it’s lacking the interactive, fun aspect of pop-ups like The Color Factory and Rose Mansion. There wasn’t a lot of different, hands-on, fun things you could really do other than take photos, but even the photos felt a little flat. I felt there were a lot of missed opportunities. There was so much potential but this pop-up didn’t take full advantage of it. The only food sampling is the ice cream and we were given a very modest portion of it as you can see our cups weren’t even filled. They could’ve given away a lot of other Mickey shaped treats and food like the Oreos and Goldfish. Or even have the famous Mickey bar available, even if for purchase. I didn’t feel it had the magic of Disney in it or the fun factor. It’s more for the art and museum goers. It’s very “museum-like” than it is a pop-up, but with not enough content really to make the entrance price worth it, in my opinion. You are given ample time to walk through and view everything at your leisure, however. And I did feel that every one was very friendly. I never felt rushed. I went on press day so it wasn’t crazy crowded but I did read a few other reviews on Google stating that they’re very good at only allowing a limited amount of people in at a time so you never feel crowded or have the problem of other people in your photos or feel rushed to take your photos because someone’s waiting behind you.

So ultimately do I think this pop-up is worth a visit? Yes if you’re an art lover and museum goer and don’t mind paying a steeper price for pop-ups. But no, if you’re looking for something more interactive with that wow-factor. I’m more on the interactive, fun, wow-factor spectrum for pop-ups, so I wasn’t really impressed to be honest, nor in love with the palette of colors used in this exhibit. It felt like a lot of red, white and black, instead of the pop of color world that I prefer for Mickey. And for the price, I think we could’ve received a few more freebies and cute Mickey treats, like the Sugarfina candy. I’ve also read that Mickey sometimes makes appearances for photos, but that’s not always guaranteed so I do feel that should be more consistent in the pricing as well.

Regardless, I did enjoy attending the preview day and being able to experience it to find out what the exhibit was all about. And again, Happy Birthday to a true icon that I grew up with, Mickey Mouse. Without him, the Disney World of imagination would not have been possible. It all started with a mouse to launch one man’s amazing dream that he wanted to share with the world.