08/10/2026
I found beach tennis which brought me childlike joy… So I made it a regular part of my life. But with the good comes the not so good—my knees started to feel a soreness I’ve never felt before. And with the not so good came the great—my friends all began to send me exercises that would reverse the soreness, and one friend even showed up at the gym on his own accord just to show me exactly how to do them—this all warmed my heart.
•
I learned that I had to start walking backwards to balance my muscles—annoying? Nope. I began parking in the lot a mile or so away from the beach tennis courts—backwards walking to and back from beach tennis on the shore, getting to feel insignificant next to the vast endless ocean & horizon whilst enjoying the backdrop of Los Angeles that millions around the world travel here to experience, and also the awkward looks of confusion of people watching me walk backwards (lol). I don’t get to travel much these days (not so good) because I’ve been building my business alone for 11 years—but I live in a city that is a top destination for tourists… who says I can’t enjoy it like they do? I enjoy LA like a native, but also like a tourist seeing it for the first time whenever I choose. Any day is vacation no matter where I am, if I choose to experience it that way. Good.
•
While I enjoy my alone time during these experiences, my heart begins to think of the ones I love—I need them to feel this, too. I need them to witness the absolute awe I experience when the warm evening breeze rolls in with the tide and brushes my skin… when the salt air drizzles… the colors of the sky reflecting on the shore… the famous Santa Monica ferris wheel in the background. The spongey sand beneath my feet. The planets glistening in the sky… the birds flying across the horizon…
•
And so I did. With my family and chosen family, we enjoyed one of my favorite things together and each other’s company. With the bad came some of the most simple yet beautiful moments. From soreness in my knees came friends pouring into me, new favorite experiences that became regular practice, quality time with myself… and quality time with people I love.
•
It’s a beautiful life. 🖤