Happy New Year ! New Year same me over here in Italy .  We’ve gone down to negative temps and pouring rain for the second week in a row. Cold, Wet, and dark is not my favorite season . I told myself  you can’t go another day without posting and saying hello to your sweet friends and fans so here I am! The last three or four posts  I’ve attempted to publish were drafted.  Maybe it’s writers block, or something I call “Groundhog Day Syndrome”. Don’t get me wrong I’m NOT depressed, anxious, or sad.  I am GRATEFUL and always preach about  having gratitude. Our minds really have the power to steer our emotions or projections so most days I wake up with a  positive mental mindset. I have everything I want and need. If I’m having a tough day like yucky weather, someone is  late paying me or I read something crappy on the web I don’t take it too personal. I  feel like one day is melting into the other. I’m doing the same things over and over. Cook, clean, yoga/workout ,repeat. Every. Single. Day. I have the sanctity of my home, and my family. When I look at things from a global perspective and from the viewpoint of other friends and associates I know I have it good.

This year has forced many people to understand that we are all affected by one common thing, Disease. Anyone can get sick  whether you’re rich or poor, any ethnicity, skin color none of it matters. The entire world has just stopped. Many people have lost their jobs and traveling has been difficult or just impossible. No shopping, visiting friends or family. No dining out,  you can’t even get a workout in at your gym! I don’t want to go into politics for obvious reasons and because this blog is more about how I feel and what I want to share with you about me and my daily life. It’s been hard from that perspective because I just feel so uninspired as of late…. My main goal at the beginning of the year was to finish my studies and obtain my degree in Food science/ Food Chemistry. Especially after the first hard lockdown we did from March until May. I felt like I was headed in the right direction and now more than ever the public needs more education about food sources, food supply, how food is processed, and how food can be used as medicine. I will never denounce modern medicine and how far we’ve come but we should be open to understanding how vital the role of food plays in our overall health. Herbs, plants, oils, flowers, spices  and so many other alternatives are out there. We don’t need to over sanitize our hands and spaces to be healthy. We need to dig deep within ourselves and listen to how our body functions to fuel it properly. We are force fed so much so  how do we really know which sources are credible? What really works? Is every label worth over reading? Does Grandma really know what’s up or is it just some outdated method she tried because back in her day they didn’t have anything else? Now that we really have access to almost anything online you can spend hours bouncing from website to website until you drop your phone on your face researching every remedy under the sun. I’ve had a hard time with online school myself. I enjoy being in an academic environment and having that taken away is hard. I just learn better hearing lectures, and working with an instructor. I’m also having to read, write and listen to lectures in Italian, which is not only hard because it’s not my first language, but it’s slowed my absorption process by half. Sigh…..

I’m not going to say I’ve given up.. I’ve taken a step, maybe two back and like most people  I’ve just been in home mode… Constantly cooking, cleaning, and parenting. If you don’t know, now you do. I’m a mother and I can’t do this over so I’m hands on two hundred percent. Priority number one which leaves little me time for anything else. I’m enjoying the time though.There was a time when I told myself you should slow down. You need to just be present. Just relax for awhile, do home stuff and enjoy the break….. There’s been a few years where I was traveling  on the road either feature dancing, attending  conventions, trade shows,  and nightclub appearances. I was gone sometimes 300 days a year. I never went home to LA I would just buy new clothes on the road. I left clothes in my hotel rooms,  I’ve left entire suitcases . If another gig was a week or two away I’d find a country in between to travel to, that’s how I ended up getting some countries off my bucket list which was awesome!!! I LOVE to travel. Many artists will tell you the road is lonely but I’ve never felt that way and I really enjoyed traveling alone. It gave me such perspective on life and I can’t even being to tell you how many wonderful people I’ve encountered, experiences I’ve had and  journeys I’ve been on. I believe most people are kind and good. This has been my experience. I get so much inspiration from my travels and this too has been hard, for a lot of us. I feel stagnant, and growth is so critical to who we are or can become. I don’t want to live in a bubble or behind a computer screen.  I want to sip a Cocktail with my friends and laugh out loud. I want to see my professor again and have study groups. I miss being around like minded people hungry for knowledge, then going to the piazza where I’d sip my chai out of my Hello Kitty Thermos and eat my noodles as my Italian friends told me I was CRAZY LOL I’m not satisfied eating some day old dry brioche and shot of espresso per pranzo let me eat my spicy noodles in peace! Even for breakfast!! I miss flying. No one wants to even talk or text, and I’ve felt the impact of how everyone I know has been affected. So here we are. What’s up 2021….. What’s the “new normal”? What’s going to change…

In general I’m feeling happy, positive and satisfied in many ways. The creativity will come back, the inspiration, the desire to shift my focus and pursue some things I’d like and YOU guys like too!! I miss shooting great content, I had plans for a new studio, and workspace but wasn’t able to sign a lease . All around me I’ve only seen shops and business close. I’m incredibly grateful I’ve chosen a career that’s made me recession proof and I have YOU my fans and friends here to thank for that. We have to keep our PMA or positive mental attitude because your mind has the power over your body. You can worry or think yourself sick so find ten minutes in the AM or PM, ideally both to sit quietly and calm your mind. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself and close family or friends around you kind words. Reach out more. Thank you for letting me vent a bit. I’m always happy when I get kind feedback from my posts here! I wish you good health, wealth, and happiness this year. Putting my love out there XO Tera