First show as a PRO

I'm getting the hang of this whole show circuit thing. It's standard procedure every time. Skin prep with Jan tana products so my color goes on even, pack extra sheets so I don't get charged by the hotel, bring all of my food aka lots of grilled chicken, rice cakes, yams, almonds, and natural peanut butter, have my "condition" checked and critiqued, and a whole lot of waiting around.

Yesterday was prejudging of the Europa Battle of Champions in Hartford, CT.  It was my first time stepping on to the stage as an IFBB Pro. I felt pretty confident since I had no real expectations other than to have fun and get the experience. (I'm the littlest one here!) It's nice walking out there with no pressure. I'm still on cloud nine after turning pro 2 weeks ago so being able to compete so soon is just icing on the cake. You only live once so do it all while you can, right?

Another hour then I'm off to get all dolled up all over again! It's a funny situation when you have to replicate the same look again the next day for finals. It's like ground hogs day. Finals start at 2:30 PM. Even though I know I'm not in the top 3 qualifying for the Olympia I must say that I feel like a winner regardless. Cheesy, huh? It's true though, I reached my goal of earning my IFBB Bikini Pro Card, I'm competing in my first show as a pro athlete, and I'm having a good time. I think it's easy to get so caught up in winning that we sometimes forget the real beauty of any sport- the journey to get to this pinnacle point. Tonight that's what I'm celebrating; being the best I can be. Many wonderful opportunities have come my way since embarking upon this goal. Not only did I achieve this goal, but I've been able to walk through the doors that are opening up for me. That's enough to make anyone feel like a winner. It's important to always be grateful for the journey towards a goal as much as the accomplishment itself.

People may think that other competitors are catty at these type of events, but honestly the other girls are very nice. I have yet to experience any of the stereotypical beauty pageant drama that goes on behind the scenes (supposedly.) All of the other competitors are beautiful and very deserving to be in this position. It's extremely comforting to know there are tons of other women who live such an extremely healthy lifestyle and have similar goals and aspirations. I'm not the only one eating tilapia and almonds for breakfast or eating a chicken breast out of a ziplock bag!

Many thanks to Lidia Conti for making me a great new suit. Purple is the color of passion. I love it! It's very simple and chic. Lidia does excellent work. Her website is www.lidiaconti.com. She makes custom suits that fit like a glove and look amazing on stage. Thank you to Laurie St. Michael for being such a talented hair/make-up artist and good friend, and of course thanks to Kim Oddo and Oddo's Angels, because I would not be here if it weren't for you!

Okay, it's almost time to eat again (it's always almost time to eat again!). I need to wrap this up, because it's starting to sound like I just won a grammy or something. A little bit too "rainbows and butterflies."