My name is Marissa. After being in the fitness world for 12+ years, it was time to step away. I decided I want to live my authentic life. What is my authentic life? Well at 36 years old I went through a mid-life crisis trying to figure out what I want from life and who I am.
Who am I? I am a California girl, that was plopped down in the Rocky Mountains, not by my choice. My love for the sunshine and the beach never went away and has led me to many sunny vacations. My favorite foods? Sea Food. My favorite color? Barbie Pink. My favorite place? On an airplane: ready for adventure, excited to make memories and fill up my phone with new photos. I am a boy mom of four and I love it, really I do! They are my greatest accomplishment and the light of my life.
I was raised by parents who loved Disney and all things theme parks. We lived about 45 minutes away from Disneyland and my dad would take me often. Our family vacations always revolved around the enchanting world of theme parks. Our cultural experiences included eating around the world at Disneys Epcot. No complaints here - I love food! As for Universal, it holds a special place in my heart due to my love for Halloween and my deep fondness for the Harry Potter books. At the age of 16, I attended HHN for the first time, and that spine-tingling celebration with my family is etched into my memory. This year marks my fourth visit to HHN & I can't wait to go next year.
I married a guys who had never been to Disney! But he wanted to travel the world with me and supports my crazy. Our first anniversary was spent... (can you guess where?) Disneyland & the California beaches. Since than we have broadened our travel experiences and have enjoyed Cruises, All-Inclusive Resorts, Road Trips, and of course many trips to theme parks.
Everyday I wake up and write in my journal. It’s s how a start my mornings and has helped me figure out who I am & what I want from life. During a journaling session, I wrote down my favorite things.
#1 Traveling
#2 My Family
#3 Writing
#4 Photography
#5 Adventures and Exploring New Places
In that order. What was I thinking, shouldn't family should come first? How about I take my family traveling? I have always thought about how much fun being a travel agent must be. Or some career in the travel industry. I even wanted to work at a theme park (I still do). Growing up, I would pack up my small red suitcase and pretend I was headed on vacation, then I would live out of that suitcase for week, wrinkled clothes and all. I spent hours playing Roller Coaster Tycoon. I passed all the levels and when people asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, I wanted to own an amusement park. (I was weird kid)
On my road to self discovery I expanded my photography skills and started a photography business. I wrote more often, and started writing articles and really having fun with this creative outlet. With every vacation, it was always on the back of my mind that this is the career I want. And in the last year I was able to visit Hawaii twice, Universal Hollywood & Orlando, a cruise to Mexico, and fabulous Las Vegas. It was a huge push for me to change my career. I'm constantly researching dream getaways, strategizing for my upcoming adventures, and considering how to budget for my next exciting journey!
So here I am, just a California girl that loves the Sunshine. Writing my Blog and discovering my authentic self while sharing my passion for exploring the world.
Comment below & tell me what you want to see my write? Or where should I travel next?
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