Straight Outta Gym Class

Can we just talk about the WEIRDEST thing EVER that happened to me last night?

I’m talking…. weird.

So, fun fact about me: I was a gymnast for about 8 years growing up ( when I quit gymnastics at 11, I started competitive cheer, but that’s a different story ). We moved a lot when I was really young ( more on that here ), so being in the gym was one consistent aspect of my life.

I competed at an optional level ( this is what they call the higher levels. I was level 8 when I quit, for those of you who know how gymnastics works ), so it was basically my entire life at that point. Our little crew of optional girls became really close over the years, as we were in the gym for 2-3 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. Outside of school, it’s all we really did.

ANYWAYS, last night, I went to a gymnastics class instead of going to the gym for strength circuits, because I like to switch things up every now and then ( PS: I’m SORE as HELL today ). Upon entering LA Gymnastics, I was hit with that chalky-musky smell that lingers in literally every gymnastics facility I’ve ever entered. If it were socially acceptable to cry nostalgic tears, I would have.

We all started with stretching, as per usual. It’s kind of funny to be in a group of actual adults trying to stretch and get warmed up to tumble. There were people much older than me there, but I still felt SO old & stiff & decrepit from the very start, LOL.

Because I grew up training as a gymnast ( NOT the same as learning tumbling through cheerleading…. like, at all ), I can tell immediately if someone else learned the same things I did when they were young. It’s really hard to pick up on technique if you didn’t start at a young age.

If you started as an infant, basically, and kept up with gymnastics through childhood, others who did the same can tell immediately that that’s the case. Example: I went to the class with one of my friends who was a cheerleader ( & a really talented tumbler, BTW ), and she was so confused by the intricate, controlled warm-up process, LOL.

So there was another girl in the ( relatively small ) class who was a few years older than me, and I could tell she had definitely done gymnastics as a kid. And something about her looked so, SO familiar.

We got to talking in between tumbling attempts, and we both agreed that each other looked familiar as hell. Her always-smiley vibe & ultra-thick hair reminded me of a girl I did gymnastics with back in the day, but she wasn’t as tall and gawky as the person I remembered.

Finally, I asked her name, and she said her name was Michelle, and it IMMEDIATELY clicked. Tall, gawky Michelle only seemed so tall because I was SO much younger & smaller than everyone, LOL.

I told her my name, and we just kind of looked at each other for a second like what-the-actual-fuck??? Michelle and I trained together for about two years when I ( when we ) lived in Houston. We were always the same level, but she was 4-or-so years older than me, so she was one of the older girls on the team that the little babies always looked up to.

We had a small team ( about 6-8 of us ), so we were all still very close, regardless of age. I specifically remember spending the night at her house occasionally & her making us all those fleece blankets that you tie at the ends for birthday gifts ( I really thought those were the shit as a child, HAHAH ).

I was DYING. It’s been about 13 years since I last saw her, and we run into each other at a gymnastics class in Los Angeles, CA. How. Fricken. Weird. Is. That. I’m still kind of in shock.

Anyways, I thought that was an important story to tell because that’s one of those cool universe things that doesn’t happen often. Trippy.

In other news, speaking of training & being athletic and shit, CHECK OUT THIS LOOK from & Other Stories.

I’ve partnered with & Other Stories before, obsessing over their graphic tees, but this time, we’re talking about athleisure. If you’re wanting to show up to a friendly game of tennis with the girls, but you also gotta get that instagram photo, I got you.

It’s fun to be a little bit extra.

Here, I’m wearing a crew-neck sweater with matching sweat shorts, and these VELCRO sneakers ( another thing taking me straight back to my childhood today ). I must say, I’ve been reaching for those sneakers a LOT lately. They’re too easy to slip on.

shop my look

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I’m all about taking the gym style out of the gym lately. I’ve been living in joggers & crop tops, and I’ve been dressing down all of my mini dresses with sneakers. I LOVE the casual, athletic-wear vibe when it’s done right.

Comfortable, casual, cool. I can get on board with that. Y’all feel me??

Welp, I’m off to lunch with a pretty cool brand & to hit up a showroom downtown in preparation for my little trip to Sedona, AZ this weekend. Tonight, we are headed to the Revolve Social House for the launch of Ren Active, so make sure you’re following on Instagram for some behind-the-scenes!

I’m filming my healthy-week-in-my-life VLOG this week, so I’m taking y’all to events like this and showing you how I stay healthy while I’m out and about, as well as when I’m sitting at home, writing & sending emails all day.

Make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel, so you don’t miss the video NEXT WEEK! Also, if you haven’t checked out my first week-in-my-life vlog, you can do that here.

Talk soon, beebs! xx