Here it comes!

Three. Days. I walk across a stage, shake a few hands, do a little leprechaun dance while Birthday by Katy Perry is playing in my head. These past 4 years flew by so fast. Too fast.

After you graduate high school, you're constantly being asked "what college are you going to?, what are you going to major in?, what do you want to be?...etc", then you graduate college and you're constantly being asked "what are you plans now? where do you want to work? are you applying to jobs?" and you get endless amounts of professional advice that honestly all sounds the same (sorry all of my older wiser friends)...

I could be really bummed about the fact that I haven't signed on with some amazing company and I'm not on my way to building a 401K...but I'm not bummed...and thankfully I opened up a personal Roth IRA last summer so my future is still promising,.

Nope, I am actually relieved. What am I doing after college you ask? I am going to LIVE. I am going to study more of what I am interested in, go to fitness expos and conventions, invest in myself and expand as an individual. I want to be a better daughter, sister, friend, and  partner. I am just going to be patient in my growth and know that you can't rush something you want to last forever.

I have a million ideas floating in my head about what I want to do. It's just all about patience and timing. The opportunities will unfold when they're supposed to.

So this summer my only goals are to give the absolute best service ever at California Pizza Kitchen, save my money, and study for my personal training certification. Maybe even train for a competition if my finances look like they can handle it.

Don't let the fact that you're not where you feel like you "should" be get you down. Look at it this way...some people are worried about where their next meal is going to come from, where they're going to sleep at night, whether they will get to take a shower or not...and to be worried about being a college graduate not working where you "expected" to be when you finished seems so silly compared to the latter. We are LUCKY to be worried about such things. Take a deep breathe and remind yourself you're awesome and don't forget about people who have far more worse problems than ourselves.

Congrats to my fellow Class of 2014!

Ciao xoxo,

Cheyenne Peluso

Twenty Two :)

I had an amazing birthday weekend thanks to all my new really amazing friends and second family here in Tampa :) Best last weekend here! Next weekend I'll be driving back to Dallas!I definitely plan on coming back to visit, who knows what the future holds!!!

Mitch's Family took me out to a beautiful dinner!
This is his pretty mama!

I'm TWENTY-TWO now guys (too bad I still get asked where my parents or guardians are) BUT I have learned so much throughout the years and I am sure I'll just keep growing and learning more, which is okay with me!

Here's a list of 22 things I've learned during this journey!

1. Solitude could not be a more perfect gift. Absolutely in love with spending quality time by

myself.

2. The only person in charge of your happiness is you. You get to decide what effects you emotionally. If someone cuts you in line, it's not their decision to cut you in line that upsets you, it's your reaction to their poor manners. Shrug it off and be patient or blow up and cause a scene. Which one do you think will make you a better person at the end of the day? YOU are in charge ;)

3. It's all about progress not perfection...this has become my new mantra. Not sure where I even picked it up but I love saying this whether it's during a workout, yoga sesh or just talking myself through a rough time. Life is about patience and just letting the pieces fall where they may.

4. Missing someone is a good thing. If they're worth missing, they're special. And you don't have to talk to them every single second of the day. Remember a long long time ago when cell phones and Internet didn't exist? Our ancestors had to go a whole 12 to 14 hour work day without speaking to one another!! No texting, no phone calls, and letters took forever if they were kickin' it long distance. AND their marriages lasted longer back then! (Okay so I'm still figuring this one out, because I obviously have my days, but the fact that I even came to terms with this is a good thing, right?)

5. I think it's so important to do good in the community. Not only is it awesome to do, but it makes you feel awesome! Volunteering is actually something I have become passionate about and I hope to do more when I am back home. If every single person (that is over 7 billion people in this world) could do one TINY act of kindness, give back, or pay it forward...our world would indefinitely be a better place. Not everyone might feel that way or feel that what they do even makes a difference, but if I can change at least ONE person's life, you bet your bottom dollar I will always try. Think of what your selflessness could do, how sharing a piece of you, your knowledge, love and happiness could remind somebody that they have purpose, they are important, and they are needed :)

6. That brings me to the fact that there are SO many wonderfully beautifully unique people in this world. So many potential conversations to happen. Make them happen more often. Put the phone down. Ask someone how their day is going. Smile and wave and shake hands. Make eye contact. Make more friends...even if it's just a friend for 2 minutes!

7. The right people and the right situations always happen when they should.
Timing is everything :)

8. I am not ready for children. I love children. I love explaining things to kiddos and doing fun things with them but as far as 24/7 being responsible for another human being. I feel bad not giving Boss attention sometimes...I am definitely not ready to focus solely on a little person who needs me for everything.

Janna got me this for my birthday!

9.  I want to do more traveling! I've got some wander-lust in me for sure!

10. I'm really interested in Greek Mythology. I used to read about it all the time when I was younger and I stopped. I plan on brushing up on the Greek gods soon! More specifically I am interested in the Greek word "Makarios" which is where the term "to be blessed" came from. It actually means "to be happy or blissful, but it also means a self-contained happiness." So pretty much this goes back to my second point...that being happy comes from within :)



11. Not only do I want a lover in a partner but I want a fighter also. I know that sounds strange, but I want someone who is going to put me in my place and keep me on my toes. As long as we have most of the same hobbies, have intelligent conversations and our chemistry is indescribable then things will always be okay. But I also want to be introduced to new activities, discuss different ideas and feel pursued but independent and respectful of eachother! And when I get moody or start to stray away from myself, I want someone who is going to remind me what it is about me that makes me who I am. Someone who's going to embrace everything about me, good or bad, especially during the growing pains, because who you were at 18 is different than who you are at 25. Somebody who is worth fighting with in the first place, because there will always be that push and pull. As long as they're the only person you find worthy of making up with...things will always work out! The good parts are easy; it's when it's tough that I want someone the most...that's why I want a fighter, because I know they'll always fight for me, for themselves and for us.

12. Being mysterious is good.

13. I talk A LOT...actually that's something I already knew.

14. Some people just care about making money. But money doesn't make the world go round. Changing someone's life does...and you can't put a price on that.

15. Home is totally where the heart is.

16. A dog is the bestest friend a girl could ever have. Better than diamonds.

17. Drink LOTS of water and always bring extra clothes and food.

Sportsfest 2014 :)

18. Squat jumps fo' lyfe' and burpees and mt. climbers. In fact you don't even need weights. Just Tabata. (Just kidding...kinda...you don't know me, you don't know my life...) this one's for LT aka terminator aka Lauren Lucifer (my wonderful mentor, trainer, future bridesmaid, mmmm better not friend that I am going to miss so much and I'm so thankful to have met and will DEFINITELY be coming back to visit SOONER than later! She has had the best effect on myself as a Coach. I will forever be indebted to her for helping me find my backbone and train people the way they need to be trained...with lots of love and pain!

Ps: I made this number 18 because of her obsession with 8

19. Mikey taught me that reaching out to people and asking if they need anything shows your open and willing to teach.  Being able to train a variety of levels allows you to just become that much better of a coach! Also asking questions and being enthusiastic even when you're not having the best day is important. I think I've finally mastered the high five also...and I am thankful for that migraine induced 3 mile run we went on in the blazing heat that one day where you pushed me to keep going. So that definitely taught me to ask questions BEFORE starting anything so I don't die. Wish I had known it was 3 miles when we started.

20. I don't really like to drink anymore. I could probably count on both of my hands how many drinks I've had in the 4 months since I've been staying here. So happy I've kicked that habit, because it's a downer anyways and it causes weight gain, mood swings, liver probs, dehydration, depression, bad decisions, etc.

21. It's a small world...after all. *chuckles*

22. I can't wait to get certified and continue to kick my own butt and other people's butts to get stronger and better and build confidence! Your mind gives up before your body does. Tell yourself you can do it, and anything is possible!

There ya have it :) 22 things I learned in the Sunshine State...all by myself!

Ciao xoxo,

Coach Chey

April Fools & National Walking Day!!!

Sawasdee fools,

April is here and already being the best birthday month there is, bringing me lots of good luck! 

I was so so blessed to be selected and interviewed for the Spring 2014 Health Studies Newsletter at Texas Woman's University!

"Health Studies Happenings is a newsletter publication of the Department of Health Studies here at Texas Woman's University. It is published twice annually in the Fall and Spring."

Who knew that updating this blog with different tips and advice and just the way I think and see the world could be so rewarding. My passion for helping others continues to encourage me to keep doing what I'm doing!!

You can see the newsletter here: Health Studies Happenings Click on the link in the newsletter and check out what I said :)

Also, I have been trying to get the chain replaced to the necklace I got for valentines day last year since it broke. At first the lady at Sam's got a little anxious and her tone wasn't agreeable. Since I hate being yelled at she could tell I was shutting down and immediately changed her tone, spoke to me super nice and took down my information and made copies to contact me tomorrow. Great turnaround and customer service. She immediately turned my night around and I hope to get this figured out soon. See I went a few weeks ago and they did a return/exchange on it. Realizing I didn't have a chain to give them, they said they couldn't do anything. So here I am with receipts saying I made a return but I didn't and my original receipt is now written on saying it was made...soooo it's kinda a headache but there are worst things in the world to worry about and I am one lucky girl to have a diamond necklace to cause me so much grief in the first place ;)

DINNER TIME! 

Before I go on a Calorie rant...my dinner was the BOMB.COM! 

2 cups of tossed salad

2 TBSP of Olive Garden Dressing

1 slice of Wheat bread 

1 triangle of Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Spread

1 Egg White 

VS 

1 Cheeseburger...boring

So I eat like 6 meals a day. They range from 250-300 calories per meal. I don't do it on purpose it's just what I notice I need to maintain life during the day. I never actually count my calories (I did for this little experiment bc I wanted to compare it to a normal fast food item) and I just eat what I want when I want...but I crave healthy foods. I really wanted a salad tonight!!! 

You HAVE to remember that calories are ENERGY...So don't get so obsessed with calorie counting. Put the good stuff in your body and the results will show...starving yourself is keeping your body driving on E! We NEED calories. Yea I just said that, NEED. NECESSARY. MUST EAT. If you don't eat you won't have energy, then you won't want to do anything especially work out at that and then your binging at night because you starved and you go to sleep and starve yourself again for another 8 hours and then you wakeup and skip breakfast because you don't want the "extra calories"...

In order to maintain the way I look, I need to eat around 1300 calories. It's my BMR (I can help you find yours if you need the formula!!) but I just said I eat SIX 250-300 calories meals a day...so you did the math...that's around 1500-1800 calories a day which is 500 over. SO why am I not gaining anything? BC I workout also. So I'm USING the energy I put in my body :) 

See how it all comes full circle. Just eat healthy. Every 2-3 hours. No low carb, low fat, low calorie BS.

 Just eat your fruits and veggies and chicken aka carbs, fiber, and protein. 

Rant over :) Thanks for reading! 

APRIL 2ND IS NATIONAL WALKING DAY!!

How many steps will YOU take to a healthier life? 

Ciao xoxo,

Coach Chey

Random Ramblings, Recipes, and Real Results

Sawasdee superstars,

I have been super busy these past few weeks. Wrapped up a wonderful event on March 21st and now onto my last and final project at Verizon! I am no longer an "intern"! Since I've completed my 360 hours, they now refer to me a "Sub" but mostly just "Coach Chey" or Chy-Town or Chy-Chy or Tiny or...I have accumulated many nicknames and they took out the "E" in the first half of my name lol.

Our Shamrock Run was a success and not only did the new Florida Region President, Mariano Legaz, come out to participate in our run (and got roughly a 19min 5K *BEAST*) but I was very fortunate to spend the week with South Sr. Area Coach Donna Sumner. It was so great meeting her and hearing how she found this career. AND to top it off we were featured on TWO local news stations! All 4 vendors I contacted came out and it was a great turnout! So proud of everyone who participated and got active and so honored to witness a company who cares enough to shut down for a few hours to instill the importance of physical activity and wellness.


I contacted American Red Cross, American Diabetes Association, Florida Health Department of Hillsborough County, and Susan G. Komen came out to raise awareness while Fit2Run and Smoothie King provided coupons. Thanks everyone!

As I am updating my blog, I'm also MEAL PREPPING! Because it's Sunday and I haven't been as game on my diet as normal. Sorry but I'm faulty too and emotional eating is my enemy...Anyways I am making Garlic/Brown Sugar Shrimp & Salmon and MexiCorn (red/green pepper mixed with corn) and Turkey Sausage. Both will be served with Brown Rice!

Here's one recipe, I subbed the chicken for salmon and shrimp bc I didn't feel like spending money when I already have awesome protein in the casa. Turned out delish anyways!!! http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-garlic-chicken-5478
And if you're hating on me cuz of the brown sugar...a girl's gotta live! Read below----->>>>
http://www.livestrong.com/article/557225-what-are-the-benefits-of-brown-sugar-vs-white-sugar/

Other Recipe***Add one clove of minced garlic with 1 TBSP of Olive Oil and then mix it all up in the pan! Corn is full of vitamins (niacin, vitamin c, folic acid...to name a few), full of fiber, and is a starchy vegetable meaning it's a complex carb so you could totally leave out the brown rice and wrap this up in some leafy green lettuce to keep your carbs low. Remember complex carbs are good for you though, especially when you are using up your carbs aka ENERGY ;)

See how easy that was. While the rice cooks, the shrimp/salmon are baking and the other meal is actually already done and waiting to be paired in containers for final landing in the fridge. (30 minutes of my life, oh man, how ever will I get my time back?) JK JK but seriously.


I also promised this recipe a while back...the banana bread nomness I made and ate in like 2 days (shared with fellow coaches of course)

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 serving of light & fit blueberry greek yogurt 
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 scoops of Muscle Gain Chocolate Protein 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Sprinkled on top is Berkeley & Jensen Granola with berries & 10 essential vitamins 
• 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit! NOMNESS. YOU'RE WELCOME.

 I must share my 41 year old mommy's results! 

Advocare 24 Day Challenge COMPLETED! 

Now she just continues her MNS & drinks her Spark until her body is ready for an oil change in another 90 days! I also suggested some Carb-Ease (white bean extract which slows down the body from making carbs into sugar & helps with blood sugar also) for those cheat meals since my momma loves a good cheat and to continue her Catalyst (amino acids) religiously  to keep her body closer and closer to toned!

So proud of her healthy choices. She quit smoking 2 years ago and thanks to me and my brother being "health nuts" as she refers us to now, she and my dad are on their way to looking, feeling, and living younger!! She told me the other day we inspire her and she wants to be around long enough to see us grow and play with her grandbabies one day. SOOO SWEET <3 and awesome that I get to teach my parents something for a change.

Check out Your Ticket to your Health Goals! and email me at advochey@gmail.com if you are interested in changing your life too :)

Thanks for reading and hope you gained some healthy and happy knowledge. Keep up the good work and always shoot for your NEXT best :) Check out elevatelife.com for some great messages. Pastor Keith always delivers!!

Ciao XoXo,

Coach Chey

Shambles.

All your life you talk about what you are going to be when you grow up. Before you even step foot in elementary school you're rambling words like firefighter, teacher, singer, or doctor. You grow up continuing to look forward to the day you actually get to BE something.

But for so many years, you get the easy part. The part where you just talk about what you're going to grow up and be. You don't have to actually be it. And then one day...you're there. You're 7 weeks away from graduating college or you're about to celebrate 24 beautiful years of life and you're like...um, now what?

I'm done. I've fulfilled my commitment to my parents. I get to walk across that stage for a piece of paper in hopes that the future will figure itself out now.

I don't want to go back to waiting tables. But I am fresh out of college. With barely any experience and no clue who's going to want to hire me to run an entire wellness program. I have the confidence that I'd be a pretty awesome corporate wellness coordinator...but that's besides that point. I don't get to be the judge of that. all of these job postings want someone who has 3 or more years of experience and HELLO, I'm a newbie. And how am I supposed to get any experience if no one will give me any for not having any in the first place. ugh.

So now here I am, completely uncertain about my future. When all my life, I planned everything. Which was silly anyways because it never worked out exactly the way I planned but at least I created goals for myself, right? Which most of my goals I have been pretty good at reaching. But now I don't know what goals to make. Where to make them or if they're the right ones to make.

But my dad (those darn parents who are unfortunately right about almost everything) said something the other day...

If you don't try, you're 100% likely to miss out. so I guess now all I can do is try? Because that's better than sitting on my butt hoping my future will unravel itself in front of me.

Once again, take me back to the days when eating PB&J or Mac N Cheese for dinner was my hardest decision in life.

xoxo ciao,

Cheyenne 

Tools to Take-Over!

Sawasdee everyone!

I am coming up on 360 hours of my internship this Friday! Technically I don't need to do anymore to graduate, but I am enjoying my time here so much and really enjoy my supervisors. It would be silly not to stay here and soak in as much experience (and sun) until the end of the semester! I am honestly going to miss the people who work at Verizon and my supervisors so much, once this is all over. I hope to keep in touch with them and continue being friends. I was really blessed when this door was opened for me!

A few tools and tips that I feel has made me pretty successful so far here in Tampa!

I bought a separate journal that I solely used for this internship. It helps me keep track of everything I need. Important times you want to whip it out are:

1. When your preceptor is giving you instructions. I made sure to write down how to locate a program/file/website or how to complete a duty/task in my journal to reference back to in case I forget. Especially in your first week, it can get a little overwhelming learning so many new things. I also keep important passwords and logins just in case I need to reference back to it.

2. Keep track of your progress/projects. I write down what I've done that week so I can figure out how to organize it and update my resume.

3. Contact information. If you are in charge of a big project, make sure you write down their contact information so you can continue to keep in touch. Any important people to email in charge of different departments or important last names to remember.

4. To do lists. If it weren't for my to-do lists I would be so lost during the day. My supervisors really trust me with different things including sometimes opening and closing by myself. I've been a key-holder since the first week ;) I have several little tasks to get done during the day and writing them down and checking them off as I go really helps me stay on track.

5. Thank yous. I am currently in the process of making a list of people to write thank you notes to before I leave. I have met so many people and many of them have been very helpful throughout this internship. Between copy/scanning/printing, cafe, IT, human resources, customer service, etc...so many different departments don't realize how much they mean to me in my learning experience here at Verizon. Being exposed to a corporate culture has been so great and I can't wait to share my appreciation!

6. Questions/Ideas. Write down your questions and ideas so you don't forget to ask or share them!

7. Say hello and introduce yourself to everyone. I try my best to make everyone feel welcome in the health and wellness center. When I'm walking through the call center or to the cafe, I greet everyone with a smile. I try to repeat someone's name 3x during a conversation to better remember their names.

8. Initiative. Take the initiative to do something outside of your comfort zone. Not only does this boost your confidence and makes you a better leader, but it's a learning experience and that's what an internship is about. So maybe something didn't work out the way you wanted to, maybe your approach was better or you can incorporate a different way to do something. It's all about progress, not perfection!

9. Ask how you're doing. I try to ask my supervisors at least once every 2 weeks what I can do to improve or just in general how I'm doing. They're very honest and I appreciate all their feedback. If I knew everything, then there would be no point in this internship right? Of course there's always room for growth and learning how to take constructive criticism is one of the best characteristics you can adopt in the professional world.

10. Clean! Sometimes cleaning up and making things neat gets noticed. It's the work that not many people pay attention to or want to do. Do it without being asked and you're on the right track!

I'm going to probably blow up the blog this week. I wanted to share my healthy delicious banana bread recipe, I have a personal view I came up with on my drive home from work today and I still need to share my projects!

It's 9PM EST in Florida and I have work bright and early tomorrow at 6AM! So sweet dreams everyone!

ciao xoxo,
Cheyenne Peluso

Shrimp & Broccoli Recipe!

Sawasdee!

I wanted to share a delicious recipe I made last week for my meal prep. It came out to 4 delicious servings. I diluted the reduced sodium chicken broth with water and didn't even bother with the cornstarch! It still turned out delicious. I also substituted the rice for quinoa. That was delicious also!

I found it at http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/shrimp-broccoli-recipe-5172

 Maybe I'll post a workout to try at home next! It's been a busy day and it's only Monday! Internship is going great and I can't wait to share some projects with everyone! Now I'm off to relax and catch up on my shows :)

ciao xoxo,
Cheyenne Peluso

Interview Icebreakers

Sawasdee!

So before I continue, if there is anyone new reading this blog I wanted to break down my blog name. I am 1/2 Thai, 1/4 Italian and 1/4 Mexican! "Sawasdee" means Hello/Goodbye in Thai, "Gracias" means Thank  you in Spanish and "Ciao" means hello/goodbye in Italian!

I wanted to share about what I did to prepare for phone interviews and how I kept everything organized while being a full time student and working a full time job!

INTERVIEW PREP:

When I started applying for internships I googled specifically what I wanted. For me it was "wellness internships"! A really great resource was this website http://www.phfr.com/Internship-Finder/Search.aspx

When I saw a post I was interested in, I printed it out. I had my cover letters and resume ready to send to emails and made sure to customize the cover letter based on who I was sending it to. I saved my resume in PDF form so the format wouldn't change no matter what device it was being looked at on! Also picking out action words or details from the job description to include in your cover letter to make them individual and unique is great and shows you pay attention to detail and are also passionate about the position you're applying for.

Along with that, I looked into that company's history, ceo, what type of charity they're interested in, etc. I printed those materials out also. I took notes about what I wanted to highlight during my interview and highlighted what stood out to me about that company.

Because I started getting a lot of information about a lot of different companies, I created a binder with index tabs and each company had their own section. In their section, included was the job posting and company information. The pros and cons about the position/location and ultimately why to pursue this specific one in the first place.

I kept some extra looseleaf paper, wrote to do lists and made sure to write down dates and times in my planner for when those people would be calling. If you're busy like me, go ahead and provide a great window for when you'd be available to talk, so you don't have to keep saying "oh, I'm busy etc."

DURING THE INTERVIEW:

During the interviews, I did a few things...

1. Have your resume out to reference back to or highlight on specific duties or accomplishments!

2. Write generic responses to well known interview questions to look at in case you get flustered or nervous!
3. TAKE NOTES of what the interviewer is saying so you can reflect on them or ask questions about them when it's your turn to talk!
4. Try not to interrupt or cut someone off if they interrupt you. Sometimes there's an awkward silence and that's okay. Maybe find a good question to ask or ask if there was anything else the interviewer would like to know about you. Ask where they are in their interview process and when they will be expecting to make a decision. Ask if you are allowed to contact them after and keep in touch during the selection phase.
5. PLEASE whatever you  do, ASK QUESTIONS...a great student is the one who asks questions. Mentors/Preceptors want someone who has a thirst for knowledge, who wants to learn, and is passionate enough to ask a question in the first place. This lets them know right off the bat they won't be wasting their time with you.
6. Pay attention to interviewers and how they answer/respond to your questions. This will give you a great idea about how they will treat you, answer you, teach you, and respond to you during your internship!
***Mine was great, and both my supervisors are so great at being thorough and slowing down when I need them to! The conversation was great during the call, and I knew in my heart I NEEDED to be out here!


If you are feeling like going through all this during an interview is too much, maybe you should try looking at somewhere different to spend your spring semester because YOU most definitely need to be excited about being there. Do something you love and you never work a day in your life, right?

Know what sets you apart, be confident at your own uniqueness. Not one person was born with the same thumbprint as you. You are as unique as a snowflake. Be you, and the right fit will come! 

Some humor for my health studies buddies back home! 

xoxo ciao,

Cheyenne Peluso

Pinch Me!

Sawasdee lovers!

So I recently received a sweet message from the president of my Eta Sigma Gamma chapter back at Texas Woman's University! She wanted to check on how I've been, how my volunteer hours are going, and if she could share my blog with other students in our organization! This post will be dedicated to details of my internship applying process !

I'm warning you now, this may turn into rambling but bear with me! We all know I love to talk :)

First I'll start off with me. Hey everyone! My name is Cheyenne and I'm graduating this May 2014! As a Health Studies Major at TWU, we must complete all coursework before our required internship! This means you got lucky enough to finish all your classes and FINALLY get a taste of the real world...of what you'll potentially be doing forever ;). Now if you're Pre-OT you only have a 180hr internship to complete, but if you're purely HS then you get a beautiful 360 hr internship of tons of learning and opportunity.

I first set out for internships on September 9, 2013. I know this because I created a separate professional email for my applications, resumes, cover letters, business cards, etc. Please please please do this if you haven't already. Make sure your resume is beautiful. Take advantage of TWU Student Career Services. Not only do they help you with your resume, you get mock interviews, internship opportunities, and even some fancy clothes to wear (and keep) when you land an interview! Plus so much more! I'd book that appointment asap if you can! The sooner you work on the resume, the better! Organize your accomplishments, use action phrases like "completed, lead, marketed, implemented...etc" or take advantage of all the money you spend on college and visit this awesome department!

Anyways back to the applying. I dug deep for what I wanted. I pursued companies like Corporate Fitness Works, HealthFitness, Southwest Airlines, USAA, L&T Health and Fitness, Apple, Kersh Wellness, DisneyWorld, NFL,Verizon Wireless and a few more.

Some of these sound way above my reach. These are some pretty GREAT companies. But I was passionate about Corporate Wellness and learning more. I also wasn't subjected to one place and wasn't going to let finances hurt my chances of a great opportunity. I knew I would figure it out once I got there. Some of these companies are like contracting companies that place coordinators all around the nation. So after applying with a few I had offers from Progressive, MetLife, etc..

The only 2 internships that were paid were Southwest Airlines in Dallas TX & Verizon Wireless in Tampa. I wanted Verizon Wireless the most because of the great interview I had & the ability to answer my questions, just like a good preceptor should!

I can't tell you how many REJECTIONS I received through all of this. So I made it past the phone interview with Southwest and went in for the in-person interview.The next few days were hectic because a little bit of me thought if I received this one it would be easier for me financially getting to stay in Dallas and live at home. But I got the phone call & didn't make the cut. At this point I was exhausted, thought I'd never get an internship, and feeling like a failure. I had already sent out a really awesome and genuine email to Coach Mike about how badly I wanted the Verizon Wireless internship and was just waiting on his response. If anyone wants a copy of what I said, please let me know :)

The next morning Coach Mike called me and extended his and Coach Lauren's offer to me. Not only did I exclaim yes, I was dancing around my room and so so so excited that I would get to spend my Spring Semester with an amazing company, getting paid to learn, and living an hour from the beach!

This is why I say PINCH ME! Stay tuned for the next blog post to share all of the stuff I've been working on and a deeper look in my life here in Florida!

xoxo ciao,
Cheyenne Peluso

Faith makes me happy!

Wow, I am so happy I took the time this morning to get onto www.elevatelife.com and watch the service. They stream at 9am & 11am or you can always just go yourself! They also do the same service Saturday night and offer many other days for different age groups..etc! I really recommend it. Pastor Keith is just real. He jokes, he's serious, and he makes a good point that we all screw up sometimes...You have to give him at least one chance to give you God's message because even if you're not a strong believer or a believer at all, there's a reason why you're hearing the message you hear or started reading this post!

When I first started exploring Christ I was around 9 years old and in 4th grade. Before that, my family never really talked about God and my mom emphasized that you did not need to go to church every Sunday to be a good person. She always said your church can be your home and you believe whatever makes your heart happy. It was our first Easter in our new house in Texas. My mom grew up with a Baptist influence. My dad grew up with a Catholic influence. So that Easter I got my first pink Precious Moments Bible and went to church. There was singing and talking and all I could think about was eating ham and stuffing when I got home. I went a few times here and there but never really committed.

During my early teens/teenage years I went through a lot that veered me away from having a relationship with God. I would go to Elevate Life (Celebration Covenant back then) on and off. My dad went on leave a lot after September 11th & finally got back to TX around my senior year in highschool, my parents weren't faithful to each other & fought a lot about money so after trying to work things out they eventually split up, and sometimes I would get picked on, because I didn't focus on my appearance or couldn't afford nice things and getting caught up in the scene of materialism or having the best of the best. So from 5th grade until 10th grade, I was in a different place. There's a lot that went on between that time, but it happened. I am not ashamed of any part of my past because it made me who I am :)

Being young, I float a lot on my faith & I am not always 100% about Him and that's okay because I know He loves me unconditionally. Am I going to shove the word down your throat? No absolutely not. You believe what you want and I believe what I want. Neither of us are wrong or right. It actually makes me really upset when I see other "Christians" bashing everyone else for living the way they want to. Um...we all gotta learn someway and at the end of the day you know how you feel about your choices, not anyone else...so wave BYE and keep living! Ignore ignorance and trust in yourself and if you're having a hard time trusting in yourself, TRY trusting in something bigger..like God! Sometimes I don't even know what I believe and that makes me human. I believe that I am a genuine person. That I love with my all and I focus on being the best version of myself, even when I fall a little short. At times I believe it's because I did all the work and am the I am because it was all me and at other times I give God a little bit more credit. I always say my religion is kindness. I believe in good things and kind people and (finally... I can say this without feeling bad), that there is only One person who created those good things and kind people.

So this one time around September, I served this gentleman and his pregnant wife. He was super picky and driving me nuts with his requests but I treated him as best as I treated any guest that dines with me. At one point during the dinner, after catering to all his needs, he grabbed my hand, introduced himself and his wife to me and told me that I had God shining through me and he could tell I was a genuinely good person. I always knew that I strive to be that type of person but I never realized what that meant for God. And to be quite honest I wasn't even close to Him when this stranger was telling me how much they saw God in every bit of my being. That really confused me because here I am, on the fence about my Faith, not being 100% about God, but someone I don't even know is telling me they see Him in me. I wanted to reply, "Oh I'm just the way I am because I choose to be, not because God made me this way", but I didn't want to offend the kind man and to be completely transparent and human...take the chance of ruining my tip so I shook my head and said thank you.

That moment stuck with me and I recently looked back on something I wrote a few months before meeting these people that eventually became regulars. 

I wrote this in July after moving out of that apt and the breakup I went through last year.

I realized a few things:
1. I am happier when I feel closer to God
2. Being away from the things that have distracted me from building a better relationship with Him have shown me that. Especially during my time in Florida.
3. I need to give Him more credit for my life, the way that I am, and the successes I have accomplished and will accomplish in the future.

I haven't had the best two weeks. Financially I've been struggling. Emotionally I haven't felt the best. And mentally I keep trying to push myself. Finally I started to pray again. Like actually pray. Whether it be thanking God for waking me up or asking Him to show me what I need to do to feel better about all the stress I (think) I have. I decided I wasn't going to hide anymore. I want people to know I believe in God and that HIS plan is greater than mine. God already has plans for you, yet you worry and worry that you're not going to make ends meet or do what you were made to do. All you have to do is ask and He has your answer. It may not be the answer you want to hear, but He answers regardless. When God says YES it's because the timing is perfect and it is an investment in your future, in the plan He has for you. When God says NO, he is trying to keep you on the right path. Same way your parents say yes and no. If you always got yes yes yes, you're in for a rude awakening when you get your no. But the no's are what humbles you and helps you appreciate the yeses! Kind of like when you're told to eat your veggies so you can have a scoop of ice cream. Do what you gotta do now, to get your yes moment later.

I thought this would be harder for me to write, but it came out like word vomit lol. I did not grow up in a "Christian" home. My dad just recently started his relationship with God a few years ago. My mom believes you die and that's it. And my brother is either agnostic or atheist, I'm not too sure because the point is I could care less what they all believe. Do I want us all to be together one day when we die? Yes absolutely. But I love them all the same regardless and soak up as much life as I can with them because they're still good people who love me unconditionally too. I don't judge them one bit. Just like I don't judge anyone else for their beliefs and I don't even KNOW a vast majority of anyone who reads this. Honestly, all that matters is just being a good person and letting the pieces fall into place. But having faith in His plan is the best cushion I could ever have and knowing that I'll always be okay is why I choose to believe and be proud of it!

I hope everyone took something from that LONG post. Have a great rest of your Sunday and a beautiful week :)

WHY?!

Sawasdee sweethearts :)

I've been MIA from my blog! I can't wait to have the time freedom to really make something more out of this blog. I have a lot of thoughts so prepare for a long post.

I really don't even know where to start. I guess it all started with a night I was at TJ Maxx. I was looking through workout clothes (bc you can never have enough!) and this little girl is running around, laughing, just being a kid. Obviously every parent's worst nightmare is losing their kid. But when I heard this mother yell at her daughter, it was different. It was frustrating and it hurt me to hear her talk to her in the tone I heard. She exclaimed, "But I'm playing mommy." and when the little girl finally made her way back to her mom, she was greeted with a hard slap on the butt and her mom said coldly to her daughter "good job, you're stuck with me now". With big puffy eyes and a tiny voice asking "why?"(because here this little girl just thought she was having the time of her life, not causing any harm), her mom said the infamous words..."because she said so."

But WHY did she say so? WHY wasn't she allowed to run around the store? WHY did she have to stay close to her mom? (think as if you're little and don't realize what you're doing)

If her mom had taken the time and patience to explain to her daughter why running around the store isn't okay and how it's important to stay close to her instead, it probably would've made more sense to the little girl. She would've learned her lesson a little better and realize the purpose of it all. It wouldn't be confusing to her why having fun was so...wrong.

Instead the conversation could have went like this: 

Mom: Hey honey come over here please!
Daughter: But why mommy, I'm having fun?
Mom: Well baby, when mommy can't see you, it scares her. I love you and don't want to lose you sweet girl. Daughter: You won't lose me, I'll stay close.
Mom: Yes but all these clothes everywhere you can get lost in them. Come here (holds out hand), hold my hand so I can make sure we get to leave together and can play when we get home.

Obviously I'm not a parent but think about it, if you took the time to explain "WHY", it means so much more than "just because".

So don't live "just because", figure out your why...why are you here, what is your purpose, what do you want out of life, who do you want to be. Why do you wake up everyday? Why do you eat what you eat? Why do you want to be better, live better, love better, and have better?

I realize how random that might all sound but I promise there's a connection.

Recently I started forgetting about my why. I started getting impatient and not wanting to take the time it takes to make my why possible. I started going back into my shell...I started feeling overwhelmed and wondering if it is all worth it.Why did I choose a lifestyle/career in health and wellness? Why am I so passionate about spreading good vibes and peaceful thoughts? Why do I continue to work so hard on my patience? Why do I care about others so much? Why is my heart still so big despite everything I've been through?

Well I found my WHY again guys!!! It's because I want to witness miracles, big or small. I want to inspire others and let me tell you some of the messages I've been getting have been way more encouraging then you would ever guess so thank you to the people who've reached out through messages, comments, anything!

I used to think I was annoying the crap out of people with all my "healthy posts" or "progress pics" and I may still be annoying some of you but there are people who tell me that they really take what I put out there and apply it to their life which is so crazy inspiring to me! Because I've been doing something that's out of my comfort zone for me. Blowing up news feeds with posts, talking about myself, finding confidence...still so brand new to me but doing all these different things means I get to help people.

Thinking about how selfish it would be to keep some things to myself, takes the idea of being annoying away and transforms it into changing someone's life...

...especially when someone thanks you for your post because they got a great workout from it, or when someone messages you telling you you're a true testimony of working hard and reaching goals, or when someone tells you they always look for the recipes or food you post because they like to learn from it or just when someone reaches out and says "Hey you seem really happy and I love it, it's so motivating! Keep it up." If I had stayed in my shell, stayed selfish and decided not to share that one post, someone would've missed out on a good workout, good healthy meal idea or maybe their bad day wouldn't have been turned around?

LIKE WHAT? THIS IS SO CRAZY TO ME...never in a million years would I think that what I do in my everyday life even mattered or could impact someone...or anyone at that!

I never realized that some people actually enjoy what I do! So I'm going to do a better job at sharing more of my lifestyle because even if it's just a handful of lives I can change, no more being selfish and uncomfortable :)

SO I GUESS WHERE I'M GETTING AT IS TAKE THE TIME AND PATIENCE TO EXPLAIN TO YOURSELF WHY YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING. DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNCOMFORTABLE, FOREIGN AND OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE,

BECAUSE YOU'LL DO TWO THINGS...

1. YOU'LL GROW

2. YOU'LL CHANGE A LIFE (even if it's just one) 

Thanks to the people who help me remember my why, my purpose, why I was born and put on this earth to serve! It makes living "just because" so much more extraordinary and so much less confusing...and it means more than you'll ever even know <3

xoxo ciao,

Cheyenne Peluso

Sunday Funday!

Sawasdee lovers!

Before I venture out into my new city...(grocery shopping & maybe some new running shoes) I wanted to share how my week went if you wanna know whatsup!

So I worked my little butt off this week, figuratively and literally. I have been coming up with ideas left and right, some good, some bad, some that needs guidance and tweaking! I had a National conference call with all the interns for Verizon Wireless Health & Wellness Centers throughout the US and we introduced ourselves and exchanged project ideas! Two of the ones we're working on at my gym were acknowledged and asked to be forwarded to all the coaches nationally to use in the future for their centers! I've also been calling several places to come raise awareness at our Shamrock Run (5K) in March! The Verizon employees will get to walk around the call center 10x and I'm in charge of bringing some organizations and businesses out to provide info! So far I've reached out to American Diabetes Association, American Red Cross, Hillsborough County Health Department, FitLife Foods, SmoothieKing, First Watch...etc! Lots of places seem interested :) I also said we should have our chair massage guy come and give massages during/after the run/walk!

In between that, I get to train members, do fitness assessments and attend classes! My abs were shot to hell by the end of this week! Lol I had to cheat yesterday and get a Banana Fosters Shake at this place called Burger 21. I had a turkey burger so no worries ;)

I gave a member some nutrition/meal planning advice the other day. He was so amazed by how simple I made it sound. I think I will be doing that as my lunch and learn as well as distributing a "grocery list" for others to follow. Think about it, if you eat fast food 3x a day at $8-$10 a meal that's $24-$30 a day and multiply that by 7 days a week you just spend around $210 for processed, greasy, fattening food. If you go to like Sam's get a 6lb bag of frozen chicken for $11, a bag of frozen veggies for $8, and some brown rice/sweet potatoes/whole wheat pasta/quinoa you just spent like $30-$40 and made meals for the entire week...what people spend in ONE day on FAST FOOD is what I spend in ONE WEEK on all my meals. Use lemon to season chicken instead of salt! Grilling onions and garlic are great for flavor...you got it! Spend 1-2 hours prepping and you're golden and less likely to stop and grab fast food because you have food waiting at home to be heated that you don't want to waste!

I'm on Day 17 of my challenge and down 2% body fat which puts me at 17%...average for my weight and height is 18%-20%! If I want to get to show status I have to be around 10-12%!

I've been stressing out about not having friends here. I've probably cried like twice this week. It just sucks when you know you are good at making friends but have no where to make them (and it's only my 3rd week here so give it some time), that you have amazing friends that are so far away and that you're at a crossroads with your life because this is what you want but at the same time it's tough.

If I could give anyone advice I'd say being 21 working for corporate is HARD. My coworkers are married and have kids and I feel out of place. I just want to be younger again. Like what do I do with myself now? I have no "soul searching" or "finding myself" to do...I already know who I am, what I like...etc

But other than that, I'm gonna say ciao and head out!

Ciao xoxo,

Cheyenne

Bucket List

Thinking about all the things I want to do. Being young is so awesome. 

Gotta keep working hard so I can do them!

1. Graduate College (3 more months)

2. Learn to play the guitar and piano

3. Having a job I love

4. Visit Thailand 

5. Visit Italy 

6. Eat pizza and hotdogs in Chicago

7. Go to The Little Mermaid on Broadway

8. Drive a Masarati 

9. Own a Jeep 

10. Move to California

11. Go on a Cruise 

12. Float in the Dead Sea

13. Hike a mountain 

14. Ride an Elephant

15. Go ziplining 

16. Marry my best friend

17. Visit the Grand Canyon

18. Ride in a hot air balloon

19. Go to Reunion Tower

20. Learn to speak Thai/Spanish/Italian

21. Buy a house

22. Horseback riding on the beach

23. UFC fight in Vegas 

24. Walk around New York 

25. Hawaii!

26. Germany Oktoberfest

27. Go paintballing 

28. Be a bridesmaid 

29. Adopt a child 

30. Australia! 

31. Paddleboard Surfing (I think that's what it's called) 

32. Attend Jazz Fest in New Orleans 

33. Get better at Volleyball 

34. Shower in a waterfall

35. Learn to wakeboard 

36. Slow dance in my living room 

37. Go to the airport unprepared and buy a ticket to anywhere

38. Own a beach house

39. Go to the Superbowl 

40. Be my own boss!

41. Date my husband/Fall in Love everyday

42. Make an Igloo

43. Road trip with girlfriends

44. Sing Karaoke 

45. Go to the Olympics!

46. Be in a bikini show!

47. Kiss in the pouring rain 

48. Open a food pantry for the less fortunate

49. Let my kids experience a drive in movie theater 

50. Build a tree house

51. Kentucky Derby 

52. Be an awesome mom 

53. Officially learn to drive stick shift

54. Go on a picnic 

55. Be surprised with a spa day

56. Have breakfast in bed 

57. Pillow & blanket forts every other Saturday night until my kids are grumpy preteens

  58. Three

59. Host lots of parties (wine tasting parties/ Halloween/ Christmas/ Football..etc)

60. Meet Jessica Alba 

61. Own enough books to have a library 

62. Join the mile high club 

63. Live electronic free for 3 days

64. Pole dancing classes

65. Go to Nude Yoga

66. Splits in the air

67. Handstand for 3 minutes

68. 20 Pullups 

69. Write a children's book

70. Change a life 

71. Boudoir photoshoot 

72. Fitness photoshoot

73. Bake a beautiful cake 

74. Go to my highschool reunion

75. Learn to make sushi

76. Eat a grasshopper

77. No fighting, just good communication 

78. Beach ______

79. Write a magazine article 

80. Have my own vegetable garden

81. Tire swing in my backyard

82. Brew my own beer 

83. Make jam

84. Have a day long prank war

85. Jamaica

86. Spain

87. Egypt

88. Spoil the crap out of my parents 

89. Leave a legacy 

90. Have a six pack 

91. Catch a ball at a MLB game

92. Learn to golf

93. Be a wedding crasher

94. Eat at Emeril's in New Orleans

95. Crowd surf!

96. Be on The Real World 

97. Pay for my family's trip to somewhere exotic 

98. Make a pizza from scratch

99. Start a family tradition

100. Visit the white house! 

That's 100 things I'm totally gonna do before I die. Some aren't super realistic but it could happen right? There's a ton more and some I left open-ended but I can't wait to make them all happen :) 

Ciao xoxo,

Cheyenne 

100 Things I'm Thankful For!

Since it is Thanksgiving Week and I get 10 extra credit points if I do this, I thought it'd be great to share what I'm thankful for!

1. God. He wrote a story just for me and I'm excited to see what the upcoming chapters are. Even when I doubt Him or steer away from Him, He's always there with open arms. I hope to always show love the way God loves me. Unconditionally!
2. Family. Even though our history isn't the best, I'm thankful that no matter what I know they'll always support me.
3. Friends. When I need a hug or a good laugh. Whether I look a hot mess or my hottest. They love me. SO thankful for the ones who have never put me down and shown me what a real gem a friend can be.
4. Boss. Seriously the best dog in the world. I am so lucky to have such a loving companion.
5. The people who've hurt me. I wouldn't know my strength or remember my worth without you guys.
6. My education
7. Our military
8. Oceans
9. Mountains
10. Rain
11. Sunshine
12. Horoscopes
13. Good books
14. Movie theaters
15. Snow crab legs
16. My job
17. Technology
18. Coca Cola Haribo Gummies
19. Sour Patch Watermelons
20. Egg whites
21. Being able to read
22. Clothes
23. No car payment because I paid my car off 2 years ago
24. Being in my 20's
25. Not having children right now
26. Pizza
27. Living without fear or dictatorship
28. My taser
29. The opportunity to go to Florida for my dream internship in Corporate Wellness.
30. The fact that it's a paid internship with Verizon
31. Advocare and all it's amazing products
32. Lotion to keep my fingers and toes from being ashy
33. Being 1/2 Thai and all the yummy food
34. Being 1/4 Mexican and not knowing a lick of Spanish because I'm Americanized (sorry)
35. Being 1/4 Italian and confusing the crap out of people with my last name and the way I look.
36. Changing my lifestyle and losing weight
37. Being able to hear beautiful music
38. Being able to sing
39. Being able to see people, to know what a sunset looks like
40. Sunsets!
41. The moon and the stars and the sky
42. Airplanes
43. Roads
44. The Frisco Sno Cone Lady
45. California Burritos
46. Being open-minded
47. Wearing my heart on my sleeve
48. Caesar my 5 ft teddy bear
49. That both my parents are still alive
50. Getting closer to my brother
51. Turkey
52. Stuffing
53. Biscuits
54. Gravy
55. Potato Salad
56. Mac n Cheese
57. The gym
58. Yoga
59. Dancing
60. Warm water
61. Clear skin
62. A big booty
63. Elephants
64. Easy extra credit points like this
65. Being smart
66. Eta Sigma Gamma
67. Phi Theta Kappa
68. Nail salons
69. USAA
70. Flip Flops
71. Boots
72. Nail Clippers
73. High Heels
74. Minis
75. Maxi Skirts
76. Jeans
77. Meeting new people
78. The rainbow
79. Wine
80. Being a Taurus
81. Being a Spring baby
82. Growing up in Texas
83. Traveling
84. Being a military brat
85. My parents divorce
86. Tiger Lilies
87. Stargazer Lilies
88. Any kind of Lilies
89. Not getting everything I want because it means there's something better coming.
90. Pillows
91. Beds
92. Hot tea
93. Chocolate
94. Peanut butter
95. Tennis Shoes
96. Protein Shakes
97. A roof over my head
98. Waking up every day alive
99. Being independent
100. The end of this list!

Had to add after that Cowboys win I am thankful for Football and of course the Cowboys!!



SO that was ALOT harder than I thought it would be.

xoxo ciao,

Cheyenne Peluso