Who the hell do I think I am anyway?  Well, if I knew the answer to that question I probably wouldn’t be compelled to write this blog. For whatever reason, sharing all my secret fears with strangers makes me feel complete. So, fuck it, that’s what I’m going to do.

The nuts and bolts of who I am are a little easier to define (if you’re into that sort of thing). I’m a brown belt under Professor Charles Dos Anjos in Sarasota, Florida. I’ve been training five years now. I met my husband on the mats. He’s a black belt, but don’t you dare say, “Oh, that’s why you’re so good.” People always say that like somehow he’s responsible for my successes. That pisses me off.  I train hard. Everyday. Usually twice a day (and much more than him, I might add…). That’s what makes you better—hard work, not sleeping next to a black belt.

I have an eleven year old boy, Dylan, he goes to Montessori school. He also train jiu-jitsu. He’s going to be a beast someday, but right now he complains because he’d rather play Rocket League than go to class. He’s awesome, though.

I’ve been doing Crossfit since before it was cool. Before I found BJJ, I was doing Crossfit 6 days a week, but now I do 2 or 3 to stay in shape and stay in touch with the people I love there. I’m not a super culty Crossfitter, but I do think it is one of the best ways for ‘normal’ people to become ‘athletes.’  I think this is because people, in general, underestimate how hard they can (or should) work, and Crossfit forces you to work harder than you thought you could. I’ve seen it make huge changes in people’s lives, and turn a lot of sevens into tens.

My ‘day job’ is graphic design. I do mostly branding projects and print work, but I will do a website if I like the client. I used to believe that design was all about strategies and solving problems, but as I get older I’ve come to appreciate the magic and the heart of it. I can write you a bunch of corporate mumbo jumbo to explain the strategy behind my design, but I think really it’s about intuition. I don’t know, maybe it’s a chicken/egg thing. Anyway, I like how my mind changes all the time about what my job is. Everyday is an adventure, and no one tells me what to do, for the most part.

I’ve been sober since 2008. I used to hate myself, and now I don’t. I mention this because someday someone might read this who needs to hear it. I’m here if you need me.

I hope you like my blog, or don’t like it, but keep reading it anyway.

xo,

Katrina