Feliz Cumpleaños, Marivel!

  Fasten your seat belt and get ready for a ride.  It’s going to be a week of posts.  Today is my friend’s birthday and I am going to devote a post to her.

In the spring of 2007, my daughter was in 6^th grade and Marivel’s daughter was in 8^th grade.  We all four attended a New York City “music department inspired” field trip.  My daughter had paid extra to have two to a room for her and her friend.  Her friend ended up not going and Jessica needed a room to stay in.  She was put in with Marivel’s daughter and two other 8^th grade girls.  Thus began my relationship with Marivel.  We (parent chaperones) were not allowed to chaperone our own children and we were kept busy from 6 am to 11 pm every day.  It was on this very field trip that I decided I did not ever want to be a chaperone again.   I was overweight and out of shape and I just could not keep up.  We’d walk like 2 miles into the center of Central Park, take a photo, and then immediately walk back to the bus.

Angie on the left and Jessica's other roommates

Me and Jessica

Fast forward to the summer of 2015.  Our son Joe was in high school.  Marivel’s son Jason was in high school.  They had both signed up for a trip to Europe.  Marivel’s family (minus the older girl) and Joe and his dad were all on this trip together.  They all hung out a lot together and ate meals together and Marivel was sharing with my husband Dave all about their successful weight loss with the NLP program at Gold’s gym.

In August of 2015, Joe and I started with the NLP program at Gold’s gym.  This is when I saw what a loyal friend, Marivel could be.  She was “on fire” about her own success and she wanted to motivate and help me.  She literally changed her entire workout schedule at times so that she could attend the same NLP class that I did.   I didn’t really know anyone and she wanted to make sure I was comfortable. 

By December of 2015, she kept telling me about this trainer who wanted to help me win the 12 week challenge that Gold’s put on.  I kind of just kept blowing her off.  I had actually wanted to enter the challenge a few years previous and a trainer had actually told me not to, because I wouldn’t do well.  If you don’t know Marivel, let me tell you that she can be persistent.  We became texting buddies late at night and she kept planting that bug in my ear.  “Ryan wants to help you.”  “Ryan thinks you can win.”  “You should talk to Ryan.”  GEEZE woman – okay then!  I talked to Ryan and the rest is history (or at least the rest is this blog. Haha)

Marivel, I will forever be thankful for how God just worked it out for our paths to cross at the right time and for your ever-loving doggone persistence to get me to talk to Ryan.  Here I am 53 pounds lighter and 9 years older than when I chaperoned that NY trip and I’m thinking – I could chaperone a trip again.  I’d probably kick ass now if I had to march in and out of Central Park for a photo.

I love you girl!  Happy Birthday!