MY TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY

This is dedicated in loving memory to my Aunt Monica McClain

I traveld to New York because I was invited to be on the show PLANT BASED BY NAFSIKA (plantbasedbynafsika.com). This has been in the making for the past year or so. I posted a video on this last week. If you missed it, here it is. It will explain the “WHY’S AND HOW’S”

I got the green light to go a few weeks ago. This trip meant a lot to me. I received the email from Nafsika the day of my aunts funeral. When my mother past my aunt took care of so much for me from that day forward. She was the new person I could confide in. Her picture is my cover photo on my Facebook profile. We had always had a close relationship prior to my mothers passing but it grew after. When I first mention this trip to her last year she was very strong on making sure I got there. Her main thing was regardless of when you’re asked to go, just be ready, you have to do this.

Getting the ok to finally come on the show, the day of her services, I knew it was a sign from her to finish this out. I can’t stand airplanes. To see what she went through these past few months in her battle, a little air turbulence, sickness, or fear of heights was small. I took my cousin, her daughter, Erica with me. Erica has her photography and film business called
ESM FILMS & PHOTOGRAPHY
http://esmcclain.wixsite.com/portfolio/photography
She actually designed my CWS logo and helped me get my site started. This was horrible timing to ask her to come with but she wanted to come because going to New York was a dream of hers. This is something I had spoken to her mother about prior because I wanted to her to come to help video document the trip.

Our flight left at 630am from Chicago Ohare Airpot. I haven’t flown in about seven years. I was nervous to say the least. I just wanted to hurry and get it over with. I was dreading the take off. When we took off I was like here we go! I had my eyes closed with my hood over my head. I didn’t get dizzy or any motion sickness. I was blocking out the fact that my life was in someone else’s hand and in a tiny object 30 thousand feet above ground. All in all it wasn’t that bad. I turned my Apple Music on and tried to relax. I had to calm my nerves by concentrating on my breathing. You would think I was in lamoz class lol. The flight was about an hour and 45 minutes. I just closed my eyes and envisioned I was where the music was playing in my ears. By the time I knew it, we were landing in NEW YORK CITY!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVCxoBDlf_k/

Out of all times in the world my tooth decides it wants start hurting. It started when I got off the plane or a little bit before we descended. Come to think about it it started before I even got on the plane. The previous night, I felt the pain coming in but I thought it was going to go away.
It’s more sinus pressure because when I lay on my back that’s when I feel the pain. When I stand up I don’t feel the pain. When I landed and got to the hotel I immediately went to the gift shop inside the hotel to grab some Tylenol. They wanted three dollars for just two pills. At this point I don’t care how much it was I just wanted the pain to go away. After I took the pill with a little bit of trail mix that I had I felt a little bit better.

After a few hours of rest we head into the city via the train. Erica took care of the logistics of us getting from point A to point B. We walked about two or three blocks from the hotel to catch the train into the city. The entire ride there the pain started coming over me to a point where it was making my eyes water. After about 30 minutes of on the train we arrive in Times Square. I found a stand to buy more Tylenol and something quick to eat. I felt better for the moment. I knew I needed to find a Walgreens to buy some peppermint oil. I planned to do aroma therapy later that evening but for right now I needed to crack that bottle open and inhale.

We find a Walgreens to get the peppermint oil and I inhaled it so hard, again my eyes were watering. I felt better. I could see and hear everything. I could really take everything in now. NEW YORK CITY!!!! I was trying to take everything in as much as I could. It felt familiar though. It honestly felt like Chicago. A lot of big buildings and lots of people walking. People could care less about getting hit by a car. Just walking in the street regardless of signals. Cars are honking horns at each other. Food stands on every corner. Everyone is trying to sell something.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVDD_OajYXc/

HERE ARE SOME MORE PICTURES!

My tooth/gums were killing me in this picture

I understand why Puffy made them walk to get this

Spinach artichoke dip at Planet Hollywood

I wish I could have enjoyed downtown NYC a lot better but this pain kept coming back. We made it back to the hotel after being in the city for a few hours. The only thing I could think about was redirecting the stress in my body. After a few aroma therapy treatments with the peppermint oil, I went to the fitness room and worked out for an hour and a half and I felt a little better. I got something to eat from the restaurant. Veggie cold plate and a grilled salmon salad. I called myself playing it safe by eating something that wouldn’t get me sick. I asked the waiter for some fresh garlic for the pain. You will have to google the benefits of fresh garlic. I can’t give away all my secrets lol. Needless to say the garlic put me to sleep. I could finally calm my body down from the pain and get some rest.

I wake up about 4am and felt something on my face. My freakin face has swollen! Right where my nasal passage is at. I’m like are you kidding me?! I’m back tracking everything I did. I’m like was it the sinus pills (yes I purchased some coming back to the hotel). Was it an allergic reaction to the food? I played it safe I thought. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?? I HAVE TO BE IN FRONT OF A CAMERA IN A FEW HOURS!

MY FACE IS SWOLLEN. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN???

I laid back down to try to get some rest but when I woke up the swelling had increased. I take matters to instagram to document in my instagram stories and thanks to people there they let me know to take some ibeprophen for the swelling. I didn’t have any at the time. The only thing I could think about was working out to relieve the pressure. I did that and it didnt help. I’m scrambling to try to figure out what was wrong but time isn’t on my side.

It’s time to get read for the show. Like they say in show business, THE SHOW MUST GO ON. I was too far away from home to turn back. There was way too much invested. There was no rescheduling or anything. It’s do or die. We arrive to the location of the shoot which was bout 30 minutes from the hotel. This house is huge! It’s not the first huge house I’ve been in. I will say it was very nice. The house was rented for video recording purposes. I walk in and I see the cameras, cranes, lights, make up artist running around, the camera crew and I’m like this is real!!!

I felt like a drama king. I’m feeling woozy. The pain has subsided but now I feel pressure in my face. I ask for some ibuprofen and an ice pack for my face. I’m like this can not be real right now. The pills began to kick in. I started to feel like my normal self. Other than my face blowing up I’m good. I just roll with it. The makeup lady comes to get my face camera ready. This was weird to say the least.

It’s my time to record. They have all the ingredients laid out for my watermelon fruit smoothie and peanut butter banana smoothie. Was I nervous? Not at all. I was more self conscious about this lump on my face. Recoding myself every week as trained me not to be nervous in front of a camera. I just wanted to make sure everything flowed right. Good thing about this segment is that it wasn’t live. I stumbled on a few parts but by the time we got done, we had some great takes.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVF_fIElIt9

Once we were finished with the segment, a sigh of relief came over me. I did it! I got through it! Erica captured some great footage. I am still in the process of editing that and should have something posted soon. The surprise was how the camera crew came to me and really loved the peanut butter banana smoothie! Here I am thinking the watermelon fruit smoothie was going to be the one that got them but it was the peanut butter banana. The taste of peanut butter and banana is hard to resist. All the compliments made me feel good. I was happy I could deliver.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVGERknlHPo/

There was another segment being recorded after mine. I wanted to interview Nafsika, as a thank you for her open invite. Who would think to interview the host right? ME! I genuinely wanted to do it. She was excited as well. She has a good heart and I know she didn’t have to do this for me. I know God touched her heart and this opportunity has helped me so much.

INTERVIEW WITH NAFSIKA ANTYPAS

MORE PICTURES!

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ESM PHOTOGRAPHY & FILMS

I met The Insatiable Vegan She was very nice

The PA was setting up my fruit for my smoothie section

Watermelon Fruit Smoothie and Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

They really loved the Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Getting adjusted to this new blender lol

Nafsika & I chatting on how to make home made peanut butter

The director was giving me instructions and I was listening

My face swelled up due to air pressure from the plane

We came, we saw, we conquered! That’s what I told Erica as we were in our Lyft headed back to the hotel. The pressure was off of me now. All I could think about was this cheesecake I bought from Juniors while I was in the city the previous day. At that very moment, what was going through my head was, I’m in New York, I recorded a segment for a tv show. WHAT?!?!?!?! God opened this door for me. I didn’t get this through buying my spot to be on the tv show. I didn’t get this from selling any herbalife, or detox tea, or off the coat tail of anyone else. This came by the sweat of my brow. That means more to me than anything. In this world of youtube and blogging, all these thousands of views, friends, and whatnot is cool. Something I do aspire for. I do need more people seeing everything that I have done. Maybe it can help them. I’m just documenting my life you know. The fact is, I do not have the big following but I still got the opportunity of a lifetime to be on tv without all of that. I’m just going to let that sink in more for myself.

The next morning we head to the airport to make our way back to Chicago. When we took off, as we were ascending I started to feel the sweeping in my face go down. The inside of my gums had created a bubble the previous night which I thought was an infection. As we were in the air I felt that bubble dissipate. My theory on air pressure being the culprit of this swelling was confirmed by a frequent flyer. I have no clue why this happened to me. The biggest moment for me and this what happened. I had no time to be mad. Just time to get through it. Everything is a test. This was another test for me. Did I want to give up? Yes! I wanted to go back home, but I was too far away! I had to make the best out of my situation and I did. I enjoyed my time in NYC. I do wish the pain and the swelling would not have happened so I could really soak everything in. It just didnt happen that way. I made it there safely, and made it back safely.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVHVhh9F8bT/

As I was in the air, with my eyes closed trying to get some sleep, I began to think of my mother, and my aunt. I could see my aunt clear as day from one of the last times I saw her. We were talking about this trip and she was so excited providing me ideas on how to take care of everything. Truth be known, I’m so use to doing everything by myself, she was like, you have to video record/ document everything. I was so oblivious to that process prior to her talk, that when she said it, I was like this woman is a genius. Bringing Erica was the first thing that came to mind when she suggested it. I know this was a tough time for her. I’ve been in her shoes before. I know her mother is proud of her. The vision of her while I laid my head on Erica’s shoulder trying to get some sleep on the plane did bring a tear to my eye. WE DID IT! THESE BEST IS YET TO COME! MOMMA I MADE IT!