So, it’s been a hot minute, I know. I keep telling myself I will get better about updating the blog. But here I am almost a year later. Let me give you a life update on a few things!
Life Update + Roost Eleven Eighteen Updates
I graduated college with my Associate’s degree back in April 2024! Currently, I am continuing to get my bachelor’s and that will be completed in Spring of 2026.
I completed my first ever sponsored content with CVS in February! I was so excited since I have been an avid CVS shopper for the past five years. Slowly but surely I am making my dreams come true.
In December, I started posting to TikTok. This was something I wanted to do but was so scared of. I took a couple of months off but I am back to posting on TikTok as of June 2024.
The Roost content has transitioned to many amateur cooking and recipe videos and I am okay with that! I am a foodie at heart. But I have been trying to keep up with my lifestyle and reading content. Gardening as well, it is just not as common since it’s only for a few months out of the year.
Speaking of reading, I designed and started selling my book journal. I am excited to improve it for next year! After reading 200+ books in 2023, but I couldn’t remember all of them, I knew I needed a reading journal. And in true Cassandra fashion, I wanted to make my own.
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Compared to last year, I wanted to do a lot more. I teamed up with my friend Andrea, from Out of Darkness Candle Company, to celebrate all month. We are both compassionate mental health advocates every day, but we wanted to do even more for May. We created a mental health candle and mental health bingo, and we did the Move It for 5k that To Write Love on Her Arms held. Of course, we had to do it virtually, and apart. We were also joined by Karen from Just One Simple Hope and Lisa from The Silver Horned Girl.
I also had the honor of being on Andrea and Karen’s podcast, The Mental Road Map. They allowed me to share my mental health journey so far and I even shared pieces I hadn’t shared with anyone else before.
A Healthier Me- Life Update
That leads me to my other update. I don’t think I have mentioned it here on the blog, but I was officially diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) back in June of 2023. I started seeing a naturopathic doctor in September. We had started a plan, but I knew from talking with her and doing my own research, I knew a big part of trying to reverse these symptoms was to change my entire lifestyle. Before this, I had already made some nutritional changes, but I wanted to do more. I got bloodwork done and I knew my naturopathic doctor was going to start me on a supplement plan. But I knew I needed to do the work as well.
So, I signed up for a gym membership in December. I am lucky that where I work/attend college offers a free gym membership. I was just getting up the courage to go by myself. On December 8th, I did just that and I have been going to the gym 5 days a week, every week, since then. As I write this, it’s officially been 6 months of consistency. My diet consists of more whole foods, I do occasionally eat fast food, but try my best to stay within my calories for the day no matter what. But on the other end, I still allow myself a treat if I want it. I am not restricting myself to anything.
Putting in the Work!
Since starting my gym journey I have begun to focus less on the number on the scale and more about getting stronger. I LOVE getting stronger, I feel like I am addicted to it. And the endorphins I get after a workout? I don’t think much can top that. I know my body is changing and I spent years living an unhealthy lifestyle so I am not going to see the results overnight. My doctor has reminded me that hormone changes take time, add PCOS hormone imbalances into the mix and it can take even more time.
Now, since I know I am consistent and love going to the gym (most days) I upgraded gyms and it was the best decision to continue on my health journey.
In my 5k Era
I never thought I would say this, but since starting my gym journey, it has led me to want to do 5ks! I did the virtual one by myself, the main event was held in Florida, so I participated by walking it on one of my walking paths. But I thought I would like to do more in person. Getting prepared for the next one, I started adding running into my workouts. I told my best friend Maurissa I was not sure I even knew how to run. I feel like I look so stupid. But I am trying it anyway.
Making Good Time
When I started walking these longer distances, I was at an hour and a half. Then on the day of the virtual 5k, it took me 56 minutes. When I timed my next practice walk, I was down to 54 minutes. At this point, I was adding running to it. I participated in my first in-person 5k on June 15th, and I got my time down to 52 minutes and 11 seconds. So exciting! I have another 5k coming up on June 29th and hope to get my time down to 50 minutes or less. My plan is to update you right after the 5k so I don’t wait another year for another life update.
Looking back on the last year I’ve accomplished so much. I can’t believe I have a degree! During the darkest parts of my anxiety and depression, I thought my life was over. I thought that it wasn’t going to get better. I didn’t think I deserved to be here anymore. BUT IT DID AND I DO. Does my life look anything like it did before those darkest moments? No, it changed for the better. Just last year I had anxiety over walking 1 mile. Now I am in the gym working out 5 days a week for at least an hour at a time. And now I am taking 3-mile walks and starting to run too! If you made it this far, thanks for following along on this quick life update.
