Goodbye, January 2023! You’ve been such a wonder Goodbye, January 2023! You’ve been such a wonderful month for me! 🤍 This year, for the first time ever, I decided to start the year off with a focus on only myself. I spent a large part of January celebrating my birthday this year! From delicious dinners and coffee dates to hiking and surprise secret adventures, this month has been full of celebrating and I’ve embraced every single moment of it. After a few years of not feeling quite like myself due to anxiety and depression, it’s great to feel like ME AGAIN! 🎉 I love her and she’s BACK, BABY! In addition to celebrating myself as much as possible, I also honored my mental, physical, and spiritual needs with lots of rest, intentional movement, meditation, and reflection. 

My word for 2023 is community and now that I feel like myself again, I’m so excited to spend the year pouring into my community, while still remembering to fill up my own cup first. 

#january #januaryreflections #selfcare #selfcarefirst #selfcarematters #intentionalliving #intentionallife #beintentional #uniquevintage #velvetdress #blackgirlmagic #blackgirlskillingit #joyfulmoments #joyfulfulmovement #joyfulliving
Snapshots from a beautiful day spent with friends Snapshots from a beautiful day spent with friends who always make my heart happy. Plus a small snippet of me being overjoyed at getting the tiny seat at the back of the train. 
🤍🌳🏰🚂

#intentionalliving #intentionallife #joyfulliving #joyfulmovement #livejoyfully #enjoythemoment #enjoythejourney #happyliving #blackgirldisney #disneymoments #disneygram #orlandoliving #orlandolife #orlandolifestyle #orlandofl #magicalmoments #choosejoy #joyseeker #orlando
I love being able to explore all of the little pat I love being able to explore all of the little paths that exist in Animal Kingdom. All of the gorgeous greenery in this park makes me feel happy, balanced, and calm. Whether it’s a quiet moment at a waterfall, watching birds enjoy the beautiful weather, or trying to see how many different types of plants I can spot, it’s such a peaceful place to spend the day. 🌳🤍

#outdoors #plantlife #nature #naturelovers #walking #animalkingdom #disneysanimalkingdom #wdw #bestdayever #waltdisneyworld #animalkingdomdisney #intentionalliving #livingintentionally #livinginthemoment #joyfulmoments #joyfulliving
Started the year off with some adventure! 🌿🍃 Started the year off with some adventure! 🌿🍃🌳

#intentionalliving #thegreatoutdoors #livingintentionally #livinginthemoment #adventure #adventureisoutthere #nature #enjoynature #goexploring #orlando #orlandoflorida #greenery #plantlife #animalkingdom #dak #disneysanimalkingdom #visitorlando #orlandolocal #stufftodoinorlando
Just some random joyful moments from 2022. 🤍✨ Just some random joyful moments from 2022. 🤍✨

#joyful #joyfulmoments #slowliving #hyggelife #intentionalliving #2022recap #joyfulliving #joyfullife #happymoments #hyggelig #intentionallife #yearofgrowth #yearofgratitude #practicegratitude
Our last closing of 2022! 🎉🎉🎉 So thankfu Our last closing of 2022! 🎉🎉🎉

So thankful to help purchase this 8 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 4034 square foot pool home for our client. This was the perfect way to end an amazing year of growth, challenges, and blessings in our careers.

We are so excited for all the home sales and purchases we will get to be a part of in 2023 and we can’t thank all of our clients enough for trusting us to help make your home related dreams come true! 🏡 

#floridarealestate #floridahomes #orlandohome #orlandoliving #floridarealtor #floridarealestateagent #floridalife #realestateinvestor #orlandolife #movetoorlando #movetoflorida #orlandolocal #floridalocal #buysell #buysellhomes #homebuying #homebuyingprocess #localorlando
Have you been to Animal Kingdom Lodge yet this hol Have you been to Animal Kingdom Lodge yet this holiday season? 🎄 There’s still time! We loved the addition of the gingerbread animals this year and I hope they keep adding to the display. 🦒🦓 The Christmas tree in the main lobby is one of my favorites on property and I’m always a fan of the bread service at Sanaa. 🫓🍽️🌶️

#animalkingdomlodge #christmasdecor #christmastree #christmasdecorations #christmasvibes #christmasseason #disneyworld #wdw #waltdisneyworld #disney #disneygram #disneyparks #disneyfood #disneyblogger #disneyresort #sanaa #orlandothemeparks #themeparks #gingerbreadcookies @disneyparks @waltdisneyworld
These “snow bubbles” smelled like hot cocoa. C These “snow bubbles” smelled like hot cocoa. Christmas magic indeed! Don’t forget to check out The Lights on Jeater Bend in Celebration during its last year ever! It’s free and oh so fun! 

🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄

#christmaslights #christmasdecor #christmaslightshow #christmasiscoming #christmasdecorations #christmasdecorating #celebrationfl #holidaydecor #holidayseason
One of my all time favorite traditions is going to One of my all time favorite traditions is going to see all the human sized gingerbread displays at @waltdisneyworld. They are all beautiful but the gingerbread house at Grand Floridian is my favorite. I love how you can smell it as soon as you walk into the lobby and I love taking a gingerbread shingle home for the perfect Christmas movie snack! 🤍🎄

#christmas #disneychristmas #disneychristmasdecorations #christmasatdisney #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadcookies #christmasmagic #disneymagic #wdw #waltdisneyworld #grandfloridian #grandfloridianresort #christmasdecor #christmascookies #hyggechristmas #hyggelifestyle #christmasmoments #christmasmood
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Health + Wellness, Personal · November 4, 2016

Thoughts While Getting a CT Scan

img_8273I’ll never forget the way the ceiling looked that day. Tiled, white, clinical. There was nothing imaginative about it. I could find no escape getting lost in it. The drugs being pushed into my veins felt warm, just like the nurse said they would. I tasted copper come up from the back of my throat and rest on the tip of my tongue. I knew the next side effect would be the “false sense of peeing”. The nurse assured me that I would only feel as if I was peeing through my pants but it wouldn’t actually be happening. She was correct, it did feel that way. It also felt hot, like I was straddling a warm furnace.

My skin itched under the hospital gown that I had put on fifteen minutes before. The act of putting it on made me feel more sick than I actually was. I held my breath for the seventh time as the machine moved my body up and down. “Breathe.” I heard the automated voice say again. Air released from my lungs and I wondered how many more times the machine would ask me to do that.

“Charisma?” the nurse called from the next room where the radiation wouldn’t effect her, “I see that your doctor only ordered a scan of the abdomen but we can only see the top of the mass from this scan. We need to scan your pelvis to see the full mass. I am going to call your doctor now to see if we can scan the abdomen as well. Will you be alright waiting in there?” “Sure”, I lied.

As tears silently ran down my face, I felt thankful that I was alone in the room. While the nurse called my doctor, my mind wandered back to my doctor visit. What I thought was a yearly check up and routine blood work ended up being me laying on a cold table while the nurse practitioner pressed hard against my lower abdomen with various worried expressions on her face while continually asking questions like, “You haven’t felt this?”

The nurse practitioner ordered an immediate CT scan which is how I found myself in this cold room inside of a machine that detects cancer. Somehow, I was holding on to a small glimmer of hope that the nurse practitioner was  mistaken and there wasn’t an unknown mass inside of me. As soon as the nurse confirmed that the scan did indeed show a mass, panic sunk in.

When the doctor called with the results later that day, John was at work. The doctor quickly told me that I had a uterine fibroid, I would need surgery, and to contact a surgeon who’s information she then gave me. All I heard was YOU DON’T HAVE CANCER. As soon as I hung up the phone, I cried harder than I have in years. Relief flooded out of me even faster than the tears.

Confusion, anxiety, and gratitude still filled my head. I had no idea what a fibroid was, I was incredibly afraid of surgery, and I still felt somewhat betrayed by my body. However, I knew that whatever was happening, it was something that I could actually handle.

In: Health + Wellness, Personal · Tagged: ct scan, fibroid, health

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Hi! I'm Charisma, a creative entrepreneur who loves to help others reach their full potential. I'm a photographer, a writer, and the owner of Kismet + Charisma, an online boutique that pairs minimalist, cozy, boho style with activism. In my little corner of the internet you'll find my latest travels, what I'm currently reading, how I practing Black joy as resistence, and how I'm finding hygge in my daily life. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of tea, and stay awhile.

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Goodbye, January 2023! You’ve been such a wonder Goodbye, January 2023! You’ve been such a wonderful month for me! 🤍 This year, for the first time ever, I decided to start the year off with a focus on only myself. I spent a large part of January celebrating my birthday this year! From delicious dinners and coffee dates to hiking and surprise secret adventures, this month has been full of celebrating and I’ve embraced every single moment of it. After a few years of not feeling quite like myself due to anxiety and depression, it’s great to feel like ME AGAIN! 🎉 I love her and she’s BACK, BABY! In addition to celebrating myself as much as possible, I also honored my mental, physical, and spiritual needs with lots of rest, intentional movement, meditation, and reflection. 

My word for 2023 is community and now that I feel like myself again, I’m so excited to spend the year pouring into my community, while still remembering to fill up my own cup first. 

#january #januaryreflections #selfcare #selfcarefirst #selfcarematters #intentionalliving #intentionallife #beintentional #uniquevintage #velvetdress #blackgirlmagic #blackgirlskillingit #joyfulmoments #joyfulfulmovement #joyfulliving
Snapshots from a beautiful day spent with friends Snapshots from a beautiful day spent with friends who always make my heart happy. Plus a small snippet of me being overjoyed at getting the tiny seat at the back of the train. 
🤍🌳🏰🚂

#intentionalliving #intentionallife #joyfulliving #joyfulmovement #livejoyfully #enjoythemoment #enjoythejourney #happyliving #blackgirldisney #disneymoments #disneygram #orlandoliving #orlandolife #orlandolifestyle #orlandofl #magicalmoments #choosejoy #joyseeker #orlando
I love being able to explore all of the little pat I love being able to explore all of the little paths that exist in Animal Kingdom. All of the gorgeous greenery in this park makes me feel happy, balanced, and calm. Whether it’s a quiet moment at a waterfall, watching birds enjoy the beautiful weather, or trying to see how many different types of plants I can spot, it’s such a peaceful place to spend the day. 🌳🤍

#outdoors #plantlife #nature #naturelovers #walking #animalkingdom #disneysanimalkingdom #wdw #bestdayever #waltdisneyworld #animalkingdomdisney #intentionalliving #livingintentionally #livinginthemoment #joyfulmoments #joyfulliving
Started the year off with some adventure! 🌿🍃 Started the year off with some adventure! 🌿🍃🌳

#intentionalliving #thegreatoutdoors #livingintentionally #livinginthemoment #adventure #adventureisoutthere #nature #enjoynature #goexploring #orlando #orlandoflorida #greenery #plantlife #animalkingdom #dak #disneysanimalkingdom #visitorlando #orlandolocal #stufftodoinorlando
Just some random joyful moments from 2022. 🤍✨ Just some random joyful moments from 2022. 🤍✨

#joyful #joyfulmoments #slowliving #hyggelife #intentionalliving #2022recap #joyfulliving #joyfullife #happymoments #hyggelig #intentionallife #yearofgrowth #yearofgratitude #practicegratitude
Our last closing of 2022! 🎉🎉🎉 So thankfu Our last closing of 2022! 🎉🎉🎉

So thankful to help purchase this 8 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 4034 square foot pool home for our client. This was the perfect way to end an amazing year of growth, challenges, and blessings in our careers.

We are so excited for all the home sales and purchases we will get to be a part of in 2023 and we can’t thank all of our clients enough for trusting us to help make your home related dreams come true! 🏡 

#floridarealestate #floridahomes #orlandohome #orlandoliving #floridarealtor #floridarealestateagent #floridalife #realestateinvestor #orlandolife #movetoorlando #movetoflorida #orlandolocal #floridalocal #buysell #buysellhomes #homebuying #homebuyingprocess #localorlando
Have you been to Animal Kingdom Lodge yet this hol Have you been to Animal Kingdom Lodge yet this holiday season? 🎄 There’s still time! We loved the addition of the gingerbread animals this year and I hope they keep adding to the display. 🦒🦓 The Christmas tree in the main lobby is one of my favorites on property and I’m always a fan of the bread service at Sanaa. 🫓🍽️🌶️

#animalkingdomlodge #christmasdecor #christmastree #christmasdecorations #christmasvibes #christmasseason #disneyworld #wdw #waltdisneyworld #disney #disneygram #disneyparks #disneyfood #disneyblogger #disneyresort #sanaa #orlandothemeparks #themeparks #gingerbreadcookies @disneyparks @waltdisneyworld
These “snow bubbles” smelled like hot cocoa. C These “snow bubbles” smelled like hot cocoa. Christmas magic indeed! Don’t forget to check out The Lights on Jeater Bend in Celebration during its last year ever! It’s free and oh so fun! 

🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄☃️🎄

#christmaslights #christmasdecor #christmaslightshow #christmasiscoming #christmasdecorations #christmasdecorating #celebrationfl #holidaydecor #holidayseason
One of my all time favorite traditions is going to One of my all time favorite traditions is going to see all the human sized gingerbread displays at @waltdisneyworld. They are all beautiful but the gingerbread house at Grand Floridian is my favorite. I love how you can smell it as soon as you walk into the lobby and I love taking a gingerbread shingle home for the perfect Christmas movie snack! 🤍🎄

#christmas #disneychristmas #disneychristmasdecorations #christmasatdisney #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadcookies #christmasmagic #disneymagic #wdw #waltdisneyworld #grandfloridian #grandfloridianresort #christmasdecor #christmascookies #hyggechristmas #hyggelifestyle #christmasmoments #christmasmood
I love the Florida inspired Christmas decor at the I love the Florida inspired Christmas decor at the Grand Floridian! As a kid who always begged to feed the swans at Lake Eola, seeing swans in Christmas decor in Orlando just feels right. 🎄🦢

#christmasdecor #christmastree #floridachristmas #disneychristmas #christmasatdisney #grandfloridian #grandfloridianresort #christmastree #swandecor #holidayseason #happyholidays #christmasseason #happychristmas
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