A Lady Goes West

Do all things with joy, even the hard things. Because you’re going to have to do them anyway, so you may as well try to find the silver lining. 🩷

Lately, I’ve been having fun, working hard and focusing mostly on group fitness, family, soccer and some friends too.

We’re rolling into the last few weeks of summer, ready to soak up time together, keep it joyful and keep it real.

Recent highlights include-
-Some MLS All-Star events in Charlotte with friends
-An awesome group fitness mash-up event at Life Time
-A fun neighborhood progressive dinner party
-A park play date, a kids birthday party and a visit to Charlotte’s new slime museum too

Because you CAN skip the gym, but you CAN’T skip the people! All the love for this Life Time Charlotte community of hard-working members and talented teammates who show up, put in effort and share a passion of joyful movement. I’m forever grateful to call this place my fitness home and my work too! ❤️💪😘

I’m Ashley. I’m 42-years-old. I’m a fitness instructor and writer. And most importantly, a mom, a daughter, a wife and a friend. At 42, I’m the strongest physically I’ve ever been, and I know my 60- 70- and 80-year-old self will thank me for these protected healthy bones, joints and stability (a not-sexy way to talk about muscle, but an important one).

I expected to live out my adult life in a pencil skirt in a corner office, as my original corporate career in communications was heading that way. But a cross-country move and a couple missed opportunities led me to fitness full time, and I think that’s how it was supposed to work out.

I spend my days teaching classes, preparing to teach classes, creating wellness social media content for two accounts and encouraging people to move their bodies in ways that feel good to them. Group fitness changed me for the better, and I like to pay it forward by teaching it, loving it and promoting it.

I think music makes everything more special, and I often walk to the beat.

Thank you, Vika, for taking these photos for me and capturing a time in my life when things were far from perfect, but I was and am incredibly grateful for my health and my strength.

-xoxo,
Ashley

3 nights at Atlantis in the Bahamas was not enough! Our time was super full, and we loved it. Fun fact: Dave and I went to Atlantis on a work trip more than 16 years ago, and it was cool to return as a family of 3! Here’s what we did, what we enjoyed, and some real feedback too …

-We stayed at The Royal, which is super central for all things Atlantis, and our room was small, but did the trick
-We did a half-day excursion through Pieces of 8 (booked through the Atlantis Resort), and this took us to Rose Island to feed and hold pigs, do water sports, have a local lunch and go on a super-fast, rough and fun boat ride — we loved this and felt like it was worth the spend
-We snorkeled a ton in the Cove Beach area (way prefer that area to the main Atlantis beach) and saw beautiful fish, reefs and even followed a sea turtle - this trip marked Brady’s first time snorkeling and he was so into it
-We did the resort Aquaventure activities, and they were fun, but so crowded — we tried a couple slides and went on the Rapid River twice - loved the river and one of the slides, but one was too scary for me, and I bruised my butt
-We watched a World Cup game at the Atlantis lounge, which was fun, even though the game was a loss
-We ate at Amber and enjoyed our meal
-We ate at Nobu, and felt like it was rushed and overpriced, even though that famous Black Miso Cod was mouth-wateringly delicious
-We walked the beach, sat by the pool, explored The Dig and sipped on some tasty frozen drinks

If you’re thinking of going to Atlantis, I highly recommend doing the water park activities first thing and saving the beach until later. You’ll need reservations for your dinners, and you should bring plenty of snacks and a reusable water bottle everywhere you go.

We’re so grateful for the opportunity to take this fun family trip! Until next time, Bahamas! ☀️

Sunshine, slides, snorkeling, snuggles and sand in our bathing suits. Our little family loved and needed this cute island time together. ☀️

Dave and I both have very in-person jobs, so we’re always extra grateful for some family travel, even when it’s short and sweet like this one was!