When a Heart Break is a Good Thing

Photo by Carlos Miller. Bad hair by mother nature.

This blog is six years old. I feel like an old hag in terms of blogging years. It's like Jurrasic Park around here, minus the velociraptors.

And it has paid off.

2011 was an incredible year.

Nature Girl found herself again. I frolicked with Madagascar lemurs, went fishing and interviewed a python hunter.

My co-hosted radio show with Tonya Scholz, Social Chats, turned over a year-old. We interviewed some of the coolest people in South Florida and beyond.

I hung out with pirates.

I started practicing yoga at a studio again and lost some weight.

I presented a story at Lip Service with WLRN Under the Sun in front of a live audience.

I interviewed Ron Jeremy. Ron fucking Jeremy. LOL!

Oh yeah, speaking of saucy material, I also hosted a burlesque show in Fort Lauderdale and created a special cocktail for the blog.

I conducted two blogging seminars hosted by @gopreemo, spoke at WordCamp and the Women's Success Summit, led a panel and solo presentation on blogging at SheCon, attended the National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference, moderated and organized a panel on South Florida healthcare and social media for a local ad agency ... the list goes on.

For someone who used to suffer from agoraphobia, all this is kind of a big deal.

Which is why, dear readers, I'm a bit burnt out, but in a good way. And I have some big news.

First of all, I won a car. Yes, a freakin' car. Thanks to Buick Quest for the Keys. (Rest assured, I will pimp you a photo.)

But that's not really the news.

The big whopper ... envelope please ...

I was chosen to be a partner on Project Open Voice with Comcast, which means I will be up to my ass in alligators making short video vignettes about Hialeah in the coming weeks. I actually won a grant for this and had to form an LLC.

Most of you don't know that I majored in motion pictures production in college, but this was back in the pre-digital era when you used Nagras on the field, actual 16 mm film and edited on flatbeds. My tech learning curve just went from zero to sixty. No more flip cams for me. I know the art. I'm learning the new tech. Boom mics, laveliers, shotguns? Oh yeah, that's like porn to me now.

But all this was in the cards in some form of beautiful serendipity. Remember my Ford Fiesta trips with Brad Schenck? And the coolest alligator wrestling video ever? I'm back to an art form that I love dearly. For me, film making, writing and editing are all the same. I'm so blessed to have this opportunity to follow my heart's passion. This change to get back to my creative roots literally fell on my lap within 48 hour's notice. Had I blinked an eye, I might have missed it.

And speaking of heart, I'm also following my dream of giving back to the community, organizing Heartcamp for February 4 in Fort Lauderdale. All matters of the heart will be discussed at this 'unconference' -- creative, spiritual, physical, sex, love, relationships and more. I encourage you to attend and be part of this unique South Florida event.

So readers, one woman can't wear all these hats and keep a blog running. I have been thrust into 2012 with much to do. It's not the 'end of the world' as those Mayan calendar people are saying. It's a new beginning.

I don't plan on keeping a regular editorial schedule here until further notice. Because of HeartCamp and my film production schedule, plus the possible regional Florida Tweetup (#floridatweetup on Twitter) mid-January, the blog is on hold for now.

Sex and the Beach is just taking a brief hiatus to stay sane. This is a good "heart" break, which I'm sure you all understand. If I pop in, great. If not, you know where to find me -- microblogging obnoxiously and relentlessly as @vicequeenmaria on Twitter or on Facebook at I Like Sex and the Beach. And of course, you know my Youtube and Flickr channels, right? Also, please keep up with @heartcamp ... I'd love to see all of you there!

Wishing all of you all the best in 2012! Stay real and listen to your heart ...