Turns out, the trip to Trinidad was 4 days after I got back from vacation to Jamaica. Thank God I had such a great boss who let me take the time off to do this. The added bonus too was that I would have a great tan for this weekend of runway shows and it’s a good think when you see all the swim suits I modeled.
The day I left for the Island was certainly a difficult one and somehow I managed to make it to the flight on time. I worked my regular 7-3 downtown (that means I was up at 5) and I got to my car after work and saw a screw or nail in my tire. I prayed that I’d make it back to the east end of the city (Whitby) and to the airport and then leave it there for a few days and then go home and be fine. But, then, common sense kicked in and I realized I needed to get this sucker fixed. So, somehow I made it back to Whitby before 4pm – which is pretty much unheard of in my commute. Now the thing is, this was my plan for the evening before my 11pm flight…I had a personal training session at 4:30 in Whitby, then I needed to head to WINGS Maternity Home in Ajax for group to lead and then I was going to head to the airport straight from there. I called my dealership at 3:50, they could fit me in, and change my oil which it needed and they dropped me off at my trainers, and picked me up, and then I headed to WINGS and to the airport. It was a miracle that I got all of it done and this time, I just chuckled at the craziness of the day rather than it stealing my joy and stressing me out – which is typical of me – but not these days…
I had managed to reserve myself the emergency row on the way there which meant no one was in front of me and I slept the whole flight through the night. I actually got it on the way back too for our red eye home.
As we arrived we were greeted by two of the friendliest faces – especially for 5 am!! I am not a morning person so I was uber impressed. Salema and Lisa – you were so fabulous, well you still are!
We had a bit of downtime once we checked into our rooms and pretty much slept and got ready for practices. The weather wasn’t very nice so the hope of getting an even darker tan was dashed. But, I’m not going to complain cause this trip was an experience of a life time.
Our first evening there we met most of the other models. It’s funny to think back on that night because we were all pretty shy and stuck with our friends and who we had traveled with and by the end of our 5 days there, we had made such great friends.
The Canadian crew I went down with dawned our Size Sexy shirts as a group and we practiced with confidence down that runway. I was sporting 6 inch heels for the weekend…I actually never imagined that they would be so comfy and how differently I walked in them when I had confidence. This whole runway thing has been pretty new but this weekend changed something in me and I had several people tell me that it was neat to see me transform and get more and more confident each show we did and that by the end of the last show, I was just owning the stage as I strutted my stuff. That is something else I never imagined would happen. I still remember the first time someone asked me if I had my walk down pat when I was starting everything with Miss Plus Canada. I thought there were speaking another language.
The next morning we were up bright and early for the press breakfast where I was asked to open and say a little welcome message and thank you on behalf of the international models and designers. What a privilege that was! And I felt so pretty in my Joseph Ribkoff dress from SexyPlus Clothing (located at 5100 Maingate Drive in Mississauga).
The rest of our trip we were either sleeping, hanging out, primping, doing hair & makeup, going for fittings or practicing and getting ready for our shows. We did 4 shows while we were down there and I was able to model some amazing outfits. I modeled mostly swimsuits – these long legs are kind of rare on a Plus Size girl I suppose but swimsuits work no problem!
So let’s talk about that…me…on the runway….in 6 inch heels…in swimsuits…even a 2 piece. If you told me 3 years ago that this is what I’d be doing – I probably would have laughed in your face. Even if you told me this a year ago. But, my journey has brought me to the place where I’m confident in who I am and the curves I have. It was such a surreal experience.
I did get some flak from the people in my life about wearing swimsuits and some of the clothing that I wore on the runway but for me was really a culmination of not just accepting me and my curves but truly embracing them and rocking it out. It is important to me to maintain a wholesome image given my role as a mentor but I also think that it’s ok to be a little sexy – something I have never felt until this year.
One of the mornings we were there I also had the privilege of doing a photoshoot with Look Into my Eyes Photography while modeling GiGi Jorie’s new swimsuit line that the was debuting in the show. When I put this swimsuit on the first time I felt like a sexy goddess. And to be able to shoot in Trinidad was such an honor. This photographer was so great to shoot with – so instructional and as a new model that’s so helpful. He was patient and even offered me his towel to pat down – damn it was hot! I was so honored to not only do this shoot but to open and close for GiGi Jorie during the show in two different numbers. Sexy swimsuits for us curvy girls – yes please! As I watched the women wear these sexy suits, I saw a confidence that just came out even more. It was so neat to be a part of.
I would say that my favourite part of the ‘show’ was walking for Dexter Jennings at the end of the final show. We were in this awesome African line, strutting down the runway to some amazing music and it was just such a fun way to end off such a great few days. I did get a couple comments that they were surprised I didn’t just drop it at the end of the stage – they were expecting me to break it down. Looking back – I should have – cause this white girl can dance. One of the producers even asked me – Are you sure you’re not part African? It was pretty funny.
On the Saturday afternoon that we were there we were treated to a beauty seminar. Not just on outer beauty but on our inner beauty. It was neat to be there while Canada’s own Ophilia from Ophilia’s Kurves shared. She was so inspirational. We also were given tips on dressing for specific occasions, hair, makeup, etc. For this special event I chose the Cayman Islands Dress from SexyPlus Clothing – flirty, sexy and beautiful.
There were also 2 competitions during this special event – Plus Model of the World and Carnival Plus Model Competitions. It was so neat to see some of my girls participate in the competitions-you guys did so amazing and stepped outside of your comfort zones! The confidence, costumes, style and beauty was breath taking! Congratulations to La Tosha Hart on winning Plus Model of the World and Renee Edwards Ambrose on winning Carnival Plus Model!
There are 2 things I left with at the end of this trip. The first is that something I realized that is so neat about this world of plus size modeling. Every woman I have met through this industry has a story. Most of their stories involve their journey to learning to love themselves. Some came from broken families who were never told that they were beautiful or loved. Some had similar backgrounds to me where they ended up with a man who stripped them of who they were and they had a process of rebuilding and discovered their value, worth and beauty. Everyone’s story is unique. Everyone is valuable. Everyone is beautiful. It wasn’t until the end of the weekend that this really hit me hard. I am just so grateful to have met so many beautiful, talented and inspirational women!
The other thing I left with was more confidence. There was no hiding behind my hair, or clothes or anything really during this event. And each time I went out on stage, I got more and more confident. After that trip I started walking with my head higher and my shoulders back just a little bit more.
I think people think that because this year is amazing and I’ve been given such big opportunities that I’ve got my self-confidence all day, every day. But the truth of the matter is it is a daily choice to love yourself. It’s a daily choice to focus on the positive. Some days are rough but those days are rare and I’m surrounded by people in my life to remind me of who I am, how loved I am and that my value and worth don’t come from what I do for them, or the things that have happened in life, but simply because of who I am and who God created me to be. That goes for you too – know you are valuable, you are worthy and you are a gem that should be treasured.
Leave A Comment