Earlier this fall B & I got to do something I’ve been dreaming of… *drumroll please* we went to a renaissance fair! & not just aaaany renaissance fair—the biggest one in northern California! The best part!? I just so happened to make a new friend who is an amazing seamstress & she loaned us beautiful authentic garb from the time period.
Look how cute we looked! I felt like a princesa.
I spoke in a British accent (if you could call it that haha), we gawked at giant turkey legs, took photos of the queen’s processional & laughed at comedy shows. B even bought me a puzzle ring that has made the most beautiful fidget toy! While I was massively excited about our attire, I was shocked to see that almost everyone was dressed up. Our gorgeous outfits did not make us stand out in the crowd, because we were basically in uniform with everyone else. It. Was. AWESOME! (& the people watching was unparalleled!)
Fast forward a few hours in the sun with several layers of clothing, your Lord & Lady were ready to head home. But before we got too far, I wanted to stop by a tourist spot that my family had recommended. We hopped in the car carriage & drove a half mile up the road to Casa de Fruta. I asked B if he thought there’d be any other renaissance fair goers & he shrugged as we made our way over.
My question was answered very quickly. It was a hard NO.
We received countless stares on our way in, a little boy did a double take & hugged onto his mom’s leg after seeing us, & I got many confused looks while waiting in line for the bathroom. We took some selfies that I sent to my tia & I thought about how these two places, in such geographical proximity, could not seem more different. We had just fit into a crowd, lost in a sea of ruffles & petticoats & huzzah’s, & now we might as well have been aliens walking out of a spacecraft.
I’m really big on finding community, one that nurtures & uplifts you! One that makes you feel like what you enjoy is normal. This was a powerful, tangible reminder that if you feel like the odd one out, you might just be a renaissance girly at a fancy fruit stand. You don’t need to change, there’s nothing wrong with who you are, you might just not have found your crowd…yet.
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re into self-development. You want to grow & evolve & deepen your relationship with & others. What do you do when you start to change & you realize your community hasn’t come along for the ride? What if you’re all dressed up in your new renaissance attire, but you’ve been hanging out at the fruit stand & you don’t know how to get to the fair?What if you’re trying to cut back on alcohol, but your friends only hang out at bars? You want to launch a successful business, but your friends tell you that wealthy people are bad? You want to make a career change, but your colleagues hate on you for wanting something more?
If that’s where you are, I just want to take a second to validate your feelings. It’s hard to shed your identity while also letting go of relationships in the way you once knew them. Know that you can love & care about your friends without spending every second with them. If you want read more about letting go of friendships, it’s a topic I’ll cover in a future blog post. Comment below & I’ll be sure to send it to you so you don’t miss it when it goes live!
Mija, you deserve to be in a community that thinks you are absolute magia. You’re worthy of having amigas who don’t expect you to keep your light dim so they don’t feel bad about their own flickering bulbs.
Be relentless about finding a community that normalizes your goals & hobbies & gustos. Truly, this is what will help you expand into your authentic identity as you continue navigating this journey of life.
