Brandy Lavaie

What no one tells you about chasing waterfalls in Costa Rica… 🇨🇷

You’re going to WORK for those views. 😂

Costa Rica, día 2:

Today we hiked Catarata del Toro & Blue Falls and made it to 5 of the 7 waterfalls.

This was easily the most challenging hike I’ve done since Rainbow Mountain in Peru in 2022 (possibly more challenging actually!).

Such an incredible workout, but even more incredible views. So grateful to have experienced it with Sara!!!

We even got to cool off with a swim in the beautiful blue water at Poza Azul. 💙

So grateful for the opportunity to experience 5 of these incredible falls and I already can’t wait to come back and explore the other two!!!

Plans don’t always work out the way we imagined…

Sometimes, they lead somewhere even better. 🇨🇷

This trip to Costa Rica looks a little different than I originally pictured it. But if there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s that a change in plans doesn’t mean something went wrong.

Sometimes it’s an invitation to let go of what you thought it should look like and be fully present for what’s actually unfolding.

To explore.
To connect.
To slow down.
To laugh.
To try something new.
To remember just how big and beautiful life can be.

This trip started as a vision for a women’s retreat. But along the way, plans shifted, circumstances changed, and the trip evolved into something different.

And instead of walking away from it, I decided to embrace what it was becoming.

A girls trip. An adventure. And a chance to reconnect with my friend Sara, someone I haven’t seen in more than 25 years!

So here I am in Costa Rica. 🇨🇷

For the next several days, we’ll be exploring, adventuring, slowing down, trying new things, laughing (probably a lot 😂), and seeing where this experience takes us.

And now that I’m here? I’m so glad I said yes anyway.

Because this trip is only the beginning.

Next summer, I’m planning to bring a group of women back to Costa Rica for an experience centered around adventure, meaningful connection, movement, laughter, and making memories in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

So consider this trip a little bit of adventure… and a little bit of research. 😉

I’ll be sharing plenty along the way.

And if Costa Rica with an amazing group of women sounds like something you might want to say YES to next year… stay tuned. 🇨🇷✨

Who wore it better?

24 years apart.

The girl on the left had no idea what life would hold.

She didn’t know she would marry the boy she was getting ready to go to prom with. She didn’t know she would become a mom after growing up without one of her own. She didn’t know she would experience heartbreak, divorce, the loss of much of the family she had always known, or the work of rebuilding herself from the inside out.

She also didn’t know she would discover a different kind of strength.

Not just the kind that helps you fit back into your prom dress…

But the kind that teaches you when to push harder and when to rest. The kind that helps you let go of what no longer serves you. The kind that reminds you to trust your intuition, believe in yourself, and keep moving forward even when life doesn’t go according to plan.

This year, I started lifting weights because I wanted to get stronger physically.

What has surprised me is how much that physical strength has spilled over into every other part of my life. It has reminded me that taking care of our bodies isn’t separate from taking care of our minds and our hearts. They’re deeply connected.

So…who wore it better?

In all honesty, I have so much love, compassion, and gratitude for the girl on the left.

She was doing the best she could with what she knew. She was hopeful. She loved deeply. She had dreams for her future and courageously stepped into a life she couldn’t possibly imagine.

Without her, there wouldn’t be the woman on the right.

But if I had to choose…I’ll choose the woman on the right.

Not because she still fits into her prom dress.

But because she’s learned that real beauty is strength.

The strength to keep going after heartbreak. The strength to ask for help. The strength to set boundaries. The strength to rest without guilt. The strength to trust herself. The strength to begin again.

24 years later, the dress still fits.

But the woman wearing it has grown in ways she at 18 never could have imagined.

And the beautiful thing is…

I’m still growing.

Still becoming.

Still learning that real strength isn’t about perfection, it’s about having the courage to keep evolving.💗

Can we be real for a minute?

Parenting is hard. And single parenting is REALLY hard. And when the two homes are polar opposites with completely different expectations, routines, and rules… it can feel REALLY, REALLY hard!

I can’t be the only one who fantasizes about those amazing family trips where everyone gets along, behaves, laughs together, and genuinely enjoys being with each other… or am I?

When my son and I dropped my daughter off at camp earlier this week, things didn’t go as planned. I had dreamed up this fun beach day and lunch together before camp, but we got a late start, everyone was in a bad mood, and by the time we got there, we were all frustrated with each other. I drove away thinking: Never again!

But yesterday, we got a second chance.

We drove back across the state to pick her up, and because we were already there, we decided to stay awhile. We spent time at Lake Michigan, I went for a run, we had lunch, grabbed ice cream, and just enjoyed being together.

It wasn’t perfect.

But I showed up anyway.

Because hard seasons create strong moms who keep showing up. We show up to love our kids, teach them, lead by example, and believe in who they’re becoming, even on the days when it’s hard.

And the rewards aren’t always big, dramatic moments. Sometimes they’re found in a smile… a hand to hold… your child leaning their head on your shoulder… or hearing them tell you they notice how strong you’ve become (my son has been obsessed with my triceps lol 💪)

Those moments matter.

We can struggle. We can get discouraged. We can even wonder if we’re getting any of it right.

But we don’t give up.

So if you’re a mom who needed the reminder today, I see you.💗

You’re doing better than you think.

It’s my gym friend’s birthday today!!! 🎉

Even though I have only been working out with him since January, it honestly feels like I have known him so much longer.

He meets me at the gym at 6:00 an most mornings (and sometimes as early as 4:30 am when the day calls for it 😅), and he helps keep me accountable to my fitness goals. He says I have done the same for him.

As someone who has always been an early morning workout person and never really had anyone in my life who “got it,” his friendship has been such an unexpected gift.

We started by sharing workouts: him teaching me the weights, protein, and recipes, me sharing yoga poses, stretches, and breathing techniques. Along the way we have shared so many stories, life challenges, plenty of laughs, and even a few tears.

He has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know and is always willing to help someone in need. I’m so incredibly grateful to call him my friend.

Some friendships come into your life completely unexpectedly and end up making your days a little brighter. They challenge you, encourage you, celebrate your wins, and remind you that it’s never too late to build a life filled with good people.

After our workout this morning, I got to surprise him with a chocolate birthday cake, because every birthday deserves cake! 🎂🍫

Happy birthday my friend! Thanks for the early morning birthday workout. I hope you have an amazing day celebrating with your family.✨

One of my favorite things about this season of life is that we’re growing together.

They’re getting taller and stronger.
I’m getting stronger too.💪

Different kinds of growth… but all worth celebrating.💗

Also, my son keeps asking me to arm wrestle him and I keep saying no thank you!!!😅