Meet Our Flamingo

Hey Citizens!  By now, those of you who keep up with our blogs know our message, beliefs, and lifestyle of Barefoot Nation.  Recently, people all over the world have been contacting us to tell us how they find Freedom for the Sole.  Some even have told us after reading some of our posts how they slowed down in life to realize what’s really important in life and how they Get Grounded.  It’s been absolutely amazing to hear these stories and we thank all of you for sharing!

A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful conversation with someone who is right in-line with our thinking.  No coincidence . Citizens – we would like to introduce our newest team member:  The Freestyle Flamingo!  Read below to hear her thoughts.

What can I say, the beach is my happy place!  I prefer sun, sand and surf to any of my other options, and I look to be close to the water no matter what I am doing or where I am.  As a kid, I was lucky enough to grow up a few blocks from the rocky beaches of Long Island’s North Shore, where I chased seagulls, climbed sand dunes, trained for high school track races, and hung out with the local watermen.  As I grew older, and gained the ability to travel, I started visiting beaches all over the country, and soon all over the world.  I have been to some of the world’s most amazing beaches, from Capri, to the Caribbean islands, India, Helsinki, Vietnam… I am truly lucky.  Last year, after a tough set of circumstances and the loss of close friends, I reminded myself that life is short, and I decided to launch a travel and life project that would nourish my love for salt life.  I called it the “Freestyle Flamingo Project,” and with the prodding of friends, bought a website (launch coming soon), started a Facebook page where I could blog a little, and committed to visit a different beach every month for a year.  The purpose: to reconnect with myself, old friends, and the incredible world around me, and to spread good vibes.  I really thought the Bahamas trip in January would be the project’s only trip due to money, time, and all those other convenient excuses (none of this is easy, the Internet only makes it look the way, lol!).  Pretty soon, I found support for the project in a number of amazing yet unexpected places, and there I was creating a new Instagram account, buying more airline tickets, talking with publishers, and taking new risks.  It’s been an incredible journey and I feel thankful to be able to partner with some wonderful organizations that are dedicated to enriching our world through helping people, wildlife, and the oceans that bring so many of us joy.  What started as one small trip with an inflatable flamingo has quickly become a travel and life experiment that has prompted friends to refer to me as their “Chief Flamingo Officer” (CFO).  I can’t wait for what is next to come!  I look forward to sharing the best of my adventures with you, and I am so thankful for all of the support and inspiration I have received from so many of you!  Thank You!

Stay tuned for pictures and stories of The Freestyle Flamingo traveling with Barefoot Nation gear spreading our message worldwide!