Female Spotlight: Luccia Cafiero

This is the one feature that I have been looking forward to write so I can really solidify my point in doing this project. The model turned driver.

When I began looking for female drivers and other inspirational women to feature, I knew I had to write about one that had always caught my attention that so happened to be sponsored by Turbo by Garrett. Her name is Luccia Cafiero and she is a Colorado based driver. When we first spoke over Facebook, she gave this laid back but very genuinely kind vibe that is rare for models in my opinion nowadays. She is not only gorgeous, but really knows her car and motorsport shit, which obviously attracts the male crowd. Nothing wrong at all with that, more power to ya girl, but other models that are "drivers" as well, have such a bad attitude and think they are God's gift to the world; they are just plain rude above all.

The merging of the two passions began about the sweet 16 age for Luccia when her now ex step father made the premature assumption that she would never make it in the motorsport industry. Shortly after signing with her current agency Donna Baldwin Talent, she decided to take another swing at racing. At about 17, she got her first STi and began making mistakes as well as learning from them all the while critics would sit and laugh at her mistakes. It's funny how people who aren't doing anything take pride in bringing others down, although, that usually motivates some people which in this case, motivated Luccia to push harder. About a year ago, she traveled out here to California to do work with Whiteline at Subiefest and eventually work SEMA with them following. There, she was able to properly network with people in the industry who also understood and saw her vision of professionally racing.

Although she has very few track days under her belt, she was given an opportunity to try Willow Springs out with a Crawford Racing BRZ where she without a doubt "prove to him and others that I was more than 'just a pretty face'". I have personally seen a lot of wannabe driver model types that rely on their looks and "pretty faces" to try and get their way, it is so refreshing that there is a pretty face with brains and dedication to back her dreams up. She is already sponsored by some heavy hitters including Turbo by Garrett, Whiteline Flatout, Turbosmart, Penrite Oil Company, and Suba Preformance, which you have to have something more than looks backing you to get these guys to take you seriously. Eventually the ones who are really in it for attention get their cover blown and are soon forgotten, however, with this road racing rookie, she will be nearly impossible to forget.

"I think being a women in this world presents its positives and negatives.  I want to prove to people that I'm not just some model that pretends to be a racer.  I actually want to be good at this and present realistically good outcomes from my driving.  I have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on, but it's something I am very focused on doing, just like what I was able to do with my modeling.  I try to keep the two of them balanced in different ways.  I was able to reach 10k followers on my Instagram through presenting my passions to a wide spread audience.  I am still to this day surprised that 10k people find my life so interesting, probably more than I do!  A lot of people like me because I'm "pretty," and I put pretty in that context because I am not one to at all call myself a pretty girl or talk about my looks, and because of my passion for cars, especially my build.  I am also very strict on the type of photos I put out there.  I am a firm believer in quality of photos because of my extensive background in fashion modeling.  Modeling and cars are two separate things for me.  Although, I do mix the two at times, I find it very relaxing to have two outlets to escape to when one may be more stressful than the other.  It's a perfect balance".

I can't wait to see what more seat time and development brings this talented woman in the next seasons, personally I'd like to see her one up the guys at Pike's Peak one day! I'm sure with her driver and backing of sponsors, that is going to seem more and more like a plan than a dream.













Oh, and let's not forget her tech sheet! 
2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi


Engine:
GTX3071R with an ATPTurbo stock location kit
Turbosmart EWG 44mm
Turbosmart Duel Port BOV
Manley Rods
JE Pistons
OEM Crank, head studs, case halves
ACL bearings
KOYO radiator
Crawford Performance AOS
Cobb Intake 
Walbro 255 fuel pump
Processwest TMIC


Suspension/misc.:
Tien Super Street coil overs (soon to purchase racing coils)
Whiteline 22mm front sway bar
Whiteline 24mm rear sway bar
Whiteline front and rear endlinks
Whiteline powersteering rack bushings
Whiteline front and rear diff bushings
Whiteline anti-roll lift kit
Whiteline roll centre kit
TIC linkage bushings
Kart Boy shifter bushings
Penrite racing coolant and oil

Enkei RP03 17x9
Nitto NT05's
Cobb V2 AP
Custom rear diffuser, front splitter, brake ducts
Slotted front and rear rotors
Currently deciding on a racing brake pad
Stainless steel brake lines
And soon to be E85 tuned by Travis at Snail Performance 

Luccia says the list will obviously change as she gets dialed in more, along with moving out here to California to further pursue racing in the professional light. One thing that is cool about her, she never sounded entitled, she is sincere and thankful for all the help and challenges that will ultimately make her an amazing racer in the near future.

Weeknd Report

Formula Drift Atlanta took place this weekend at the world famous Road Atlanta track in Braselton, GA. For myself, this meant one more weekend being alone and waiting for Yukio to come home. Normally, a few days apart is not a big deal, but we have been apart for a little over two weeks now, so I was really excited for Sunday morning to roll around. There was horrible weather this weekend at the track, and my Facebook feed was flooded with complaints that Formula Drift needed to get their shit together because the livestream was down. Honestly, it isn’t their fault; they aren’t am internet/cable company or technicians. It was just annoying and sad to see lots of entitled people complaining as if they paid for this bonus that is provided free. I get it, we want to watch some of our friends and teams compete, but seriously, if you’re going to talk shit and complain, tag names directly or blame the correct source of the problem. Another thing I saw that made me roll my eyes was some kid from the PNW calling Formula Drift drivers “pussies” for doing shakedowns since the track had some wet spots. He even went as far as to compare the skills of Formula 1 drivers to the skills of Formula Drift, that one made me laugh big time. It’s not like this rookie cut it for this season anyways or has competed throughout the ENTIRE series in the type of cars that the top 16 drivers have. Don’t knock it until you’ve been in their shoes, or at least be Nico Rosberg to run your mouth. Personally, I didn’t watch the event, I wished all the Garrett drivers well, but went on my day. Terrible Drift Bunny, I know.

Speaking of F1, who else is stoked that Mercedes wins again? Personally, I am a Rosberg fan, but still thrilled that Hamilton took it. Anyone in the LA area doing something fun for F1 Monaco? My boyfriend and I want to eventually do F1 parties. He is a Kimi fan, so Ferrari fans, I suppose you are welcome to hang out LOL.

The fun doesn’t stop as this weekend we are heading to Pomona for NHRA which is a perfect since I am in the process of writing my Female Friday spotlight on a drag racer. Funny enough, drag racing and time attack are the newest motorsports I have been going to more than drifting this season and am really starting to enjoy it. NHRA is fun, but it seems a bit old school for my taste, Import Faceoff is what I am getting into. I’ve never been a fan of Hondas, typical grassroot fangirl, I was all about Nissans. Close minded on my part, I have been enjoying being around other cars on the strip more and more. Hopefully this season, with or without my partner in crime, I’ll be able to watch another World Challenge event or maybe even photograph it. Yukio is turning me into a race nerd!

I am starting to really love my new job, and especially the fact that I have weekends off. It has been really interesting working in Los Angeles, specifically the “west side”. I worked for a shitty property management company that had me out of two buildings; one on Ocean Ave in Santa Monica, and the other in the fancy part of Brentwood. Eventually, I stayed in Brentwood which was more enjoyable because the other office girl became my friend. Ironically, she went to school with Walker Wilkerson, small world! My weekends were Monday and Tuesday which blew big time. One thing I noticed about working on this side of LA is the type of people that throve here. You have your wannabe kardashians, real housewives, bored with too much money, or starving actor one gig on 3^rd street promenade away from hitting it big. Although there is an artificial vibe, it is fun, I feel like I am working in another planet so to speak. When you find people who are genuine, or out of state transplants, it is like finding a plastic toy in the cereal box. I live in the South Bay side of Los Angeles, specifically where we live is very close to the beach, so it is a laid back vibe. That is one of the things I like about this city, it is a huge melting pot of people, cultures, and things to do.

I guess you can say I feel at home here finally, I have bled out the last of Moorpark from my system. Although I miss my itty bitty doggie, that is just a 45 minute quick fix I have somewhat gotten over. Last month I even changed my number to a 310 area code, just felt right.

There is never really a dull moment for too long in my new life lately, I have my ups and my downs too, but accepting that has become something that has come with time. I am working my ass off to make sure I keep a consistent forward pace with my relationship, career, and journey in development as a photographer and writer in motorsports. Hopefully there are few people out there who read this and find some sort of relation in situations and are inspired to keep on keepin’ on.

xoxo Drift Bunny

The Weekly

The past few weeks have been interesting on top of our laptop dying on us. I finally found a new job at an awesome property management company, Yukio left to Europe for about 12 days, and I got a pet bunny. Yes, the irony is obvious, but my friend Tiffany needed to give him up for adoption and I told her if I landed this job I’d take him. He is so adorable, while and grayish silver. Not sure why, but his coat reminds me of the F1 Mercedes team colors, so I renamed him, Nico, after Nico Rosberg. I tend to do that, perfect example would be my doggie, Tanner. He has gold and black, like the Rockstar energy team, which Tanner Foust drove for in FD.

It is my 3^rd day at my new job, and I am feeling like this is going to be a good match. Although Yukio came home for barely 2 days, he left for Formula D Atlanta and is coming home first flight on Sunday. It does make me a bit sad that he has been gone for 2 weeks; I never really saw how close we got until we have been apart. Through the ups and downs and everything in between, I know this brings me more into the realm of adulthood and maturity, which has also been a growing pain. Our apartment feels like home finally, and my transition into a cohabitation is starting to be more relaxed.

Last night I went through my Instagram account and came across the old photos I took at my Mom’s 50^th birthday dinner at my Grandma’s house last year. We don’t talk, at all. We had another falling out back in December and haven’t spoken since, although I have my own feelings towards the situation, I wish it wasn’t hostile. After reminiscing through pictures and memories, it became clear that I really am the black sheep of my family, at least on my Mother’s side. I am the only different sheep amongst the heard, but that is what sheep do, the follow and conform. My cousins, my brother, and myself, were born out of wedlock and at a very young age. All the marriages are ending, but for some reason, the way of thinking has not changed. This is where the disagreements have come from and why I refused to follow the same path, I need to make my own mistakes, learn, and evolve. I definitely feel lonely on the family side of things, but life sometimes deals hands that are not what we preferred. Hopefully one day in the future, my mom will be proud of me without any contingencies and we will see eye to eye rather than agree to disagree.

 As many of you already know, I have my Real Estate license and have been in the industry for about 8 years now. Recently, I have decided to go back to school. Ultimately, I would like to achieve an MBA and hopefully enter the professional side of motorsports with a tire company or team. Falling back on my RE license has been helpful, but with the encouragement of my boyfriend, I have realized that I need to have a stronger education if I want to go above and beyond the average “comfortable” life. Hard work does pay off, so I am looking forward to going back to school and just learning new things.

Slow and steady wins the race (of life, not motorsports) and as of now, I am back on track. So far, I have learned that life and love require hard work, patience, and compassion. First you need all the correct ingredients, and then you mix them together, then finally enjoy the cupcakes of your labor.

xox Drift Bunny

Viva Las Work Trip

For the last 3 days Yukes and I have been in Las Vegas for his work trip. Since right now I am hunting for jobs, I tagged along and of course would forget my ID. I am not a clubber or big drinker so it didn't matter too much, except it would be tough getting a drink or two. Besides the face palming and trying to find a DMV for a replacement ID ticket, the drive out there was fun. After lots of laughter and a nap, we got to Vegas right on schedule where we checked in and left for the convention center to drop Yukes off for the SEMA exhibitor summit. While driving back, I planned to take a nap and hit the gym before picking up Yukio. Those damn Planet Hollywood beds were like sleeping on a marshmallow, so I ended up sleeping until my phone dinged and had to retrieve my lovey. Even though this trip was for work, we planned to just spend time together by ourselves since he is leaving next week for about 9 days, then heading out again. This is one of the things that makes me uncomfortable that I have to handle like an adult on my own. Not seeing my boyfriend for that long wouldn't bother me as much if I was still living back home, however, I have seen him every day since December, so you could say I have grown accustom to seeing him every day. 

Although this isn't the greatest to look forward to, I know that it will be good having time to miss each other. Anyways, with all that mushy crap in mind, we got ready for date night; dinner and a night on the town. Of course, being the ding dong I am, I'd forget my special comb for straightening that comes in handy since my iron is weak. Being the creative butterfly I am, I used to iron for the clothes to speed things up. A few passes with the irons and we were off to dinner. After eating at a nice Italian place in the miracle mile mall, we hit the casino, drink in hand of course, and gambled a bit. Surprisingly, Yukes won on the first slots he tried; $120! After that excitement, we walked around the strip, other casinos all the while I was thrilled that drink was hitting me pretty good. It was a fun night just hanging out and laughing, just simple and perfect.

After a fun night, day time soon came up, but not without a little something extra; there was a solar eclipse the night before, which I was too pacified to remember to wake up and watch the blood moon. I woke up at 5, which still allowed me to see that something cosmic took place. The room was filled with a deep orange glow and it was just so beautiful. Next time, I will avoid and large drinks before something so neat! After Yukio left, I got some breakfast and just walked around looking at whatever looked interesting until it was past noon and time to eat. I had lunch with a friend that lives in Vegas and we chatted for enough time to where I left directly to meet yukes for a special mixer and spot on the observation wheel. Haven't heard of it? It is this HUGE London Eye looking wheel that takes you in a bubble to the top and you can see all of the strip and surrounding Las Vegas. We took the monorail out to a new alley filled with shops, restaurants, and of course bars. The bar where SEMA hosted us was a classy and not too fancy bar where we mingled with friends and new faces for a bit until it was time to ride the huge wheel. To our delight, we were informed that one of the bubbles had an open bar, but I guess that's how you do it in Vegas! The ride itself was neat, the view was completely breath taking! We were above a few of the hotels and gazing down at the sparkling town. 

I got to meet a few of Yukio's good friends that he works with and could see why, they were awesome! After the observation wheel, we all headed to Yard House for dinner. After sharing funny stories and talking about the day, we headed to the Mirage to smoke some hookah. Perfect, you have to be 18 to smoke, I am 5 years past that, I should be ok. Nope. Apparently, I look like I am still 16, and with not having my ID with my, I had to leave. Note to self: MAKE A CHECKLIST BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE! My partner in crime and I left, and then he left without me, to which I was so confused but it was funny because this time, it was him that had some drinks and not me. After catching up to chooks, we hit up serendipity for dessert, ice cream of course. That's one of his favorites, so who was I to try and stop that? :) we finally made the journey back to Planet Hollywood and completely knocked out from such a fun night.

The next day was a short one. Yukio only had few meetings and came back about 10:30 and left. My friend Alex had apprently found a magical machine in the Venetian and won a ridiculous amount of money, so it was a must to check it out. We walked around and had lunch once again in the miracle mile and talked about all the upcoming traveling. It is part of the job and the life, but having such a supportive person who is kind about the whole thing helps greatly. We finally were at the Venetian after some time and hoped that we would have the same outcome of Alex. Instead, we lost together $80. Go figure! It was worth the try, but I will stick to sipping my drink and watching the slots instead.

After getting our pockets robbed, we had one last stop had been to that mall when we first began dating around SEMA time, so it was nice to be back somewhere with a nice familiarity to it. After light shopping, we gassed up and left Vegas. The drive seemed much longer going home than coming back, and we were not heading straight home either. It was our friend Travis' birthday, and a group of us planned to meet up in Anaheim for KBBQ. It was nice being with friends and just laughing about whatever and anything. We finally headed home at about 11, which made yesterday a ridiculously long, but fun day. 

Today I am planning on visiting an old friend and maybe some family back in Moorpark today since I have an appointment in mid city at 2. I am hopping that I get to see my beloved toy yorkie today! We will see, still up in the air.

Our trip was a busy but fun one, definitely full of fun memories, and I am looking forward to the next adventure we have.

xo Drift Bunny 

  

Track Life

Last week was Formula Drift; we went to Press day on Tuesday and attended both qualifying and the main event. I decided to sit out shooting on Friday and enjoy the event as a spectator while hanging out with Yukio which was a really nice change of pace. It's different shooting specific drivers and not shooting everyone, but it was a good experience none the less, it will only help sharpen me as a photographer.

Fun fact: we just got internet access in our apartment, it has been about 3.5 months.
No complaints here, I moved in with a bachelor who travels constantly so I understood why it was the way it was. The good news is, I got to see my chookio more and more since he could do a little work from home. I was still day dreaming about all the fun we had over the weekend I almost forgot to look forward to the Grand Prix up this weekend. Our schedule is a little hectic for the next week; Grand Prix, IDRC (drag racing), and Las Vegas for the SEMA exhibitor summit from Monday to Wednesday. It was so refreshing to see something other than drifting, which don't get me wrong, that is where it all began for me, but my motorsport interest has matured into other reaches of the Industry and I was mostly looking forward to seeing the Prototypes compete in the Tudor Challenge/ALMS race. The Grand Prix involves a ton of walking around, but it is so worth it, especially if you are there to absorb and learn about several types of racing. Yukio's company sponsors some cars in World Challenge and Prototype; for some reason, the WC teams did not compete, but the two Sky Active Mazda cars did. Quite honestly, they got chewed up, but that's okay! That just leaves so much opportunity for growth after development.

Hearing what ALMS and World Challenge cars sound like up close and in person was like hearing the motorsport angels sing; Ferrari, Cadillac, Porsche, Audi, BMW... So Incredible! When the bunch of ALMS cars accelerated after the hairpin it was like all 9 years of drifting excitement was bubbled up into those few seconds of glorious roaring. Ferrari was so loud, you could here that driver spool up over the bunch of 6 other machines; one of the most amazing sounds to hear in person. Our friends Cuban, Kevin, and Travis were with us too, talking good shit and making even better jokes, I couldn't ask for a better experience than laughing and watching some amazing racing.

At the end of the evening, Motegi has their "Super Drift" Challenge where 16 drivers from the series compete instead of the usual demo they put on. I feel like that was a good move in terms of showing what Formula Drift is really like and will bring in a load of new faces for Irwindale or perhaps out of state events.
Yukio had to shoot photos and do all the social media stuff in the photographer pit both nights, so last night, I hung out with my new friend Ari in the spotter tower to which I found out was a suite for spectators too! Of course, it's not free and I could imagine it costs a pretty penny to be there... When the competition began, chooks came up and watched with us and we all had fun despite the chilly weather. Everyone did a great job showcasing what the series is about, and just from hearing the comments from new faces, this league is only going to continue it's rapid growth.

After the excitement, we finished with dinner at our favorite ramen spot in Gardena. Super authentic, and one of the best tasting hot meals for when it is cold.

Today is IDRC in Fontana, Import drag racing. I was going to go with Yukio again, but there was one problem; laundry. We need some fresh laundry for Vegas, and in the midst of the racing excitement, it kept getting put off. So I decided last night to stay back, clean our apartment, and make sure we have clean clothes for our trip. I guess that's love, right? I want to be supportive in more ways than cheering for my boyfriend's sponsored drivers, so hopefully cleaning today will do the trick (I know it does).

I am excited to leave tomorrow and spend a little time with my lovey out of state even though this is a work trip, but he will be traveling internationally and all over the US soon. We are trying to spend a good amount of time together before he is gone for basically 6 weeks. This is one of the aspects of my relationship I am going to have to learn to deal with in a positive manner, since we have basically been together since October. Time apart is good, but it will be a good challenge.

Well, it is time to watch a few of my favorite shows then start cleaning up a bit. Viva Las Vegas in the AM!

xo Drift Bunny  

Nutshell

My infamous time gaps, ah yes. Lovely, aren't they? I know, I know, I am terrible at updating. Here's the truth, it has been hard to update often with the situations I've been in. When I lived at home, our family PC was on it's last leg of life, so working on photos and posting/blogging was challenging. My mother let me use her work laptop on occasion to edit, but with work, obviously that was priority. So as always, here is the juicy post that catches you up to speed on the past 6 months or so on my life in motorsports and off the track.

I last left you all on a cliffhanger before SEMA. If you all follow my Instagram (@thedriftbunny) then you saw how crazy it was with the crazy industry parties every night, the exciting show itself, and of course, hanging out with a variety of new faces and old ones. I hadn't experienced wither SEMA or Vegas until that week, which was the most fabulous thing ever, going back to Vegas when it isn't SEMA is going to be debated ;) If any had noticed I went out there on Halloween, it was for a certain reason, and no, it was not to get extra partying in. 

This now brings me to one of the most exciting and special chapter in my life that I have already been very open with, the love of my life; my boyfriend Yukio. I went out early to hang out with who I originally saw as a friend, and wanted to just have fun few days early. Right off the bat, it was like I had known this person for years, and it was like seeing those animated stars when we had our conversations. Ironically, in the city of sin, I fell in love.

About December time, things at home were once again, rough and not working out. Just like last year, I left unexpectedly. I stayed in Moopark for a few weeks figuring things out and working a small part time at my favorite store, Sprouts. After about a month, I moved in with my boyfriend to the beautiful South Bay. We live on the border of Redondo Beach and Torrance, and it is so lovely here. Living on my own for a bit last year is totally different now, especially since I chose to have a better and positive state of mind than last year. Life for the past 4 months have been an adjustment, and I am now barely seeing here as my home. I have the most loving and supportive boyfriend here that wants to make sure I am always comfortable and happy as to where living in Highland Park, I had no one. Don't get me wrong, I am not an ignorant young woman that is going to sit here and rant about how I have the "best boyfriend in the world", because we have our ups and downs learning to cohabitate together.

The hardest aspect of living with a boyfriend has been the struggle to accept that I am no longer an "I" and have to learn to share space and adjust habits of mine like when I lived at home or on my own. All in all, it is fun, Yukio has an incredible career (in motorsports of course) and I have been lucky enough to go with him to few drag races and two time attacks. Today, we are  going to the 2nd day of the Long Beach Grand Prix, and it is just amazing. Being with someone who shares my love for motorsports feels like I've slipped on a pair of glass slippers.

Of course, there has to be one thing that isn't so peachy. I fell off the vegan/healthy wagon. I FEEL SO GUILTY! It really sucks. When I lived at home, our family room was very spacious and i could move my couches quite easily and get my workouts in, here, not so much ( haha). Yes, yes, I do remember my motivational sayings and postings, I should just move the damn sectional couch we have here along with the coffee table. The space here is small, however, I need to just suck it up. My whole being felt so in balance last year, and now I just want to be back in that spot. Hopefully that motivation stick whacks me in the head and there will be no belly aching about this! 

So there you have it, my life over the past 6 months or so. now that we have Internet and I have a laptop that won't travel from me, I can attempt to update this weekly (hopefully). I am planning on introducing a new blog on my cohabitation adventures, but will most likely just merge those stories with this blog. 

Off to the races we go! Make sure to keep up with my pink adventures of Instagram; @thedriftbunny... Let's see if I can reach 50k followers! :)

xo Drift Bunny 

New Adventures: Lamborghini Race

I am so excited to finally announce that I will be covering the Lamborghini Super Trofeo race alongside Indy at California Speedway in October! Shooting for GMG Racing from Orange County, CA, this modest size shop has proven themselves as a force to watch out for by producing some incredible track monsters such as the Audi R8, Porsche GT3 911, Lamborghini and Ferrari. Just this past the weekend at the Sonoma Grand Prix they nabbed 2nd &3rd place by Drivers Duncan Ende and James Sofronas.
Photo below by Jerry Truong of GMG Racing & of The Perfect Exposure blog
theperfectexposure.blogspot.com 
http://www.gmgracing.com/ 

That weekend will definitely be automotive filled since it ends the day of JustDrift's All Star Bash. Since I will already have an incredible new set up, I might as well take full advantage of it and shoot out to Willow Springs immediately after the event at Cal Speedway concludes. Lots of driving, but hey, this is what I just happen to live for.

Formula Drift Texas is right around the corner and I am leaving on the 12th, and officially counting the days more and more. New track, new city, new people, and still anyone's game. For all my lovies in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, make sure to say hello when you see the big hair bow!

xoxo Drift Bunny

Lost and Found

So many of you have noticed that I have a lack of updating, well, half a year worth of missing. I am alive, shooting here and there and now locking in events for the remainder of the season and planning some projects in the motorsport world for next season. All of this missing in action has not been because of lack of interest and I feel like it is time to share what I have been going through so I don't come off as a flake.
For my instagram and facebook followers, you all already knew that I had moved to Los Angeles on my own late fall/winter time briefly. Unexpectedly I had to leave home and figure things out on my own with little resources. I had left real estate and began working at Bank of America in the Foreclosure department, which was definitely my safety net. Running around LA was fun until it hit December and things in my personal life seemed to unravel; BofA was laying off especially my department so I was let go, my good friend from middle school had apparently accidentally shot herself, my grandfather from Puerto Rico had passed away, and, here's the big one, I was arrested for DUI on my way home from Fullerton. I never once thought that I would find myself in jail, let alone getting caught for drinking and driving, which I'm not that into drinking and clubbing to begin with. I was texting, so that gave me away, I blew a .089 which is so low I wasn't even intoxicated. Super frustrating, I hate clubbing and that whole scene, it's pretty stupid and pointless (to me) so to be in so much trouble for something I'm not fond of was so disappointing.

My dad was so upset with me, but agreed to help me with an attorney with the obvious contingency that I move home. I was broke, out of a job, due in court a month from my arrest, and had gained like 25lbs from eating lots of $10 all you can eat kbbq (thanks Steve, ah that bulgogi). Although DUIs are fairly common nowadays, I feel like this was my wake up call to clean my act up and really reach for my absolute potential every single day which had not been this case for a while. Jail served its purpose; rehabilitation, and despite it being for about 12 hours or so, I knew I needed to seriously think about the major life changes I was about to have to make the second I stepped out to the rainy and cold street of DTLA.

A year and a half ago I began living in the fast lane as a young realtor with my mother who was and still is very incredible at her job. I now see that having that kind of money, a brand new Mercedes C250 and a big ass private office at 20 years old got to my head quickly. I had forgotten where I came from and was forced to eat a whole humble pie, which was my spiral downwards and eventually landed me in jail and started with a horrible break up. Usual the case with us ladies; we have a horrible break up, get treated lower than shit and we start subconsciously acting out.

My roommate in Highland Park was a raw vegan and had inspired me to try it eventually, what better time to make the commitment sitting in the huge housing area of jail, burlap sacks for blankets, and 25lbs overweight? I am more spiritual than religious although I still carry a catholic base of belief; I had a very raw and honest conversation with God. I promised if I was blessed with the strength to pull fluffy self out of jail, I would give back and inspire others to change their lives for the better too. My friend Drew picked me up from jail and really helped me not pity and sulk, but a real look and what could happen but that I would be ok no matter what. Having that tough love support was what I really needed right at that point in time.

The day I left my adorable home in LA I started the first steps in becoming a vegan, I felt as if I could be disciplined and accountable with something so essential yet basic in life, it would trickle down to every other aspect of my life that needed working on. So much had gone horribly wrong in my life in such a short span of 4 months, I was so depressed and acting out irresponsibly. The first two weeks of being vegan were so awful. I hated it so much. My body was so beat up mentally, physically and nutritionally that I experienced a true detox. My vision was blurred, sweating, shit coming out of my tongue, and a constant migraine. Of course other things that are too graphic to write about occurred too, but that was all apart of my body healing and ridding itself of toxins and the shock of true and pure nutrients. On and off for about 3 days at a time for two weeks this happened until I woke up one day and it felt like I was in a new body, the pain, the sluggishness had vanished. That was the day I was truly a vegan.

The arrest happened December 29th and my court date was January 22nd. My father helped me with an attorney, James Wang from Rowland Heights, who had amazing reviews and was referred to me by 3 friends. James did an incredible job and got my case dropped to a speeding exhibition. Thankful that I did not have to deal with a misdemeanor for 10 years, I still had fines and had to deal with the DMV. My fines total at $1,116 and the DMV suspended my license for 6 months. It's still a pain in the ass no matter what, I also am on probation for 2 years, which means no more bar fighting... Totally kidding. As much as it sucks, I know this will force me to be even more responsible than I have been.

In the meantime, being vegan was starting to become more apart of normal life and I was aggressively job hunting to start working on my fines and paying my dad back.

February was interesting, I was hired at the bank, but it was resinded since my brother and I got hired at the same time there; conflict of interest, so I poured myself into working out and being vegan. Eating healthy was slimming me down some, but I decided it was time to take it seriously and work out by kicking my own ass. This is when I started Turbo Fire, pretty tough HIT program, it was working within 2 weeks, eventually completing Insanity and Asylum this month. This was the official beginning of my fitness journey.

Many of you never knew that I had a close friend from high school that I had cared about very dearly and had left for the army few years ago. Last year the day before Valentines Day he wrote me an amazing love poem basically telling me he had felt the same way I did since we were 16/17 years old in high school, but he was in basic training in Oklahoma. We had tried dating as a long distance and eventually decided we wanted to get married before he left for South Korea. That fell apart right before he left and we lost contact for about 9 months until exactly a year to the day ironically that poem was sent to me.
I couldn't stop thinking of Clifton when my life was in turmoil, so I emailed him and again, something that I thought was very special blossomed once again, but this time, he was coming home for a month in May. Things would be different this time around.

March rolls around and consistency had finally showed itself in my daily life. I was hired at a better position at the bank, my body was dropping pounds like crazy, and my relationship was starting to grow stronger than it had been last year, not to mention my 22nd birthday was on the 28th. At this point, I was starting to plan for Formula D Long Beach and was so excited to be back on the track on my very own dime and armed with a new set of skills I had been picking up.

April rolls around, at this point I am 20lbs lighter, blonde, and happy. My boyfriend was coming home at the end of the month, an old friend Julius had promised me media credentials for the Long Beach Grand Prix, and I was shooting Round 1 FD with the proper camera setup; canon 7D with a 70-200 lens. That whole day was so much fun and like the first day of school. So much had changed in the past three and a half months and had made it in one piece, a better piece, to the one thing that meant the most to me. Seeing all my friends again and making new ones made me forget about every challenge that I was facing at the time and was a great escape. The next week rolls around, and after much running around, Julius, who I thought was my friend, had lied about media credentials and ended up not shooting the grand prix. At that point, it was another two weeks until my boyfriend was to come home from South Korea after almost 2 years being away from home, including basic training. The week before the Grand Prix, Clifton and I had realized we loved each other and wanted to follow through with what we wanted the year before; get married. You would think after how strong I became I wouldn't do something of this magnitude so casually and actually think things through. No, I thought I was in love and thought I was loved back and believed in my heart that this was the person I would spend my last days on earth with. I was so happy. My life was, in my eyes, completed.

This is where I believe my strength was tested, from my depths of my soul to the fibers in my heart, I was tested.
At this point, I didn't care about my friends, family, or drifting ventures, I was going to move to Texas to be with my husband and photography and writing would just have to wait for at least two years. The day Clifton was leaving to come home for a month I get a message; "I'm sorry, I just can't do this. I can't do what my heart wants". 3am my time. No real explanation, it had all meant nothing and I was left to sob in pitch dark, alone.
The next morning was so hard, I could hardly breathe. I cried all fucking day and wasted a whole day that I will never get back. The following morning I get a message from Cliff on his US phone that he was home and we needed to talk when he came home. The day he came home was so surreal, I was working and got off at 1130. When I got home from work, we talked briefly and he had called me over to his house to talk, of course I went running over. It was like seeing a ghost from the past and unreal. After talking, crying, hugging and cuddling we realized that we were after all, staying together. This back and forth went on for the first week; go over in the middle of the night like a teen, and sneak out. I was physically exhausted, especially since I would stay up till 4 talking to Clifton on Korean time.
His welcome home party was the worst surreal thing ever; I was ignored, his wonderful friends treated me like shit, judgment was passed, I wasn't even spoke to or acknowledged by someone who claimed they wanted me to be their wife. The next week and a half were my personal hell thanks to Clifton and the yes lets be together, no I don't ever want to see you again until he just stopped one day talking to me. I was so hated for no reason, no reason, no explanation except his "friends" said a "rude" comment about me, therefore it made him "rethink loving you" as well as Sarah Jo, his sister, who I thought was my friend, bashing me behind my back, showing him messages I sent her about Clifton and saying awful untrue things about me; this after her taking me to church and proclaiming how much of a holy person she was and how I was so "weak and nothing as a human" for not being Christian. Eventually one night I just went over and cried (after two drinks) and basically told him I was forever done and dead to him. Unfortunately for me, Clifton's roommate Josh and I had planned to surprise him by me going to Texas out of the blue right after he was settled in his new home; I was stuck with this ticket and just thought I shouldn't waste it and go visit this Josh character that I had known for a little and his friends.
Fun trip, but that was my only closure, the fact that Clifton felt it was funny to walk away from setting the tone of marriage and leave me with nothing but wondering what happened.

To this day I still do not have a real reason for what happened, and I am so thankful for the failed engagement to this boy who knew me better than anyone breathing and living. The inspiration and drive I lacked was revived, I know I am better than what I was dragged though.

The day I came home, I was sleep deprived and one reminisced memory from coming apart in the form of tears. What was the logical thing to do? Take a nap and go cover Thunder on the Lot of course! I literally jumped off a tiny jet and went to Lancaster. I needed to be around these absolutely crazy kids that make my day so much brighter. The event was incredible, everyone brought their A game and was drove like truly spirited grassroots. I laughed so hard I lost my voice and cried from how much my stomach hurt. Then, I met my friend Eric and his friends in the cigar lounge and learned they were apart of Rob Airth's team. Rob had driven like he was already a Formula D veteran. He literally came out of nowhere. After getting to know him and his team a little, I began to hang out with this amazing group of people and exactly where they come from.

Meeting team RHQ right after the boy fiasco was what I needed to help get my mind off things that were happening with work, my failed engagement and that was about it.

It's been 8 months since I've returned home to Ventura County and began my journey of rebuilding my life. So far, I've lost just a hair shy of 40lbs, still vegan, still working out, and still determined. I've left my position at the bank and returned to real estate with my mother after a much needed break from each other and it has been so wonderful. I am taking my photography so much more serious and branching out to other areas of the motorsport world as well as different ventures. I am young, 22 years old and was distracted by things that were not important at all, but I have made a promise most importantly to myself that is to first and foremost, be single and alone for at least a year. I don't want that distraction from photography, writing, and drifting, I don't like being patchy, and being consistent with it has been so much fun. I have my moments where I am sad, and I take them in strides and deal with them instead of pushing them down, but I remind myself that I was happy before, during, and after my fiance. The past 10 months have only made me a stronger woman and I am looking forward to what the 2014 season brings.
I am looking forward to getting this blog under control, making it a dot com program, updating the posts from my phone, expanding my photo talent and whatever else it brings.

Thank you to everyone who has always follow my blog from day one, my instagram adventures, and to those who have read this entire entry, I feel its important that people know I am human and still growing but always up to answer every challenge with grace and courage.

Love always,
the Drift Bunny
(Emma Yvette)