JOHANNA SIERRA

OH MY ATLANTA lol

2009-04-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Hi Hi!....

I have not wrote in my blog in a while because i recently moved to Atlanta so i wanted to come by and say hello to everyone! I have had a very busy last 2 months on my hands which is why i have been MIA :0)~... Atlanta is beautiful and i am already loving it here and feeling at home. My job is moving over this way as well so i will be good to go. I just bought a bike so i can go crazy and get ready for our 75 mile ride in a few months. Its so peacful to just get on my bike , listen to music and ride for hours. Im looking forward to the ride, and now that its pushed back to next year i just know it will be that much more amazing and successful!!! So im going to keep working my ass off and doing my best to spread the word about domestic violence and childabuse and get ready for our ride. I hope that all of you are getting ready, and enjoying the beautiful weather were finally having!

My Holiday Vacation

2009-01-23T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to update my blog a little bit and tell everyone how my holidays went...

I had a really good Christmas,This year instead of buying the north face boots i really wanted i took 3 tickets from salvation army Christmas tree at the mall.

I got a 3 little girls to buy gifts for. A 5 year old a 6 year old and an 11 year old ..
On these tickets it had something that the girls really wanted. One girl wanted anything with the Disney princess. or kitchen set so i got her a disney princess tea set an interactive kitchen set a disney princess play and learn laptop along with other cool things.

The 6 yr old wanted the board game candy land. So i got her that alog with some other really kool toys like MOON SAND and Memory ETC.

then last but not least there was an 11 yearl old who was a Hanna Montana fan.
So i went over board and got her a bunch of room decals, stickers,a scrap book set some hanna montana tee shirts and question 8 ball and some H.montana cup dish set and someother fun things.. i wanted to make sure i got all kinds of kool things that i knew the girls would LOVE. Me and my Sister wanted to make sure when they woke up on Christmas that they were surprised and very happy with all the stuff they had.
My sister also did the same for 2 little boys. it made us feel so good to drop the stuff off knowing these kids would have a better Christmas then they expected..
on Christmas i spent the first half of my day with my family and the second part flying to Colorado springs. I stayed in Co.Springs for a few days before going to a condo in Copper Mountain to go skiing for 6 days,

I had so much fun it was crazy, i never been skiing like that and never thought i would have the guts to even get on a ski lift since im sooo scared of heights. It was great to meet my boy-friends family and too see where he grew up. Its a beautiful place. I did so much eating and drinking that now i really have to get my butt in gear for this ride and start training on top of training lol...

Now its just back to work and as always they are keeping me very busy even if its dressing up as an elf over the holiday season for a promo for pretzel crisps hahaha i look so ridiculous..lol im loving it though most of the time i get paid to work all of the LA gates at jfk so of course im always meeting celeb hotties and not so hotties, star spoting's i had this week was brett Micheals, Conan O' Brien, and a hug from Brody Jenner (such a hottie and sweet chill guy)...well that was my holidays I hope everyone had a fabulous new years eve and that this year brings all of us health,success,love,happiness and lots of beautiful memory's!!! talk to you soon.

2008-12-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 24, 2008

hiiii..
Just wanted to update everyone on whats been going on with me, I just got back from a well over due vacation/road trip. I flew to Atlanta and drove down to Miami with my bestfriend Brett, he works in the same field that i do (promotional marketing). I worked the last Nascar race in Homestead "Miami" with him and we had such a blast. I love road trips i always have the best time just listening to music, being in good company $ looking at the change while driving and going through different city's and states. We drove back a week later to Winston Salem NC. what a beautiful place it was picture perfect. while on the road i had alot of time to think and get focused for our big trip next year. I cant wait to really start training for this, I'm going to be going to local bike shops in my area to explain what were doing and see if they will be on board. I'm also looking into all the media contacts in my area because all of us know how busy Barbara is so I'm sure all the help we can give her will be much appreciated. besides that its just been back to work for me and of course hanging out with my niece lil Ava (7months old) I hope everyone is doing good and i will be trying to write weekly and keep in close contact with all of you...enjoy the weekend!!! and I hope EVERYONE HAS A BEAUTIFUL FABULOUS HAPPY THANKSGIVING..

About ME

2008-12-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

JOHANNA SIERRA - BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

My name is JO and I’m 28 yrs old from Bensonhurst Honestly the first thing that attracted me to the Ad Barbara posted was my love for bike riding. After reading the ad it became much more then just my love for bike riding. It’s like everything in my life had led me to that ad and this cause. I grew up alcoholism in the home.

It was horrible to be a small child dealing with adult problems. I couldn't just relax and play instead I grew up always panicking worrying and wondering if It was going to be another night of hell and abuse. The abuse I went through was not as much physical as it was mental. I can’t say the same for my mom, It was definitely much worse to watch the violence that went on between my parents. Lucky for me I had an older sister Vanessa to always protect me. I remember just crying and always being so nervous that one day it would end in a tragedy. I have always been a passionate person, and what fills my heart most with passion and life, is the joy of helping others.

I have always been a very helpful giving person, even the nickname little mama was given to me when I was In fourth grade because anytime someone was'nt feeling good I was the first one to see what was wrong and if I could bring them to the nurse and lol. I also had an amazing art teacher Miss Levitt. She had such good heart. She would always tell my mom that she wish there were more people like me in the world. My whole life I have put other people first, I was taught to think about others before you do or say something as well as treating people the way you would like to be treated, I really try to live by that.

My parents both came from abuse and I can remember them both telling me how they didn’t want to pass that on to us and they were so proud of the fact that they didn’t continue the cycle...but they did continue it by allowing me and my sister to endure all of the violence and abuse that went on in the house. It felt alienating because we had to keep the problems in our house a secret. We couldn't even have friends over. Apart of that was because my dad was from Brooklyn, born and raised. A Sgt in the Army and veteran of 2 wars. At the age of 17 he was fighting in Vietnam. Having his own abuse as a child to deal with and being a child at war are the reason I feel he was very strict and had a horrible drinking problem when I was younger.

My mom was born and raised in Puertorico. She was hilarious, tough and very stubborn. My mom wasn’t affectionate with me or my sister but she taught us the most important thing you could ever learn, and that is to be a survivor! My mom was terminally ill for 5 years with Cardio Myapathy, a rare heart disease. She passed away when I was 23 yrs old. Even though I wish she could be here right now, I’m still eternally grateful to have had her in my life for the short time I did. She always told me how important it was to be tuff in this life, because it wasn’t going to be easy. I eventually learned to not settle for anything less than my dreams and what makes me truly happy.

I’m so passionate about this ride because I truly feel the it is so important to spread the message that you cannot control where you come from or where you have been or what life has dealt you but You can control your future and the rest of your life!! I don’t think that most people understand that...yes--life can be hard but you don’t have to settle. You can choose to live a joyful life full of love and happiness! Trust me my life has not been easy but I try to keep my head up no matter what!

I have had to see and go through things like the violence between my parents, mental abuse, my mother trying to commit suicide because of her depression, my sister working in the world trade on 911, thank god she is physically ok, my mom being terminal ill for 5 yrs before she passed away, breakups and over dose’s. I partied hard between the ages of 14-24 doing every drug you can think of…party way too long way too hard…dropped out of high school at 16 had a GED at 17…made some bad choices in friends, boyfriends and in general..Went off to Art school in Florida for college and continued to make bad decisions..And I’m sure as I continue to learn and grow I will make a few more, but there is one thing that I decided a long time ago and that was that I wasn’t going to let my past create my future. I wanted things to change, I didn’t want to be sad and bitter anymore.

I decided I was going to try and see the positive in everything including my mother’s death. The way I see it is I can be bitter or I can be grateful to have had the mother I did and to have been so lucky to learn the things she taught me and my sister. Even my father has stopped drinking the way he use to when my mom was around. I guess even he grew up and realized he had a problem...just too bad my mom didn’t get to see how great he could be and how he stepped up after she passed away.

People who don’t know me or my past would never even guess I have had the life I did. That is because I’m so passionate about life, and spreading positive energy. I always have been the type of “I want to save the world” type of girl, I want to be the person who shows people “ WOW...there are still good people in this world!” and inspire them. I live by example and by how I would want to be treated. Sometimes I go too far, like dropping out of college to help my boy-friend (an ex marine) out of a ruff situation. Sometimes I put people before myself, and as a result I have been hurt, lied to and betrayed. But I don’t carry that around with me like I did when I was younger. I still reach out and go the extra 10 miles to help people and animals that are in distress. I think everyone I knew when I was younger had a kitten from me, I took every animal I could off the street and in to my house or to someone I knew, my parents excepted that was my nature and never turned them away.

Currently I work in Promotional marketing, which is perfect for me because I love people and that my job is always changing. What I want to do with my life I’m not sure because I love so many things, but I know it will involve me owning my own business, something to do with children, art, music, and fun! On the side I would love to have my own nonprofit org. I would love to go into Events Marketing on a different level and start creating and directing charitable events. My family and friends are not shocked by me being a part of this ride, they are supportive and encouraging. They know how important it is to me to show people that you can control your own future and life, you don’t have to settle for anything less than your dreams and what truly makes you happy!

JOhanna