Crystal Marie Chilcott

One week from today, I will be giving my first live webinar!

If you're interested in learning more about starting an online business or just would like to provide moral support, I'd love to see you there!

To attend, all you need to do is join our free Facebook group! Send me a DM for the link.

I have written my last job resignation notice.

Though I left the classroom in 2022, I have been teaching English as a Second Language online for over 8 years.

I started working for Craving English, a company based in Costa Rica in March 2021 and continued to do so until this month!

Though an independent contractor position instead of traditional employment, it was the longest role I have had in my history of job-hopping!

I'm so grateful for the opportunity this company provided me and for the friendships with my co-workers and students.

However, this marks an exciting step in my business development, as my business has grown to the point where I need to focus on it full time!

It's our one-year anniversary!

One of my favorite wedding photos is the one of all of our guests! This shot was one of the only ones we specifically requested. Having so many people from different parts of our lives fly all the way to Mexico was amazing!

Looking at how different our lives are now and how many more people we met or reconnected with in the past year, our guest list would be a lot longer now!

Not only is it our one year wedding anniversary, it's our three year engagement anniversary! We got engaged at the same resort two years before the wedding. Brian hid the engagement ring under his Broncos hat in the safe. I thought it was strange that he put a hat in the safe!

Here are some of my favorite wedding photos!

Happy anniversary ! 💍💖

Okinawa photo dump (more to come!)

Featuring: the pool, the American Village/Chatan area, an arcade, ramen, Enagic Bowl, and our Happy Honeymoon towel art!

Which photo is your favorite?

Japan photo dump part 1!

Here are some of our adventures in Okinawa and Tokyo!

Featuring: the Tokyo skyline, a cat cafe, the pool in Okinawa, the Giants and Swallows at Tokyo dome, and the Enagic 50th Anniversary Convention.

More photos to come!

A year ago today, my whole life changed!

I usually choose to highlight other people's wins when I celebrate "winsday," but today I want to share mine.

A year ago today, I became an affiliate with Enagic. After transitioning out of the classroom to financial writing, getting laid off and not getting any job offers for months, I decided to make the leap to entrepreneurship!

By affiliating, I was able to purchase my own water ionizer and Anespa shower attachment that has greatly improved the quality of my water.

I was also able to start my own affiliate marketing business!

I have been able to:
-Stop looking for a 9-5 and work towards building my business.
-Connect with people around the world who want to make the leap to entrepreneurship.
-Mentor other transitioning teachers or burnt-out serial job hoppers to start their own businesses.
-Speak on our team's call (which I did last night!)
-Book tickets to Japan next month to celebrate Enagic's 50th Anniversary!

What wins are you celebrating this week?

Wow, pageant week is flying by!

Orientation ✅
Interview ✅
Prelim swimsuit and gown ✅
Friday rehearsals ✅

Tomorrow is finals night!

Thank you all for your support!

We made it to Denver for Mrs. Colorado!

Tomorrow is orientation!

Thursday will be my judges' interview and preliminary competition! The final night of competition is Saturday.

Tickets and People's Choice voting are available on mrscolorado.com. Thank you all for your support and well wishes!

My first appearance as Mrs. Colorado Springs was a sustainable fashion show last summer.

When I got to the event, I realized how noticeable my insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor were and thought I probably should have worn something that covered them up.

As soon as I walked in, a woman walked up to me and asked if it was an Omnipod. When I replied that it was, she told me that she works for Insulet, the company that makes Omnipods, and was instrumental in launching my version! Her name is Reshmy and we had to get a photo together.

Participating in Mrs. Colorado has allowed me to share my story in ways I never expected!

One week until Mrs. Colorado is crowned!

One week from tonight is the preliminary pageant for Mrs. Colorado! 👑

Visit mrscolorado.com to vote for People's Choice or purchase tickets!

Thank you for your support! 😊

I had a great time this morning visiting with some of our veterans and VA Hospital Volunteers alongside Miss Longmont, Mrs. Broomfield County, and Miss Denver today. ⭐

What should be my next appearance? 👑

Congratulations .curto and !
Thanks for having us be a part of your special day! It was a beautiful wedding! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

We had about 24 hours in Boston!

We visited some of our favorite Boston locations: Clear Flour Bakery, Super 88 Market, and The Bleacher Bar in Fenway.

One year ago today was our Pennsylvania Bridal Shower!

I can't believe it has already been a year!

We played a "Where in the world are Crystal and Brian?" game and a "How well do you know the bride?" game.

The hardest question for me to answer was, "What is the bride's favorite drink?"

Well, does that mean what I drink the most often?

That would be water, but that's a boring answer! 💦

Do you mean alcoholic or non-alcoholic?

Caffeinated or not?

I ended up going with matcha! 🍵
(With an asterisk to include margaritas as an alcoholic option).

What is your favorite drink?

I can already picture the hate mail I will get from this. 💻

"It's just a joke."

"You're being too sensitive."

"Come on, it's funny!"

"I'm not talking about your kind of diabetes."

I received all of these comments when I have made posts like these in the past.

I'm going to say it anyway, because I am the one whose life was flipped upside down at the age of 23 when my body stopped producing insulin.

Everyday, I have to constantly poke my body to administer insulin and monitor my blood sugar. It takes time and dedication to avoid severe problems that come with high and low blood sugar.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body destroys insulin-producing beta cells. While there is probably a mix of genetic and environmental or viral factors involved, we don't know the exact cause. We do know, however, the diet and lifestyle choices do not play a role.

I was a young, healthy vegetarian, and newly-retired from training at the Olympic Training Center when my body betrayed me. There was nothing I did to contribute to the onset of this disease and nothing I could have done to avoid it.

By posting photos like these, it increases the misconception that diabetes is the result of a bad lifestyle, which can lead to misdiagnosis. It also creates more stigma for those living with the disease.

I felt called to post this after seeing my social media news feeds flooded with posts like this.

Please share this post to spread awareness!

Please accept this as your Christmas card if you would like one! 🎄

I kept meaning to print and send them out, but all of the sudden it is Christmas Eve Eve!

May your holiday be merry and bright! 🕯️

The quest for chilaquiles is complete!

I first had chilaquiles in Akumal, Mexico and have been hoping to find them here in Colorado Springs. We have a ton of great Mexican restaurants here, but finding chilaquiles is a little bit harder.

Chilaquiles are made with fried corn tortillas and topped with salsa, crema, queso fresco and eggs.

We recently discovered Sofia's Antojitos and they have amazing chilaquiles for breakfast, plus street food, snacks, juices, and desserts for the rest of the day.

Have you ever tried chilaquiles?

I finally finished my Christmas shopping today! 🎁

Normally, I have everything bought and wrapped by now, but I am a little behind this year!

I am flying to Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve.

If you celebrate, what are your plans for Christmas?

Serious Question- Which do you like better: pho or ramen?

These are both two of my favorite foods and it is so hard to choose!

My favorite places in Colorado Springs with vegetarian broth options are:
Pho - Saigon Tapioca
Ramen- Osea

Which one do you prefer? 🍜🍲

I think I'm due for another trip to Spain!

My first trip to Europe and first trip without my family was to Spain. I was 15 and with my high school Spanish class. It really opened my eyes to travel and how much there is to see out there! I have been back a few times since then: these photos are from 2019.

Before my first trip to Spain, I also visited Canada and Dominican Republic with my family.

Where did you go on your first trip outside your home country?

Happy Sunday! Today was Secret Santa Day with my in-laws. Only one more week until I fly to Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve! 🎄

Encarnación kindly posted for a photo. Check out my stories for my attempt with Fleury!

How is your weekend?

Hoping on board the trend of a skating AI avatar! What do you think: does it look like me?

AI didn't quite get the "Omnipod insulin pump" and "Dexcom CGM" instructions, but the second photo is actually a good analogy haha.

Thanks .vegan.skater for skating this fun trend!

My favorite Christmas Market treat: chimney cake!

I discovered them while visiting the Christmas markets of Prague and Cesky Krumlov in 2014 and always seek them out now! When I visited Bratislava, I found a year-round chimney cake shop!

Chimney cakes are a traditional Hungarian pastry that is wrapped around work and baked on an open fire. Traditionally, they are covered in cinnamon sugar. However, now it is common to see them with flavoring inside, even ice cream like the one in the first photo.

Have you ever had a chimney cake before?

(Bonus question for my T1D friends: how many carbs would you bolus for? 😜 I just guessed. 🤷)

From the travel archives: in 2019 I got to visit both Hrustin, Slovakia and Kirby Stephen, England. Both of these towns are extremely small and we went way out of our way to get there. I wanted to visit them for one specific reason: both of these towns are where my ancestors were from.
One side of my family lived in Hrustin, Slovakia until my great-grandma ran away to the US when she was 16. She didn't speak English and didn't know anyone in the country. About 100 years later, I started moving to other countries like Iceland when I didn't know the language. Maybe I get my adventurous spirit from her!
Kirby Stephen was home to another side of my family until my great -great-great-great-grandparents took a ship from Liverpool to the US in 1834. When we entered a pub there, everyone turned their heads and said "Yankees!" and were so surprised to see Americans in their pub. One person said to have to same surname as this lineage, so maybe a long lost cousin!
I still need to visit my ancestral town in Germany.
Have you ever traveled to a place where previous generations of your family was from?

I’d love to get to know you! Please introduce yourself in the comments. 😃

Since there are some new faces around here, I thought I should reintroduce myself!

Here are some facts about me:

💍 I just got married in Akumal, Mexico in July.
✈️ I love to travel and have been to 32 countries and 39 US states.
📖 I love to read and write and am hoping to publish my first novel soon. I have been working on it for half my life!
😻 I have two cats, two turtles, and ten fish tanks with fish!
🐘 I have been a vegetarian for most of my life because animals are too cute to eat
💉 I have been a type 1 diabetic since I was 23. I was diagnosed while I was living in Iceland. I am working on a new podcast interviewing other type 1s, so if you would like to be featured on that, let me know!
⛸️ I am a former competitive figure skater and started skating again earlier this year after 8 years off the ice.
👑 I am currently Mrs. Colorado Springs and will be competing for the title of Mrs. Colorado in April.
🌍 I spent four years (not consecutively) living in England, Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland.
💻 I started my own affiliate marketing business earlier this year and help others start their own business too. I also teach English as a second language online.

Hi everyone, if you are on Instagram, I recently started using a new account, . I won't be using my old account much, so if you want to keep in touch on Instagram, here is my new account:

Ex-Serial Job Hopper | Biz Coach 💻| T1D 💉 | Traveler 🛩️ (@crystalmariechilcott) • Instagram photos and videos 523 Followers, 1,097 Following, 178 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Ex-Serial Job Hopper | Biz Coach 💻| T1D 💉 | Traveler 🛩️ ()

Two weeks ago, I tried to do a layback spin and thought I broke my back haha. Here is photographic evidence that I used to be able to do a biellmann!

My goal for this week is to start stretching daily to re-gain my back flexibility. What are your goals for the week?

In honor of my entire Instagram feed being full of the news that Shohei Ohtani has left the Los Angeles Angels for the Los Angeles Dodgers, here are some photos of when we went to Angel Stadium (the day after he cleaned out his locker in September) and Dodger Stadium a few days later!

Those of you who follow baseball, what are your thoughts?

My real question is...will Enagic start advertising at Dodger Stadium now in addition to or in place of Angel Stadium?

One of my favorite speakeasies is in Edinburgh, Scotland. To get in, go through what looks like a barber shop, down the stairs, and open this bookcase!

From the travel archives: Edinburgh, Scotland spring 2015.

Have you ever been to speakeasy? Which one is your favorite?

Electric Moonlight at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

Animals, lights, music, and local food and beverage samples. 🦘 Check back tomorrow for a reel of this event.

What is your favorite zoo animal?