So many have been asking "who's writing all this stuff" so I thought I'd tell you about myself.
Initially, when I thought about blogging and creating this site - www.iloveureka.com - my passion for writing and curating aesthetics of joy, or moments of online joy as I often like to call them, came from the overwhelming rush of positive, loving, caring, emotion that was bestowed upon us (my husband Jeff and I) upon our arrival to Eureka Springs as new residents back in June 2018. Instantly, we felt included.
Everyday, we still feel that rush and we still feel included. Proudly, we call ourselves - Eurekans.
For those of you that know me, and have come to know me, what you see is what you get. I like to flex my style, hit vintage clothing stores, dress up loud at times, and use all the modern day technology (the internet, my cell, laptop, etc.) to stay fully connected to the various parts of my life. The various hats I wear (husband, son, brother, uncle, HR Executive, nephew, cousin, mentor, friend, bestie, counselor, blogger, Eurekan, traveler, etc.) in all those areas of my life, all know the same core essence of me.
I rarely flex my core essence.
I am who I am.
Those that know me at work, know the core essence of me the same way that my brothers, Joseph and Brian, know me. I think that all the coworkers at my office would describe me in much the same way Joseph and Brian would. I'm a confident man in knowing that the outpouring of my core essence is the same with whoever it is that I know, or that I meet for the first time.
The big difference, and to a certain degree we all have this, is that what personal details we share with people will vary. Jeff, my Husband, knows me the best and my brothers know a lot more personal details than my coworkers may know, for example. This is true for most of us.
I guess the point I am trying to make here is, I don't drastically change the core essence of who I am for work colleagues and then change again for my brothers or my parents.
That, my friends, pretty much sums me up.
This "side hustle blog" is a passion of mine and I love blogging about joy, Eureka Springs and other things that are important to me and this chapter of life in Eureka. On this blog, you will come across stories about people, art, music, kindness, joy, theatre, culture, peace, businesses, wellness, eating, memories, community, seasons, nature, and a whole lot more - all under the overarching subject that guides us all - and that is LOVE!
❤️
Welcome to my side hustle - www.iloveureka.com - I hope you enjoy visiting this blog and I hope that you visit often, or even subscribe.
"The Best Is Yet To Come."
MY NINE TO FIVE
In Springdale, Arkansas, just a short distance from Eureka Springs, and shortly after our arrival to Eureka Springs in 2018, a prominent local family, founders and proprietors of their own 100+ year family business, hired me as their Director of Corporate Human Resources Operations.
I've been in Human Resources for 20+ years, most all of that time in Hotels, Resorts, Life Enrichment Resorts and Cruise Ships. At my current company, I support one of America's largest poultry manufacturers and purveyors of chicken and chicken products.
If you eat, or have ever eaten chicken, you've likely eaten our delicious chicken.
However, in my unique role, I rarely see or touch chicken. Well-versed in the six pillars of HR, I support, guide and counsel our Senior Executives and business leaders, along with our C-Suite Leaders, to make the better business decisions related to human capital management within the six pillars:
Strategic Management
Workforce Planning and Recruitment
Employee Relations, Training and Development
Total Rewards/Benefits
Risk Management
Labor Relations
Over time, I have learned that my personality and disposition are compatible with the needs of human resources and therefore I find that, more often than not, I'm naturally good at this work. I do feel like I help the people and the business succeed concurrently and doing both is important to me.
All this said, my office is one hour away from Eureka Springs and it seems that I can never get home fast enough, after a busy workday, to my wonderful partner, home, family, friends, Chihuahua and this fun "side hustle (non-revenue generating) blog."
MY HEALTH
In 2016, I worked for Canyon Ranch. If you're not familiar with them, they own and operate Life Enrichment Resorts and Spas. Check out this website.
Wellness is at the core of every Canyon Ranch experience. As Director of Human Resources at their resort in Lenox, MA, I supported their team of physicians, nutritionists, exercise physiologists and other specialists. The offerings there are unparalleled in the wellness resort and spa arena. As an executive at Canyon Ranch, I too, was afforded my very own supportive, personal team of integrative care experts that assessed my very own lifestyle, health and habits. After those assessments concluded, much like Mel Zuckerman (the founder of Canyon Ranch) I had my own "ah-ha" moment.
It was at that time, in 2016, when I made the choice to embark on my own personal fitness transformation and today in Eureka Springs, 2023, my life here allows for the daily opportunity for me to continue to balance what I eat, drink and do. I stay focused as much as possible on consistency, harness my strong willpower when necessary, and (wait for it, wait for it) eat lots of George's chicken for protein. Bam! I should really be in Marketing.
In delivering blog-posts about wellness, it is my hope that, I too, can somehow offer something, for someone, somewhere in the way of a personal "ah-ha" moment. If that happens for just one person, like it did for me at Canyon Ranch, then my work on this blog, discussing wellness, and KETO, and fitness will have purpose beyond what it does for me alone and that approach is aligned with the very mission of this blog - "always love forward."
Please click around this blog for a lot more posts about KETO, KETO SCIENCE, as well as fitness and wellness and feel free to connect with me if you need guidance or have any questions. jmscurio@yahoo.com
MY FORMATIVE YEARS
Now, approaching my mid-50s, I look back on the first half of my life and ironically it is like a series of many blog-posts of joy. I often wonder what my personal life blog would look like if I had started one when I was 16 or 18 or 20. (Ha, then again, I was 20 in 1990 and in that year, I had never before seen or heard of a cell phone, or even the 'world wide web'.) Those were the times when kids kept a personal diary, with a small padlock and a small key, to ensure absolute privacy.
After my formative years, I remained in Massachusetts, my home State, and earned my Bachelors of Fine Arts from The Boston Conservatory of Music. Shortly after graduation, I moved to New York City, and within a few short months, accepted a job as a singer/dancer/entertainer on the stunning cruise ships of Holland America Line.
I worked for Holland America Line from 1993-2003 and loved that international, wanderlust chapter of my life as a young (just out of the closet) bachelor traveling the globe. By 1995, I had traveled to all seven continents, visited over 45 countries and sailed all four oceans of the world.
Living and working aboard Holland America Line was a life-shaping experience for me and one I will truly never forget. Thank you, Holland America Line!
Early life with my ever-loving Scurio family in Medford, Massachusetts followed by life at sea with Holland America Line shaped me into the man I am today. I am happy. I am grateful. I always love forward. I also love meeting new people, spreading joy, joy-spotting, socializing and getting to know another person and hearing their stories.
I hope you will visit this blog again and again as it is my intention to serve as a curator of joy. I will look for moments that inspire and offer up an opportunity to write about it here at www.iloveureka.com -- so click back often! Subscribe, if you'd like to do so. I'd love to have you as a follower.
MY TRAVEL YEARS | 1993-2003
MY SOULMATE JEFF
What can I say about this man? To put it simply - TRUE LOVE!
We met in 2007 and we're still going strong. He's my rock, my soulmate, my partner, and my best friend. Our leap of faith move from Dallas, TX to Eureka Springs, AR has been a joyous adventure. Jeff has taught me that despite the ups and downs of life - "Don't Forget To Remember."
🦋
"With that phrase, he is referring to those fluttering butterflies in your stomach, those feelings of puppy love, and all the energy around those firsts when you meet and just start dating someone. When life gives us a jolt of the blues, or a hurdle to jump - he says to me, Don't Forget To Remember."
All relationships take work. Everyone knows this. We have found that this simple, powerful phrase helps us to realign with those early times in our relationship when we first met. Those, "this is the one" feelings that were quite powerful and life-changing. This phrase conjures up those feelings again for both of us and it fosters our endurance, tenacity and our love forward. It helps us work through things together.
Often, in Eureka Springs, when you see Jeff, I'm not too far behind, and vice-versa. Jeff has taught me many things, but mainly he has enriched my life in such wonderful, loving, adventurous ways.
I am a better man because of Jeff and he is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Love. Is. Love.
Thank you for visiting www.iloveureka.com. Subscribe and click back often.
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