For the past few months I have been an ambassador for an amazing company called BANGS Shoes. I've filled my Instagram feed with pictures of once in a lifetime adventures, cool shoes, and of course, "#liveBANGS". What many people don't know is what exactly it means to "liveBangs" and the reason for that is it means something completely different to every person that chooses to live by the motto. To me, it means a thousand different things, but the one thing that I most closely relate it to is finding adventure. Whether the adventure be something simple in my everyday life such as taking a picture of a sunset or something more extreme like white water rafting, I can say that I was able to liveBANGS that day if I found myself an adventure. I was fortunate enough to share one of my greatest adventures this summer with my friends that I met through BANGS Shoes.
In case you're unfamiliar with this awesome company, here is some background information.
BANGS was founded by Hannah Davis (a super cool human that every ambassador wishes they were) and the first ever pair of BANGS was shipped in 2012 when she was just 24 years old. The company helps others by investing twenty percent of profits into entrepreneurs around the world. To date, BANGS has invested in 122 entrepreneurs in 28 different countries. How does this company possibly make money? Well for one, there isn't money being spent on advertising. Instead, Hannah has gathered up an army up adventure-seeking social media users to spread the word and take on the role of BANGS Ambassadors and Mentors. Scrolling through the thousands of pictures posted with the hashtag "liveBANGS", anyone can see how the ambassadors live by the motto and share their adventures with the world.
Meeting My Friends for the First Time
After weeks of planning and going back and forth on a date, the BANGS squad finally got together for a day that none of us will soon be forgetting. Mel was the first one to show up at my house and I was quite literally in shock when I saw her standing there. If you've ever met an internet friend for the first time in real life then I'm sure you can relate. It was crazy actually seeing her at my house, right in front of me and not just as profile picture on a texting app. We hugged each other and I still was in disbelief that she was there. By the time Katt, Jessie, and Bianca rang my doorbell it was like a scene out of a movie: everyone smiling and hugging each other. It was as if we were all meeting long time friends that we hadn't seen in awhile. After many hugs and pictures taken of my dog, we piled into one car and started towards Pittsburgh. With Bianca doubling as the DJ and navigator and Jessie providing both driving and dance moves, we made our way downtown. We went all over the city going from the Pittsburgh Zoo to Point State Park then up the Duquesne Incline for the view from Mount Washington. It wouldn't be a trip to Pittsburgh without stopping at Primanti Brother's so we made a stop there to take a break and chow down on sandwiches much bigger than our mouths. Sticking with our love for food, we ventured over to Oakland for ice cream from Dave and Andy's before driving back to my house to say our goodbyes.
A thousand pictures, laughs, stories, smiles, and memories later, we had to say go our separate ways. Just like that, my BANGS friends were leaving to go back across the state to their homes. It's crazy to think about just how much a canvas shoe has changed my life in the past year since I first became involved with BANGS. My shoes have led me through Europe, across the US, down overgrown hiking trails, and to new friends. I didn't know what I was signing up for when I first applied to be a Lead Ambassador in the fall of 2015, but I now know why I was led here. The close-knit community has become a second family for me and has gifted me with life long friends. I'm not quite sure where my life may take me, but I do know that I have the support of my BANGS family across the world and that no matter where I end up, I will always be sure to liveBANGS.
