"HOLA DESDE MIAMI"

Hola desde Miami!!!

What is happening my little HIV Catalyst Forum readers? Well let me start off by saying that I totally procrastinated for this trip. I had to do last minute shopping today and the damage I made wasn’t good. My bags are overstuffed and like any true traveler, I probably won’t even use half the outfits I’m taking to Baltimore.

At any rate… let’s get to the introduction. My name is Jesse Sanchez, I am 22, and I live in Miami, Florida. I found out I was HIV+ a day after my 19^th birthday. I mean it wasn’t the cutest “present” I’ve received, but hey, when life gives you aids make lemonade (oh I can so sense the hissing). At the time of my diagnosis I was working as a writer for the local Fox News affiliate here in Miami. In fear that I would be scrutinized or judged by co-workers I resigned.

A month after being diagnosed I got in touch with Regan, the editor-in-chief of POZ Magazine. After exchanging emails and so forth she invited me to be on the cover of the September issue of POZ. (SIDE NOTE: Regan is the most amazing advocate I have ever met and spoken to. I can relate to her on so many different levels and she is sweet, funny, and she’s super cute.) I felt that being public and doing it at a young age would really impact teens/young adults in my situation. It was a weird coping mechanism, but I embraced it and called it my own. My diagnosis made me feel vulnerable and useless, but with the help of my vivacious girlfriends I was back on my feet in no time.

With the help of those vivacious friends I landed another job at CBS News here in Miami as a news producer. During my tenure I still continued my public HIV advocacy. I took part in MTV’s HIV POS OR NOT game in 2008. In 2009 Cristina Saralegui invited me to be a guest speaker on her show, El Show de Cristina, which airs on Univision. Saralegui’s show has an estimated 130 million viewers –more than five times Oprah’s audience- in 15 countries. That same year I was also invited to be a guest on POZIAM Radio. Just recently I was interviewed by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant, Ongina, for an episode of HIV+ME on MTV/LOGO. Aside from all the advocacy work I do, I also take the time to speak locally to children and young adults who are having trouble accepting their sexuality and/or HIV status.

---So now that you know a little about me… I hope you come up to me and say “Hi!”---

So during the 4-days up in Baltimore my friend Johnathan Shaw and I will be blogging, vlogging, and just going crazy with all this stuff. I even picked up a NEW MACBOOK PRO today while I was out shopping so we could update our blogs quicker, faster, and even try to do it live. WooHoo!!!

At any rate… it is 3:10am here in the M.I.A. and I am still stuffing my Louis and trying to do last minute preps for my noon flight. So I will see you hot messes tomorrow – and feel free to say, “what’s up!?”

XO