I'm the waitress who got "pranked" with a new car and a trip to Hawaii.. You asked for it... AMA!

No question, just wanted to say thank you for all that you do. You change people's lives, and this video brought me to tears. You deserved this 100%, and I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Enjoy your trip to Hawaii!

You're very sweet. Thank you!

You're welcome! Now, if only I was able to do yoga..

Anyone can do yoga. Find a local studio and take a first class. Some of my students sit in a chair for the first few weeks... yoga is accessible to everyone.

Do you see a lot of guys taking yoga classes?

Half of my clients in treatment centers are men. Absolutely.

Spent too much time on Reddit. At first thought it was "news hoes522" shame on me.

Shame. On. You.

I am not a monster. Anyone who reads "news hoes" has their own thing goin' on.

Thanks for doing an AMA! Just wanted to say that it looks like your boss was pretty cool and supportive of you... I'm not sure my boss would bring in a youtube channel crew to film me leaving my job.

Ha. I've been very lucky. The owner runs a tight ship. If you're ever in LA drop by the Spring Street Smokehouse and say hi. http://sssmokehouse.com/

I've been looking for a good barbecue place in LA! Thank you!

If I'm not there, let them know you saw the video and you're a redditor! I've been curious about how much new business this whole thing will give them.

Your restauraunt is all of a 5 minute drive from my work.. Looks like I have to convince my co workers for BBQ takeout this week

Dooooo it! And if I'm not there, tell them you heard about us on Reddit. : )

If it's the Spring St. Smokehouse that's like just on the edge of Chinatown next to Cesar Chaves, then I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE your ribs! Mmm Sampler.

That's the one : )

When did you first get the idea that the incidents were connected and weren't just unrelated acts of kindness?

When Dr. Krevoy showed up, I knew something was up. Directors of treatment centers don't just pitch you like that. It took me years to get into my first treatment center, and even now it takes several months. Clinical directors are (and should be) very discerning, especially with people like me who run a non-profit and aren't licensed mental health professionals. I was really taken aback by her offer to come work in her treatment center off-the-cuff, and knew something was up... Despite the video editing, that was actually the second "surprise," so when the hawaii trip and car showed up I was super suspicious.

So I guess you're quitting your waitress job and become a full-time yoga teacher?

Very inspiring btw.

I'm doing my best to develop the nonprofit and build enough financial stability to have a full-time staff. We're getting close. : )

Maybe now that you're a little internet famous you can raise some money for a charitable project via kickstarter or indiegogo or something!

Already did that. I raised $51,000 on Indiegogo last year. http://www.occupyyouarebeautiful.com

I do NOT want to do it again. I literally lived on a roof for 4 days to raise that money.

I think I'd be willing to live on a roof for four days a year to get $51,000.

In the end, wasn't quite $51,000. It was about 45K after we took away IGG fees, marketing expensives, etc. A good deal of that money was put toward building the infrastructure toward getting our programs into treatment centers.

We need a full staff to be functional, and every individual on my team deserves pay. Right now, I don't have the financial stability to pay them, so I'm taking side jobs to channel as much money into the nonprofit as possible.

I'm so grateful for all the money we raised, but making a non-profit financially-stable is always a struggle. We're getting close. The Give Back Yoga Foundation, our non-profit incubator, has been a HUGE help (http://www.givebackyoga.org)

What about something like teespring.com. sorry, I don't know how to link

Thank you for this! We've been looking to print some new t-shirts... this is a great idea. I'm going to send it along to my outreach coordinator!

If you need an expensive graphic artist for free just hit me up.

Seriously?! I love Reddit!

I have been saving my first post to Reddit for something special and this is it! Chelsea I’m so incredibly proud of you for all you have overcome and accomplished, you are such an incredible person. You continue to amaze me with your positive attitude and the way you have and continue to touch so many lives. I’m so lucky to have you and your sister in my life. Love you more than I could ever express. xxxooo your godmother :)

Aaaaaw.

Sher-bear!

Hey Reddit, this is my godmother. She raised my little sister when I went to the hospital, and that kid was wild child! She was always there for us growing up - she'd pick us up when my mom was drunk, keep us at her house over weekends, and bring us over for holidays. I love her DEARLY, and she's been one of the most consistent, reliable, supportive individuals in my life. I know this AMA isn't on the front page anymore, but I hope you give her some love.

I love you, Sherry!

First of all, congratulations!

Second, I just wanted you to be aware there may be some tax implications you hadn't thought of. For instance, when Oprah gave those cars away a lot of people had to sell them at the end of the year to pay taxes they didn't know were coming. Just wanted you to be aware so you could start planning ahead, that way it isn't a big deal later.

I'm definitely aware. They had me sign a contract and explained the taxes and fees really explicitly to me. All that cash is going toward taxes.

When is the trip to hawaii?

Not sure yet! Working on it.

If you can swing it (or if it's included), a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii will be a major highlight of the trip. Volcanoes Natl Park is amazing. Kona is awesome, and a drive around the whole island (about 8-10 hours, depending on how many times you stop) is an experience that will live in your heart for life.

Source: former Big Island resident (ten years)

I'm heading straight to reddit Hawaii when we go. You guys are awesome!

What was your favorite part of that entire shift?

Diana jumping out of the car. In many ways, that woman saved my life - I'm so grateful to her - and I hadn't seen her in years. It didn't feel real until that happened.

If you were a tree what kind of tree would you be?

I don't know what their called (maybe Eucalyptus?), but the windy, beautiful, red-blossomed tree that grows on Olympic Blvd near Cloverfield. Maybe a Los Angeleno can confirm the type. They're so beautiful.

Olympic Blvd near Cloverfield

These? A picture might help!

Yup.

Mabe it's Erythrina caffra

You could be right! It's apparently the official tree of LA, too! Lately these have been blooming like crazy around LA and are so beautiful.

I'm so thrilled that Reddit just taught me the name of my favorite tree.

I think that's the one.

Do you mean the pagoda trees? I dunno but i live near there as well there pretty cool looking. also : http://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Portals/UrbanForest/About/StreetTreeList.pdf all the trees in that area :)

That's not it. Great site... not seeing the one I'm talking about :-/

a new car and a trip to Hawaii

Did they expect you to drive there?

A more serious question, what is the hardest part of recovery, psychologically?

^{Finally, not a question, but could you please check your links? Some of them don't seem to work}

question, what is the hardest part of recovery, psychologically?

That's a tough question. It varies. Right now, the hardest part of "recovery" is just sitting with the sadness and grief and longing of missing my mom, or a parent, or someone to take care of me... and not having an eating disorder to distract me from the pain.

In the beginning, the most difficult part was letting go of my identity as an anorexic - for years I'd based all of my value and self worth on how little space I took up in the world. The hardest part of recovery in the beginning was figuring out and learning to love the person I was when I wasn't emaciated.

I also remember the stage of recovery when I HATED my body, and desperately wanted it to look different. At that stage, the biggest challenge was being seen/witnessed/vulnerable with other people. Especially intimately.

Now... my biggest challenge is allowing myself to feel and express the full spectrum of my emotional experience. But that's a challenge for everybody, I think.

So recovery varies. Different stages of recovery present different challenges. I do believe that people can be fully recovered - like the illness is GONE - and I'm so grateful to be in that place, to have my happiness and freedom and LIFE back. But being recovered from an eating disorder doesn't mean you're recovered from life.

Regarding your appearance, I hope this doesn't sound creepy, but to me your body now looks perfectly normal and nice. So congratulations on breaking free of your hardships!

Thank you! Doesn't bother me at all. I love that my body reflects "full recovery" and I'm not a recovered anorexic who still looks anorexic.

What are these things in my eyes?

Raindrops.

What is your favorite pizza topping?

Sausage ;) ;)

How do you know Diana? Your reaction to seeing her was my favorite part of the video

Diana was my first-ever yoga teacher. In many ways, that woman saved my life.

I wrote a little about her impact on me here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/intent/anorexia_b_1928891.html

The rest of the story is in the book 21st Century Yoga: http://www.amazon.com/21st-Century-Yoga-Politics-Practice/product-reviews/0615617603

No questions, however I have to say that video made a grown man cry!!

woot woot. I love man tears.

I've suffered from depression and anxiety for a long time. I've been told that I should get into yoga. How does yoga help with depression and anxiety?

It's amazing you came through those troubles and are such a wonderful, giving person. All my best for an awesome future.

In my experience, yoga strengthens one's ability to self-regulate and regulate the nervous system.

So more specifically: Let's say you go to a yoga class - one in which there's a good amount of repetitive movements, or strength-building poses, or difficult postures that make you sweat a little bit - and your sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear. Your heart will start beating fast, your breath will become more rapid... essentially, your body thinks you're running from bear. Physiologically, the experience is very similar to anxiety, or panic. A physically-vigorous yoga class actually provokes anxiety and activates the sympathetic nervous system.

Many types of exercise - from spinning, to running, to weightlifting - provoke this experience, what neuroscientists call "sympathetic activation." But as I see it, yoga uniquely teaches the practitioner how to bring their nervous system back into parasympathetic mode. Just as yoga is about to provoke a panic attack, the teacher brings you into child's pose and encourages you to breathe deeply into your belly, kicking the parasympathetic (rest and relax) nervous system back into gear. Yoga will literally get you right on the edge of a panic attack... and then teach you how to breathe through it, and bring your body back into a calm state.

In my experience, yoga has the capacity to strengthen one's ability - our mental muscle, if you will - to self-regulate emotionally. That's huge for those of us who struggle with depression and anxiety.

Confused did you get to keep those tips from the pranks or were they just..lies?

I'm driving a brand new car. It was all real.

Can I have your old car?

I've already sold it. Trust me, you wouldn't have wanted it. 200K miles and broke down once a month. It served me well for 7 years though!

Now I'm REALLY glad you got all those things. Wow.

Were you abused in foster care? (I imagine many children who spend years in foster care are).

I wasn't abused in foster care. The hospital was actually given custodianship of my care, so the doctors and nurses were my "foster parents" until I was seventeen. When I was seventeen I got out of the hospital and "slipped through the cracks." Never was officially emancipated, but I didn't get placed in a home when I was released and just had to figure shit out on my own. I finished high school through distance education in the hospital, but getting into college was really difficult because I didn't have money or a GPA/class rank/normal stuff. Made it through the first two years of college on loans and a job a Starbucks.

My sister had it harder. She was on her own from 14, when I got put in the hospital and could no longer take care of her, on. She went to live in my godparents' home for a while but ran away to take care of my mom. That's the real foster care story.

How long did you live at the hospital? I can't imagine that.

You literally lived in a hospital?

I was in the hospital for 18 months. About 6 of those months were "partial hospitalization" where I lived at a garage apartment nearby and would come in for treatment for 8-10 hours a day.

Were the gifts given in the traditional way, which would involve you paying taxes on everything? Or did they work out a way to get around the gift tax, by selling you the car for $0 or something.

The idea of a car gift or winning a car always scares me because you get to pay 40%ish of its MSRP in taxes the following year.

I'll be paying taxes at the end of the year. They covered registration and stuff on the car.

Does this opportunity translate into a new full time job for you ?

My "full time" job is developing my non profit, Eat Breathe Thrive (http://www.eatbreathethrive.org).

So do you not have any contact with your other mom?

I definitely stay in touch with my other mom, Honey. She lives in Oregon now. I love her very much, and she had just as crazy experience as I did throughout my childhood... My mom was insane, and violent, and abusive. Honey left my mom and moved out when I was 12, and the courts in Texas refused to give her custody rights of me or my sister (my mom would call the police on her for kidnapping when she'd take us from the house to keep us safe). So my sister and I were left to deal with mom, and Honey did her best to take care of us (she would move back in every once in a while, take us to and from school, etc). After I had the stroke, Honey moved to Dallas and I actually lived with her for a bit during my time in and out of the hospital.

What was going through your mind when they presented the car to you? Must of been mind blowing! Also, thanks for doing this AMA, you deserved everything that you got!

When I first saw the car... I was like, seriously? WTF? This is ridiculous. This can't be happening... And if it is, there's gotta be a catch.

When Diana walked out -- I stopped doubting and questioning. I trust her - a lot - and I knew she wouldn't pull one over on me. Seeing her made everything real.

I'd like to get my 15 year old daughter to try yoga, but she's resistant to this, and pretty much any treatment, for that matter. She was diagnosed with AN in the 4th grade, and it's been up and down since then. The only time she did any yoga was when she was inpatient last fall, but that was a really difficult time for her, and she only cooperated enough to get released. Any suggestions on what to look for, and how to get her willing to try? We're near Boston, if that makes a difference.

If your daughter doesn't want to go to yoga, I would leave it alone. I don't think it's a good strategy for parents to force their children to do yoga, especially when the individual is struggling with an ED. It will be counterproductive in the long run... she'll either use the practice to act out in her eating disorder (like burn calories, lose more weight, compulsively exercise, etc) or she won't absorb any of the healing benefits because she's simply not open to them.

I'm so sorry to hear your daughter is struggling, and I know it must be incredibly difficult for you as her mom. Eating disorders are so difficult to treat, and they have a way of sort of hijacking the sufferer's mind so that he/she feels like the eating disorder is their friend. I clung to my eating disorder for years, thinking it was my life vest, when in reality it was just taking me straight toward death.

I would encourage you to continue supporting your daughter with a strong team of professionals - including a medical doctor, a psychiatrist, a therapist, and a nutritionist. Hopefully someone will be able to get through to her. Once she's an adult, it will be much more difficult to help her, as she'll be able to refuse treatment altogether.

You might also share the chapter I wrote about recovering from an eating disorder in the book, 21st Century Yoga. I'm not trying to sell you a book (I don't make any money off this book anyway), but personal stories can be really powerful and I've had lots of moms and dads tell me that it helped "get through" to their son or daughter. http://www.amazon.com/21st-Century-Yoga-Politics-Practice/product-reviews/0615617603

Wishing you the best. Thanks for being a good mom!

When are you gonna go to Hawaii? What will you do with your old car? What did you/will you do with the $1k you got? What did you do the day/night after?

Figuring out Hawaii. I sold my old car on Craigslist this past Sunday. I'm using the 1K to pay taxes. I had a big sleepover with Diana at her hotel the night after.

What's the background with you and Diana?

EDIT: Just did another search and saw this was answered. So... what's your favorite kind of beer?

I don't like beer. That was actually my biggest challenge when I first started waitressing at the Smokehouse.... had to taste all the beers so I could describe them to people (they have like 20 on tap)! Tough job. Really tough job. ; )

Were you really on edge for the rest of the day, like you weren't sure if the prank was over or not? Did you suspect random people on the street were going to come up to you and give you a house or a plane?

Ha. No. But I did have a really strong reaction to getting showered with all those gifts. I just felt... weird... for the rest of the day. I kept saying to my friends and coworkers, "Normal people work for their shit. This came out of nowhere. I didn't do anything to earn it. I don't understand."

That's why...that's why people watch and cry...because it doesn't happen but should, to everyone who got handed destruction instead of nurturance at birth.

It's a gift to others, to us, to get to witness your day, to witness justice.

When is there ever justice?

I don't know that this was an act of justice, and I'm not sure there can be "justice" for the challenging things that happened in my childhood, but good things do come around. As you express really beautifully here - many people experience "destruction rather than nurturance" in their childhood, and not everyone has the resources to make it through those difficult times with an open enough mind/heart and a strong enough body to experience the good if/when it comes back around. Again, I feel lucky. I've had a lot of good people and good things show up in my life.

You say that you grew up in a lesbian family.

Aside from the dysfunctional aspect of that specific relationship that you allude to, do you think that had any influence on your life?

A lot of right wingers will decry the evils of gay/lesbians as parents, but I am not convinced. I just am curious about your views of gays/lesbians as parents having been the child in that situation, and I am hoping you can dissociate the specific dysfunctionalities of the individuals from the explanation. :)

It had a huge impact on my life. I very rarely speak about that aspect of my story publicly, because I know my childhood is a terrible representation for the LGBT parenting community. My personal view is that gays and lesbians make wonderful parents, and they often do a better job than straight people because they have to work so hard to have kids. You don't just "accidentally" have kids when you're gay. There are no "oops" babies :)

That said, I do think LGBT families face a unique set of challenges - from societal discrimination, to providing same/opposite gender role models, to dealing with the legal and financial hurdles in states where gay marriage isn't legal. But most of these challenges have more to do with the current state of politics, rather than LGBT parents' parenting abilities.

My sister and I both got bullied a lot for having two moms growing up (we also were raised in a very conservative county in Texas). My moms didn't set up a strong male role model in our life growing up, and we both had challenges in our early relationships with men as a result. My "other mom" wasn't able to get custody of us when my biological mom developed alcohol-induced dementia, because the judges in Texas were very conservative and decided we'd be better off in the foster care system than with a gay woman who'd raised us since birth.

So yea... my family was super dysfunctional, and much of the dysfunction was made worse because of the challenges LGBT parenting presents. Hope that makes sense!

Congrats on getting the best shift ever, you deserve it. My question is did you honestly not notice the cameras they put in the restaurant? From the video they looked rather large.

I definitely didn't notice the hidden cameras (there were 9 throughout the restaurant!). You (or I) just don't think to look for that kind of thing when you come into work.

I did notice something that looked like a camera in the glasses case with the "travel agents" who gave me the trip to Hawaii. You can see it in my face... I was super stiff with the car lady. ("Who are you??")

Did she need to say something more before you followed her outside. You seemed very hesitant to go with her. What were thinking was going on at that point?

Wouldn't you be a little suspicious and hesitant if some random lady asked you to walk outside with her? We're talking a BBQ Restaurant in Chinatown. Safety first!

What are your thoughts on Obamacare or politics in general?

I am happy to be the posterchild for state-funded healthcare. I wouldn't be alive today without those 18 months of treatment, which I received for free because I was in fostercare.

I think Obamacare needs work, but it's a great start!

Just want to say I love all the staff at Spring St. Smokehouse! You guys rock!

Me too! Thanks for saying so : )

has anyone ever paid you in Bitcoin?

Not yet. I would LOVE that!

Okay Reddit, I gotta go! I'm teaching at a treatment center this morning. Thank you for all your kind words, good questions and encouragement. It means a lot coming from Reddit... I really do think y'all are awesome. :)

Oh, and thanks for helping me find the name of my favorite tree!

How are you today?

(Just a simple question I ask in a lot of AMAs)

I'm doing well. Life gets tough sometimes, but overall... I'm happy. Every once in a while it hits me and I get like... really? is this my life? Never imagined life could feel this good. : )

Did all of your coworkers know what was going on?

Only Audra (who was interviewed and I hugged several times) and Chris (the owner).

I'm really sad I missed this AMA, but I just wanted to compliment you on where you have been and how you turned out after! You hear and see so many people growing up in rough situations like these and you often see them take the path down the wrong road. You seemed to take everything head on and make everything better for yourself even when happiness I'm sure seemed out of reach. Your story is truly inspiring and after watching the video and reading through your comments, you have the biggest heart. I just wanted to compliment you and say thank you for sharing and I hope everything goes well from here on out. You deserve the best in life, and I'm sure you are going to get it!

You've haven't missed it. I had to go to bed late last night (starting at 11pm was really bad planning on my part), but I'm around for the next couple hours to answer questions.

These are really kind words. Thank you! :)

What advices/tips can you give to the people that suffer from Bulimia nervosa?

Get help. Get into therapy. Get a doctor. Get a support team behind you. And once you're at a physically safe place in recovery, find a mindful-movement practice (like yoga or tai chi) to help you develop more awareness and compassion for your body.

Anorexia and bulimia are very similar; many of the underlying psychological issues and challenges are the same. Bulimia is extremely dangerous, as you probably know. If it's you that's struggling, I hope you get help!

Prior to that $1000 tip during the prank, what was the largest tip you've ever received? What has been your experience with your customers tipping in general?

I don't know... maybe 30-40%. People are pretty generous at the SmokeHouse.

Where did you get the funds at the beggining? Was the internet of any help? Have you ever gotten any help from a "major" fund?

http://www.occupyyouarebeautiful.com.

I raised $51,000 to kickstart my nonprofit on IndieGoGo last year.

Congratulations on surpassing insurmountable odds. Really. Sounds like you are a very strong woman!

I have to ask, how is California compared to the humdrum of Texas? I'm going to be spending ten weeks in Pasadena this summer for an internship. I'm from Oklahoma. Should I get ready for culture shock?

Oh my gosh. California is amazing. Mountains, ocean, beautiful weather. I feel so lucky to live here! It's much more expensive, but it's worth every penny.

I just want to say what an awesome person you are.. I salute you Ma'am! You deserved this kind of appreciation and enjoy your Vacation!

You're very sweet. Thank you.

Would you say yoga has helped you battle your eating disorder?

Absolutely. Yoga helped me learn to cope healthfully with difficult emotions (anxiety, depression, anger, etc), tune into hunger and fullness signals and connect with a community of support. It wasn't magical, but yoga and meditation were certainly life-changing in my recovery.

Oh geez, oh geez. Your video made me cry yesterday. I was so touched. I was just wondering, and this is probably obvious, but were your co-workers in on the prank?

Two of them were. Chris and Audra.

How is the tri-tip?

also, do you guys serve a mixed plate platter? hehehe, sorry. Congrats and enjoy the gifts given to you, clearly deserve it

The tri-tips are AMAZING! And yes we serve mixed platters. Stop in sometime : ) http://www.sssmokehouse.com/html/menu_dinein.html

Hey...for someone your age, you've certainly been through a lot so congratulations on all you've accomplished.

In what ways will having the car benefit you in your life?

Well, not having to pay towing fees once a month will be nice.

I've been driving it for a week now, and I can honestly say that it's really helped my self confidence. I used to park my car two blocks away from the treatment center I've been teaching at, because I didn't want the patients and staff there to think less of me. I walk around with my head held higher, and I feel safer in the vehicle I'm driving.

From a professional standpoint, I'm more able to travel to treatment centers in nearby areas. I already travel by plane to teach at treatment centers in Denver, Dallas, Miami, NYC, etc. But now it's super easy for me to make a trip to San Diego or San Francisco without having to pay for a flight. I just feel more able to do my thing... super grateful!

What your favorite T.V show?

Lost, Breaking Bad, and 60 Minutes

From what I could see you are an amazing person and you deserve everything in that video. It was a great watch and I wish you all the best in the future! No real question though...

Thank you : )

You have an extra . in your organizations link, so it wont load.

Just fixed that. Thank you!

How many guests do you get to take to Hawaii and who are you taking?

1 guest. Taking my man : )