Reading “Harry Potter” as a child and then “The Hunger Games” in her college years, Christina Petsos was surrounded by themes of helping society throughout her early life. Starting out in child protection investigation, Petsos later pursued careers in law enforcement, military service, and then, content creation. 

“My main goal really was I wanted to help people,” Petsos said. “I wanted to help those that couldn’t help themselves.”

After working in child protection for about a year, Petsos wanted to do more. In January 2015, she joined the police academy. And after working in law enforcement for almost three years, Petsos needed another change, but she wasn’t sure what was next. 

Wanting to use her law enforcement training, Petsos joined the military for another approximately three years, during which she became a U.S. Army captain. While stationed in Savannah, Petsos felt she had to share the city’s charm and local businesses on her Instagram account: somehowimeverywhere. 

“My whole goal was to just help the small businesses get more exposure and recognition in the city,” Petsos said. “So that was my goal, and it’s continued to be my goal to this day, just to expose small businesses.” 

As a local content creator and food writer for Visit Orlando, Christina Petsos has tried a variety of restaurants across the city. Some of her personal favorite places to eat include Kaya Orlando, Capa Steakhouse, Vinia Wine & Kitchen, and Mills Market. (INSTAGRAM.COM/SOMEHOWIMEVERYWHERE)

Petsos left active duty service in 2021 and built a full-time career in social media. As this industry grows, many creators have charged high prices to promote businesses. But Petsos doesn’t feel the need to do so, whether that’s on her own page or creating content for the businesses’ social media. 

“As I’ve grown, I charge bigger businesses. And the smaller businesses, I don’t charge unless they are insistent on it, because I never got in it for the money,” Petsos said. “I’m glad I’ve been able to make a career out of it, because it’s a lot of fun, but how I ended up doing this was still out of my desire to help, just in a different way.” 

Around the time she left the army, Petsos moved to Orlando. Growing up in Cape Canaveral, but visiting Orlando frequently to see extended family, she was drawn to the growing city’s local businesses.

“When I started coming back to Orlando a lot, that’s when the food scene started to grow more, and I realized just how diverse of a future we were building in Orlando, which we didn’t previously have,” Petsos said. “I always wanted to come back, to try the new food thing that was coming out, or what new restaurants they have, or the things I saw on Instagram.”

While Petsos began highlighting small businesses during her army service, she first established her social media presence during her bodybuilding years, an activity she participated in before her service. Given the strict diet she had to follow for bodybuilding competitions, Petsos learned to appreciate, and take pictures of, food that satisfied the soul when she wasn’t competing. 

“I had so many that I started the [social media] page,” Petsos said. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it, but I just wanted to share all the good food that I had found and was eating.” 

From there, she continued to highlight local businesses and restaurants while living across the country during her active-duty service. While she made social media into her career when she returned to Orlando, Petsos has also maintained a variety of hobbies. 

For example, from her time in the athletic world through gymnastics and bodybuilding, and having experienced physically and mentally intense jobs, Petsos knew the benefits of staying active. Having practiced yoga throughout her life, she began taking classes again. 

“I really fell in love with it. It changed a lot of my outlook on life, on people, on just how to treat people in general,” Petsos said. “And not just that, but like my mental health got so much better from it. And over time, it did help me relax. It did clear my mind.” 

As she continued to attend yoga classes regularly, though, Petsos found herself wanting more, which led her to start teaching the practice as well. 

“I wanted to grow my practice stronger and understand more of the philosophies behind yoga, and just continue to learn, … and because I wanted to teach baby goat yoga,” Petsos said. “While I was in it, I realized I actually really like to teach it. … Because of my love for the practice and wanting other people to see it and try it and apply it to their lives if they can.” 

When she’s not working, Christina Petsos enjoys spending time with her friends. However, because she’s often trying new things while creating content, she can usually both work and spend quality time with her people. (INSTAGRAM.COM/SOMEHOWIMEVERYWHERE)

Petsos is also a food writer for Visit Orlando. Working with them since 2021, Petsos has found this to be another way to highlight the local restaurants Orlando has to offer.

So, how does she balance it all? Petsos makes sure to focus on her health by finding time for yoga every day. Otherwise, she tries to take it day by day and takes some time away when the burnout begins to hit. 

“You have to give yourself that time, you know?” Petsos said. “And don’t forget that there are always people in your corner, and you can ask them for help.”

While exploring Orlando, Petsos’s companion was her dog, Lilly. Having had her since she was eight weeks old, Petsos shared a close bond with the pup. 

“I used to take her everywhere with me,” Petsos said in February. “Like, she used to always come to restaurants with me, and she’d go on trips with me, but now that she’s gotten older, [I’ve] kind of taken a step back on her going, because she tends to get anxiety when she goes out now, because she lost her hearing.” 

Still, Petsos prioritized time with Lilly as much as possible, often spending time at home with her while editing, to not have any regrets when she passed. Sadly, on March 30, Petsos announced on her Instagram that Lilly had died.

This year has been full of other big moments for Petsos. In January, Petsos began teaching yoga at the Van Goghblin Cafe and has continued teaching classes at Ital Yoga throughout the spring. In February, Petsos officially retired from the U.S. Army Reserve. In May, she went on a trip to Spain to see Bad Bunny in concert, and she looks forward to additional yoga classes, including more baby goat classes.