I think it’s safe to say now that I’ve officially survived my first winter in Maine. For someone who lived the previous 16 years in Southern California (where 60 degrees is “cold”) and has experienced symptoms from seasonal affective disorder, moving to a state so far north was a risk. The thought of living through months of dark and dreary weather made me hesitate even when I knew in my core that Maine was the place I was meant to be.
Turns out it wasn’t that bad!
Continue readingI left the house to go dancing three days this week. It almost felt reminiscent of pre-pandemic life, except the variety of dance here is much greater. It’s a different experience working on different dances through the week instead of continuously building on my ballroom skills. My personal dance world is expanding as I learn and practice different styles. I’m getting to meet different people who all love to dance, but in different ways. It feels a little aimless, but as you’ll find out, I’m feeling better about that aspect.
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We plan, God laughs.
Yiddish proverb
It’s March already, and while I’m not surprised that there is still a foot of snow on the ground, I am surprised and disappointed that I’m not back to taking ballroom lessons. I shouldn’t be surprised because I was there at every turn that delayed my return to ballroom. Always a good reason! But silly me still didn’t want to let go of her original plans.
If any four words were to sum up Life, it would be these four: We plan, God laughs.
You can interpret it in different ways, but I see it as a reminder that we cannot control the world around us. The Earth keeps rotating and Life keeps going, whether we like it or not. We try every day to control or at least predict, what the future will bring, but the best we manage is an illusion.
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https://treetattoodance.medium.com/is-the-medal-worth-the-long-term-damage-a1965116bbf7
P.S. – When I say “happy dancing,” I truly mean it. I want you to work hard so you can achieve success on your dance journey. I also want you to find joy on your dance journey.
If today’s piece was valuable to you, please show your support for The Girl with the Tree Tattoo. Thank you in advance, and happy dancing (for real)!
It’s officially been two years since my last ballroom competition, the 2020 California Open. To be honest, it was not the performance I wanted to go out on. But how was I to know that a global pandemic was about to turn Life as we know it upside down?
Continue readingIt was another week of weather up here in Maine! Last Sunday, I spent about 2.5 hours shoveling snow after Winter Storm Kenan. It’s been decades since I’ve shoveled that much snow; I was so sore on Monday!
I still went to my 90-minute ballet class on Monday evening. I knew it would be an “interesting” challenge. My body was exhausted and anyone who’s taken ballet knows it’s not easy even when you’re feeling tip top! So no surprise – my pirouettes went from “not great” to “really bad.” Focusing on maintaining form when your energy is waning is a great way to build up stamina though! I did not have that positive of an attitude while I was falling across the floor in front of everyone, but at least I gave myself a break because I knew I was tired.
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If you live anywhere on the northern half of the East Coast, then you heard about Winter Storm Kenan, a nor’easter turned “bomb cyclone”, pub crawling its way up the coast Friday through Saturday night. We’ll talk about that in a minute. First, I want to share that after I posted last week about my dance journey currently not including a whole lot of dancing, I got to dance for 2.5 hours on Monday!
Since moving here, I’ve been able to connect with a few other dancers who, like myself, want to continue challenging themselves technically and creatively in their dancing. Monday was our first meetup where we played around with choreography for an hour before my 90-minute ballet class. By the end of the evening, my body was tired and sore, and my soul was happy. We’re aiming to continue our Monday dance sessions, weather permitting.
Continue readingA common result of getting bitten by the ballroom bug is diving headfirst into all things ballroom dance. In the beginning of my ballroom journey, I went to multiple group classes each week on top of my private lessons. I’d show up to my lesson an hour or two early just to spend more time in the studio and be in that dancing environment. I never missed a practice party.
Continue readingMy latest blog post is live on Medium, challenging the popular belief that hard work equals pain and suffering. Frankly, I’d rather laugh through the unavoidable mistakes that happen along my dance journey than cry!
Reminder: Today is your last chance to register for the Find Your Confidence on the Dance Floor challenge, hosted by The Girl with the Tree Tattoo and Dance Dress Couture! You can sign up here.
While everyone else took their holiday vacations around Christmas and New Year’s, I decided to do my work while the (virtual) office was quiet and take the first week of January off. I must say, it’s been a great week! I got to meet a local dance studio owner while delivering an order of Choreography Journals, I worked on next week’s email challenge, and I got to go to Zumba twice. I also had plenty of time to rest and recharge. I wish every week could feel as balanced!
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The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 