Every so often I need a hermit weekend. That is, a weekend when I don’t leave the apartment except to walk the dogs. I need the quiet time to recharge and to gather and organize my thoughts. Between my day job, my writing, my dancing, my financial juggling and Life’s latest challenge, I have a lot on my mind! Sometimes it gets to be too much and that’s when I take a hermit weekend.
Tag: ballroom blog
Ballroom Withdrawal – A Financially Sound State
You know that feeling you get when you feel like your budget is in good shape and even after fitting in dance, you still have some wiggle room, but then you have to buy a new car battery and instead of wiggle room, you’re back to wearing a financial corset?
Maybe it’s just me.
A Review of CalOpen – Pre-Comp Prep
Just one more article about CalOpen and then I promise I’ll move on! Per a reader’s request, I’m bringing you back to the days leading up to the competition and revealing some of the things I do as last minute preparations. Ready to hit 88 miles per hour?
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A Review of CalOpen – Realigning with “Reality”
It’s been six days since I danced at the California Open. The days following a competition can be challenging. What goes up must come down, as they say! The big emotions of an event like a ballroom competition (excitement, anxiety, joy, etc.) take a lot of energy, so I can feel drained and even depressed after the external stimuli are gone and the big emotions fade. I call it post-comp blues. I’ve dealt with this emotional rollercoaster after every competition, as well as some lesser events. Sometimes the ride is full of insane ups and downs; other times it is just a little bumpy.
So what about this time? I’ll call it a bumpy road.
A Review of CalOpen – All I Can Smell is Hair Spray
Success! I have completed my first competition at the silver level! If you were following me on Facebook, you know how it went.
Countdown to CalOpen – 6 Days: Up and Out!
Less than a week to go!
I’m happy to report that I have not had to run to the bathroom to hyperventilate again since last week. Although yesterday I came close.
Countdown to CalOpen – 19 Days: Reflections
Our story begins with a podcast that has nothing to do with ballroom dancing. But since it is the thing that put me on the path to writing this post, I am starting there. Lewis Howes was interviewing Lisa Nichols. You may have heard of them if you’ve gotten into personal development, life coaching or entrepreneurship. They’re both very successful and worth checking out if you’re interested in those things.
Anyway, I was listening to the podcast at work, and at one point, Ms. Nichols was talking about the different types of relationships you will experience in your lifetime. One of them was a purposeful relationship. Someone comes into your life for a specific purpose (whether you’re aware of it or not), and once the purpose is fulfilled, the relationship will become stagnant or break down completely.
There are plenty of directions you could go with this idea, but my mind was transported to my very first competition: the 2014 San Francisco Open.
Let the Countdown Begin – 3 Weeks Until California Open
All it took was some luck, hard work and financial wizardry, and I’m back on the competition dancefloor in three weeks! California Open, here I come.
Cue the anxiety attacks! (She said only half jokingly.)
Repost: The Most Important Quality in Dancing
A great article about the importance of musicality and being able to just “feel” the music:
http://www.delta.dance/2016/01/the-most-important-quality-in-ballroom-dancing/
Like a Warm Spring Breeze on a Cold Winter’s Day
I got my new video of the silver foxtrot routine. And what’s more, I actually feel like I am starting to get the hang of it!
I’m always so grateful for the lessons where things just go well.
But I’ll be frank with you. I think I had something to do with it.
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 