Hi there.

Coronado Beach sunset

Well, howdy. It's been a hot minute.

I've missed this. I miss the writing, the community, and getting on my soapbox from time to time (ha!). As spring slowly thaws out Pittsburgh, my writing muscles are thawing out, too.

I have things I want to share with you. Adventures I'm having, projects I'm starting, dreams I'm scheming, challenges I'm facing. The desire to share has been brewing for weeks now, but I had to work out some kinks in my head. Sometimes I get too wrapped up analyzing this and that, worrying that my ramblings are of little to no interest to anyone. I know my fellow writers can relate... I also know that we throw in the towel at some point and jump right in anyway!

So, here I am. Feeling a little rusty. Feeling a little shy.

Here's a sneak preview of what I'll probably chit-chat about in the coming weeks:

* I'm teaching weekly fitness classes to seniors at a local senior facility. They're a kick in the pants!

* I finally went swing dancing after living in Pittsburgh for a year and a half. A year and a half too long, yo.

* I visited San Diego last month. Love.

* I registered for Zumba training and certification at long last.

* Rheumatoid arthritis is no joke. Two years post-diagnosis, I have much to rant about.

I think that's a good start.

It's nice to be back.

xoxo

7 out of 31

Well. #31Days has come and gone and I logged seven days out of the 31.

This is not a stellar percentage, I know.

After only a week in, I knew that blogging everyday was not in the cards. Despite every good intention, I just couldn't do it. Well, I chose not to.

You see, I quickly realized that I had to make a choice. The way my days have been structured between an insane month at work, commuting, getting myself to the gym, spending QT with the hubs, cooking/eating dinner, trying to maintain some level of order to the apartment, AND trying to blog each and every night after all of the above... Something had to give.

I hated letting it go. I hated that I had made such grand plans and bold statements--let me tell you all about America's best homegrown dance, the Lindy Hop!--only to jump ship so early on. I hated that I felt like a failure and the lamest blogger on the block. I was embarrassed and felt guilty for standing you all up. And that is why I was suddenly MIA without a trace. With each passing day sans posting, I got more and more discouraged, and the guilt dug deeper and deeper.

I am sorry for standing y'all up.

{I realize how utterly crazy an apology may sound over something like a blog, but seriously, promising something and not following through is not cool.}

That said, can I say that I've finally realized and accepted that this season in my life is more about going and doing and making and connecting than sitting and writing on the reg. Giving myself permission to be and do sans guilt is pretty amazeballs.

Not to say that I don't have anything to say on le blog.

Not to say that I don't want to share all about the Lindy Hop, as I outlined here.

Not to say that I don't have things to discuss about my latest adventures and projects.

I do. And I will. Just on a timetable that better jives with where I'm at right now. I hope you can dig it, amigos.

I'll be checking in... 

 xoxo

J

#31Days, Episode 6/7: Influence + life lately + freedom

Hello friends and welcome to Episode 6/7 of #31Days to the Lindy Hop, the writing challenge linkup hosted by The Nester. Today is detour from straight up Lindy story-telling, though. I have another story to tell today, one that explains a little bit of my life lately... but it circles right back to dance.

Just over a week ago, I returned from Indianapolis where I attended the Influence Conference.

I've had a really hard time articulating to people just how awesomesauce the Influence Conference was. When asked, I stare at them for a second and then blurt out "so great" or "just what I needed!" Not too profound, and it definitely doesn't do the conference justice. But amigos?? It changed the trajectory of my life. Them's fightin' words, I know. And while even this post won't do what is going on in my heart and head justice, it is the best I can do for now.

Leading up the to the conference, I was not in a good place. My life was full of busy-ness, but I was expending what little time and energy I have outside of my full time job on pointless things. To add insult to injury, I knew that I was wasting and losing time. But I felt helpless and stuck and I had no idea how to even begin to dig myself out.

Add to that bitterness and pure, black anger that had been residing in my heart since leaving Colorado in August 2012. I hated Pittsburgh, y'all, just hated it. And I hated that I hated it, because I am not a hater. My essence is joy and energy and life and glitter and sunshine. For real. But somehow, somewhere along the way, my first year living in the 'Burgh was filled with ugly, hot anger. I tried so hard to fight it, I really did. I tried to "have a better attitude", to pretend that I was okay, to fake seeing the good in the city. It was exhausting and it flattened me.

Then God took me to the Influence Conference and in the span of three days, shifts on a tectonic scale occurred within my heart.

The point at which I realize it had happened was while riding the bus back into the city from the airport. Instead of the usual knot of lead in my stomach, I found myself eager.... what the what? I was in shock. Then, as I transitioned back to normal life and returned to my daily routines last week, I experienced another strange feeling: I felt at home. What on earth happened to me in Indianapolis??

Call me crazy, amigos, but that is nothing to me but proof that prayer is no joke. Because there is no other explanation for such a sudden 180-degree turn in my heart. The power of positive thinking? Please. God really does hear us. Through last year, He heard all of my sobbing and my f-bombs and everything in between. Go figure.

So how on earth does this nice little story have anything to do with the Lindy Hop?? Well, I find God in art, specifically dance and music. When I am on a dance floor or stage, or listening to my Louis Armstrong Pandora station, my soul feels things that can be nothing else but God. But while I was stuck in the hamster wheel of busy-ness and anger, this was impossible. Art was impossible.

via Pinterest

Now, as if awakening from a paralytic coma, I'm free. Free to do art. Free to find God again on the marley, at the barre, in a swing out, in the wail of the trumpet...

Get down with your bad selves, amigos!

xoxo

J

Life lately: August shenanigans

Howdy amigos!! Another installment of the one and only Life Lately Linkup, a la Blair @ Wild & Precious. My shenanigans as of late...

Anniversary!

It was our one-year anniversary on the 12th, woot woot! We survived our first year, ladies and gents! Now it's smooth sailing from here on out. I kid, I kid... but seriously, I do feel that if we were able to make it through that crazy first year (and crazy it was) and still like each other, we're going to be alright. Love that man.

Vacation in DC

In celebration of our anniversary, we finally escaped the 'Burgh and headed to Washington, DC. It was wonderful! Beautiful architecture, monuments, museums... delicious cupcakes and crabcakes... naps and pool time and cuddles and more naps... It was the perfect balance of play and rest, which is just what we needed. I came back feeling legitimately rested and ready to jump into fall projects and adventures.

International Spy Museum = coolest. ever.

Another anniversary

The day after our anniversary marked one year of living in Pittsburgh. This is a bittersweet one, as some of you may know. I won't get into too much detail here, but I will say this: I still miss Colorado like crazy, I don't hate Pittsburgh like I did last fall/winter/spring, and I've decided to stop being apologetic that I'm not in love with this city. Just like the boys before the hubs, we're just not meant to be. And that's a-okay.

Pinterest

 

Sore flub muscles

Back to life in the 'Burgh means back to training! And back to training after a few weeks of not training means soreness galore. My flub muscles? My flubs are what I call my inner thighs. You know, the part that touches, the part that I'm perpetually obsessing over and trying to firm up. Lunges, zumba, squats, cardio kickboxing, and good ol' fashioned floor barre were on the menu this week. Must do the work, amigos--I can't be teaching my own classes without strong flubs!

This is one of the routines I do at home to work the flubs--check it out!

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Whew, so much going on and so much on the horizon for fall! I'm excited for what's to come--squirming in my chair excited--and I will fill you in next time... But first! What have you been up to lately?? 

xoxo

J

Life Lately + a Birthday!

Hello hello!

Well. That break did me good, real good. It allowed much needed space and time to fill the well back up. Weary is not a place from which to create.

Nothing like a little link up, a la the lovely Blair over at Wild and Precious, to inspire a post-break post to fill you in on life lately...

Mind
As indicated a month ago, I've been striving to find and hit the refresh button. It was a little elusive, but I'm figuring things out with a little help from my friends. I picked up an ebook written and published by the wise Jessi and Hayley, appropriately called Refresh. It was a 55-page gem and just what I needed to take the first baby steps to re-establishing balance. Basically, it reminded me that employing even small things can make a huge difference, and putting the right priorities first in the schedule makes me less spazzy overall: daily quiet time; daily exercise; cooking and eating whole food; reading a book; painting my nails. It's daily/weekly battle, but I will win.

A big kid in the kids' garden at Phipps Conservatory

Spirit
I created and launched a new blog! It's basically a journal logging my daily Bible reading and subsequent thoughts. If you're into that kind of thing (even if you're not but you're curious what this is all about), check it out: www.thevirtualvine.net. It's still a work in progress, just like my life, but I'm proud of this little baby.

Beautiful logo designed by Canvas & Slate

Body
I'm a few days out from finishing a 10-day fitness challenge hosted by Considering You and created by Bobby over at Your Whole Fitness. Following a bout of lingering pain and inflammation in my left shoulder this spring, I took a step back from certain activities so it could heal... but I also got a bit, ahem, lazy, and then out of shape. Enter the challenge, which included a plethora of burpees and pushups. Burpees are the devil, yo, but so awesome at the same time. I will get my guns and my ninja status back.

Pinterest

Another side effect to the challenge: I've been tossing around the idea of teaching dance and fitness once again. I miss it! A huge obstacle holding me back, however, is feeling very unqualified to stand up in front of a class. How can I ask students to hold a plank or do tendus en croix if I'm not able to do them well myself? A teacher should be on her game and then some. I've been unsure where to start because the task just felt so big. It still feels big, but the fitness challenge definitely gave me that important initial shove over the starting hump. Starting is always the hardest part.

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Oh! This is little blog is officially 5! Time flies when having too much fun... Happy Birthday, Better Late than Never!

Your turn... I miss you! What's been up in your life lately?

 xoxo

J