Life in General

So since last year was so jam-packed with goal-achieving-ness (starting ballet and learning the violin, for instance!) I decided that this year I needed to top myself.

Because, like I have said before, I clearly don't have enough to do already. Ha.
And my resolution was to not have any resolutions take on less in order to be less stressed. Double ha!
Didn't you know? I am the Queen of the country formerly known as High Achievia. I don't do nothin' by halves.

So. I've decided to take up tap dancing again (had my first lesson tonight, and my feet are killing me as I type!), in addition to jazz, contemporary, modern and ballet. Oh, and don't forget I also teach jazz, modern and tap. So, by all accounts dancing pretty much keeps me from enjoying any social activities on any given weeknight! (As if that stops me!)

This year our church is also starting up a Youth Group, and I got asked to be a leader (tres excitement!) The is-shue is that Ballet/Pointe class is also on Fridays at the exact same time... of course. Things were just going too smoothly for me to expect that I wouldn't be able to do everything would have some scheduling issues.

Not to mention that I also want to work at PAC, balance this with working at JeansWest, keep up my violin lessons, oh, and then there's uni (have I mentioned I graduate - 1 of 2 prospective graduations - this year?).

Oh, and of course the DANCE TRIP TO AMERICA!!! It's lookin' like this is going to be the highlight of my year! So excited!

I get a lot of people who don't understand why I allow myself to be so busy. Can't you (and they) see that I love everything that I do and don't want to give anything up? I am passionate about kids and teaching and dance and music and church.
I want to do it all while I still can. Realistically, this is the only time in my life where I'll potentially be as free as I am now to commit to so many things. I want to experience everything while I have the opportunity. I want to soak it up like a sponge.

One of my favourite books is called "Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life" and it was a birthday present from one of the girls at my church. My friend knows me very well, because I love this book! It's positive, upbeat and optimistic without being syrupy and over the top. I'll pull it out every few weeks and just savour every word that is on the page.

The author says "I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact colour of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift."

That is my plan.