and before you know it, the year will be 2010 (they'll say it with a dramatic, robotic voice "it's the year twenty-ten...the future has arrived...") that'll sure be something !i know it's been two months since i've taken time to write a blog entry (ouch). i never have been one for routine. i thought it would be easier; i was wrong.
but so much as happened since my photo-happy update after 2,500km of Fun! with Mike and Rebecca in late Oct/early Nov...
...so skip ahead to CHRISTMAS - in Belgium - with the FAMILY ! ! It was a fairy tale time with Mom, Justin, Tyler, Justin's gf Kelsey, and the old brother from another mother, Josh :) They arrived Dec 23 and we explored Brussels, Brugge, Ghent, more Brussels and then...OFF TO PARIS ! traveling was smooth and efficient. (I think Justin definitely trains to planes). We stayed in a quaint, little hotel one block from the Louvre and downtown Paris. It felt so good to take my family around for their first experience of Europe. So many great things to take in. For example - Belgian Waffles, frites (with Andalouse sauce), chocolate, beer, French wine, crépes,
just to name a few ;)
We really enjoyed some of the 'must see' sights of Paris, but also took time to eat off the beaten path and take a 3.5 hour walking tour to learn about things not everybody reads about ! It was cold, but dry (for their entire stay in Europe). It was such a blessing to have them here for Christmas and I can hardly believe how quickly the eight days passed. It was soon New Year's Eve...and I was already headed to Germany...
By the time my family arrived stateside, I had joined eight dancing friends from Belgium in a giant, white van to drive to Freiburg, Germany for a GIANT Contact Improv Jam/Festival. Three steady days of dancing, laughing, playing, dancing, eating, and more dancing. I felt new soreness and old patterns being broken. I met many wonderful people...but I'm afraid my German is even worse than my French (yikes!).
By the time my family arrived stateside, I had joined eight dancing friends from Belgium in a giant, white van to drive to Freiburg, Germany for a GIANT Contact Improv Jam/Festival. Three steady days of dancing, laughing, playing, dancing, eating, and more dancing. I felt new soreness and old patterns being broken. I met many wonderful people...but I'm afraid my German is even worse than my French (yikes!).
I finally met and danced with contact gooroo Martin Keogh (http://www.martinkeogh.com/) pictured here. We had a wonderful duet (or three) and found time to talk and figure out how our paths were finally crossing. Martin has danced with my original CI mentor and Luther Prof, Jane Hawley. It was quite surreal to be dancing with someone who's been practing the art longer than I've been alive...I hope we're able to meet again soon.
I also found many other beautiful, challenging, curious, tirying, flying, falling, sensation-filled dances. It was a great time and space to be alive and playing without my shoes on. Something I don't do nearly enough these days. I especially loved growing closer to my Belgian-CI Van comadres that dedicated a few days and the first of the entire new year to a community of unkown contact dancers. It was a reassuring feeling that I am in the right place - when I am dancing and learning and exploring ways to breathe and live and question and fall (safely). I am able to make sense of this chaos and calm within the universe - thoughts that are usually to big to contemplate become small enough to feel between the cracks of my skin. And its only because I'm becoming more aware...
I have so much more to learn.
