Zumba, Yoga, Clog

I met Sandy 5 minutes after Sara and Sean dropped me off at Philly airport at the beginning of this journey. 

 Sandy and I helped each other through check-in and talked about our pending trips, hers to Alabama, mine to Belize.  As I described mine, she looked at me incredulously.  "You're so brave!"  

By the way...this was the first 'you're so brave' that sent a chill up my spine.  Why would you say that?  What's going to happen?  Should I be scared??   Up until now, it just seemed like something people would say just to make conversation, not that there was any real bravery involved.  I guess preparing to actually get on the plane changed my perception!

 While we walked and talked through the terminal she suddenly stopped and started digging through her carry-on, saying, "Wait a minute, wait a minute...you're like HER!!" and pulled out a copy of Elizabeth Gilbert's book  Eat Pray Love .

 "Well...not exactly". I laughed.

Sandy compared that book to my adventure several times during the next hour and a half while we chatted waiting for our plane.  At one point she even told me I should write a book about my month.  I jokingly told her I would and she could come with me to meet Oprah one day.

Ironically, my second night here the movie version of  Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts was on my little TV.  Of course I watched it!

Last week, when I wrote about renting a bike, a friend messaged me that it reminded her of 

  Eat Pray Love , when Julia/Liz buys a bicycle during her time in Indonesia.

Could it be these random run-ins with Elizabeth Gilbert's work are a sign of some sort??? 

After all, I've gotten good response from my friends at home who read this blog.  (Thank you!)  A few even suggested I write a book.  What on earth would I write about if I did? 

 Am I learning anything from this experience?  Do I have any more to say that the iconic woman-finding-herself-while-traveling-alone best-seller Eat Pray Love hasn't already covered?  

I came here expecting the beach, expecting the village life, expecting the jungle.  While I intentionally didn't plan much - hoping to just see what happens, I did do my research on the place and knew ahead of time many of the activities I hoped to do while I am here.

BUT...

Something did happen.  Something unexpected.  Three things, actually. Three impromptu activities I've been able to take part in very different from my normal life, and possibly - quite possibly - put in my path to teach me great lessons...give me great insights into this thing we call life.  These things weren't found in any guide book and only came into my time here in Belize through a Facebook connection and a chance encounter in a gift shop.  OBVIOUSLY, this is what I'm meant to base my introspective, self-exploring manuscript upon.

AND SO...

With out further ado...

I give you (...drum roll, please!)

Zumba Yoga Clog!

What...you're laughing?   

In Eat Pray Love, Liz Gilbert, after a painful divorce (hmm...) spent a year abroad - 4 months in Italy, 4 in India and 4 in Indonesia.  Each location held a special gift for her, something to learn about herself, about life, thus reconnecting herself to who she really is.

I've managed to boil that experience down to a month in Belize...specifically three classes over a week and a half that I've taken here - Zumba, yoga and Clogging.
I think you'll agree the parallels are uncanny!

ZUMBA
The first 4 months of EPL find Liz in Italy, indulging in all the delicious food the country has to offer.  She eats and enjoys the decadent experience, not worrying what she looks like - just allowing herself to eat and be happy.

What's more indulgent than Zumba dancing?
I like the saying 'Dance Like No One is Watching'?
It's almost as good as
'Dance Like You Don't Know Anyone Here and Once You Leave Belize You Will Never See Them Again in Your Life'.
(or 'Dance Like There Are No Mirrors in the Breezeway of This Zumba House!'  LOL)

I just let it loose.  Who cares?  We danced away to Shakira and LMFAO.  It was FUN.
 I indulged in that fun the same way Liz dug into spaghetti and pizza.  I think I learned as much as she did in Italy....without gaining fifteen pounds!
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,wiggle, wiggle, yeah


YOGA
Liz's next 4 months in India were spent in an ashram focusing on her spiritual life and the connection between body, mind and spirit.  The parallel to yoga is obvious.  Do I really have to go on?


CLOG
Hmmm.   Here's where the comparison gets difficult.  Give me a minute.......
um...uh...
OK - let's try this....
One day in the village, I thought I saw a woman from Zumba, shopping with her husband.  Because I am now bold (!) and greet people I'm not sure I know, I call across the shop to her.
"Zumba??"
She said 'Hi' like I was a long lost friend, we introduced ourselves and chatted for a bit.  Amy is a sweet, retired teacher from Missouri who is here visiting her nephew and his family.  Her husband said I should come to Amy's Clogging class, Amy quickly jumped in and encouraged me to attend.
How could I possibly say no to Clogging?

A few days later I rode my bike up the road to the Clogging house.  Classes here seem to take place in somebody's breezeway, on a deck, an empty office or in this case, the kitchen of a house on stilts.

Amy took some time to teach me the basic moves - there  are only 6 - before the group arrived.  A couple of the regulars weren't able to make it, so today's 'group' only consisted of Amy, Theresa and Sal, Theresa's daughter.
Theresa loaned me a pair of tap shoes.

I accept all references to the Wicked Witch of the East here.  LOL   I laughed every time I  looked down!

I picked up the 6 basic moves pretty quickly so we moved into choreographed dances.  Everyone else has been practicing these routines for a couple of weeks, so I hung in the back and tried to keep up best I could.  I figured I kind of knew the 6 basic moves, how hard could it be to put them together to music?  

Turns out - pretty darn hard!!  LOL

The music started and we were off!  The first song was 'Dance Over the Rainbow', an Irish song from Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames show - 

Shuffle, shuffle, tap, shuffle, tap, stomp stomp.  shuffle, tap, shuffle, kick,tap tap , rock step

We did the 6 moves I learned like the Basic, Double, Triple, Fancy Double, Push-off.  BUT, when you combine those basic moves you end up with things like the Stomp Double, the Joey, the Louisiana and the Outhouse.  (Every time Amy yelled out Outhouse, I'd swear she said Roundhouse - had me very confused!  lol)  Six Basic moves??...the combinations go on forever!

I didn't do too badly - Amy said so!  It was great fun.  I couldn't stop smiling!  We did the Irish dance and one other Country and Western style routine.  I can't wait to go again.

Clogging in the kitchen!

What on earth does this have to do with Elizabeth Gilbert's time in Indonesia?  In Indonesia, Liz found self-acceptance.  After indulging in Italy, and mindfulness in India, she found balance.  She became content with herself, with who she is, even to the point of finding love.  

Well now...I don't expect THAT much from Clogging...but I do see a parallel.

Clogging reminds me of me.  

It's simple.  It's small town.  

I've lived my entire 50 years - except for this month - no more than 7 miles from the place I was born.  I'm simple and small town, too.  I used to think this was a disadvantage of some sort, that people who are from somewhere else or travel the world somehow have something over me.  

But, I'm beginning to think I may be OK after all.

There's only 6 basic steps to Clogging, but those steps can be put together in endless interesting combinations.  When it's done well, it's awesome, beautiful, complicated and fun - nothin' wrong with that! I can live my simple, small town life too - so long as I live it well!

We danced for the hour and had a great time.  When it was over I got on my bike to leave, promising to come back next time.

I laughed to myself all the way back to the village, thinking these silly thoughts and coming up with my Eat. Pray, Love/Zumba, Yoga, Clog comparison.

As I pedaled my bicylce into town I half expected Javier Bardem to run me off the road...

DAY 19: A Year of Introspection in Three Easy Classes