Fun fact: I've been to EVERY SO Swing since the very beginning!
Can't wait for another year of fun! Don't miss my workshops! If you'd like to book a private, you can find a booking link on my website!
We are back 5/12 with more queer focused west coast swing! Hope to see you there! 🌈 #degenderingdance #divergentdance #queerwestcoastswing #degenderwestcoastswing
Our all-star line up of Hoedown South instructors, DJs, and performers continues! Featured here are the incredible and stunning talents of Michael Sims, Phoenix Gray, Mickey Carfora, and the always brilliant L.A. Wranglers! We’ll share more of our exciting line up in the days to come! Learn about each of them, find out why we love them and we hope you’re excited to see them, too! Find out more about them and our many talented staff and performers on our website! #cantkeepagoodhoedown #hoedownsouth #atlanta #lgbtq #queercountrydance
"The best way to live is your best life."
Holy shit, if I needed a slogan right now.
Go live your best life, diva. ❤️
(Also, my hair did a thing today that it doesn't normally do and I thought it was AWESOME)
Day 5: the previous day's exertions left me tired and no walk happened. We'll call it a rest day (after all, my body isn't used to suddenly walking 8+ miles in a day).
The evening was a planned night: Alyssa Edwards (one of the most iconic queens with the biggest personalities to come out of RuPauls Drag Race) was having a show in town. I didn't really know what to expect from the show, but I enjoyed it even more than expected.
To see a drag queen who knows her angles, knows her lines, pays attention to every detail. Every step was on time. Inspiring. The whole show was self-aggrandizing but in the most wholesome way. She was a diva, she believed in herself without waver, poking fun herself around how RuPaul forgot her name (referred to her as Alicia Edwards) and saw the silver lining: instead of being hurt... Capitalize on it, lean in.
We had a guest appearance by Tony and the Kikis from NYC. Again, vibes, details, performance with presence. The keyboardist was genuinely vibing. After two songs, the crowd gave a genuine standing ovation. This duo brought the entire room to life, and reminded me what entertainment truly could be.
Wrapping up, I was inspired. To see performers of such a polished caliber. Alyssa with her "you already know who the fuck I am" and Tony & the Kikis with their "if you don't know who we are, you're about to find out". Such inspiring energy, makes me want to go new york and be around that kind of entertainment all the time.
The show, ultimately, was a celebration. The story of a little queer kid from texas, breaking barriers, running a dance school, and being unapologetically queer the entire way. The show was unapologetically queer, and it was a much needed reminder of the victories of what our community has made and what we've overcome.
I left feeling inspired as a dancer, as a performer, and a queer person wanting to make change in the world. ❤️
Day 4: getting out the door is still the biggest hurdle, but moving after going is practically frictionless. The original plan was to walk a loop around the waterfront (an old 5mi circuit I used to walk during lockdown times).
When I got to the waterfront, I remembered I had the stray idea a few days back about getting back into a hobby from my youth: percussion.
So I diverted course and went to the nearest instrument shop I could find. Got my sticks and practice pad. Sure, this might be a short burn ADHD hyperfixation, maybe not. I do quite miss it.
Also needed some supplies to hang things on my wall, so I walked to a hardware store. It brought me past a cute vintage furniture shop. By the walk back, I basically decided today is a "treat yo self" day (thanks parks & rec) and got my first ever set of gels. We'll see where that journey unfolds.
In honesty, not my smartest financial day, but I gave it a purpose: this is something I can experience more often if I work harder. Putting in minimum necessary effort to stay afloat has been my mode for years, if not over a decade. Practically part of my identity. My default reaction to anything I like has always been "that would be nice... But not in the budget". I don't even check the budget, I just assume whatever that thing I'm inspired by is absolutely not in it.
Working harder (better business practices, pushing through the discomfort of growth) can unlock new experiences and new mindsets, just like these walks are already doing for me.
Today was 8 miles of walking. About 18,000 steps.
Day 3: Get out of bed was still hard today, made possible only by the adrenaline of a reminder that I had somewhere to be in 30 minutes. No hill walk (but the day is young...) instead, I walked to dance practice (I usually drive despite it being 20 blocks away) and saved myself paying downtown parking.
Practice was productive, and I noticed slightly more energy than usual (usual = none, today was more than zero, which is progress). Decided to stop by an old amusement of mine (seeing how many baristas can spell my name without help) and learned they changed the recipe to my default order, so now I am in the process of learning the new way to order it. (Amazing what talking to baristas will do!)
I'm avoiding going home because I know that is a space I have trained myself to be unproductive. So I'm staying here with a hot drink and slowly handling the LONG list of tasks I've been avoiding (the very same tasks that, left undone, make future me's life more difficult).
Prepping classes for tonight (waaaaaat?!), and using my time more productively feels good.
What comes to mind today is the quote: "ready isn't a feeling; it's a decision". Ready doesn't really manifest as a feeling until the decision to do so comes first.
Looking forward to teaching my competitive edge class tonight.
Choosing the difficult things is hard for ADHD brain, but I'm slowly learning the benefits of leaning into discomfort.
As far as spelling my name correctly goes, adding one to the correct tally :) I think we're at 15/48
#orderofthefeenicks
Day 2: waking up was hard today. It took 2 hours to force myself out the door this time. I had a less-than-1 hour away appointment (in ADHD world, that's permission to cancel the walk, even though it only takes 20 minutes).
I didn't cancel, I did the walk. I got home and felt inspired to do the walk again (I saw that I am WAAAAY under my step goal for the day).
I'm reminding myself that the consistency that truly matters is not "do this every day I can", it's "be willing to have another day 1".
My goal isn't to prevent failure, it's to be willing to start again whenever I inevitably do fail.
Day 1 reminding myself to make the healthy choice and go outside, and that this view is a 5 minute walk out my door.
The hardest thing to lift each day is myself, to just go out the door. Reminding myself that the small discomfort now leads to a bigger happiness later, the same way the small happy now leads to a bigger discomfort later.
With ADHD, I've conditioned myself to choose the small happy instead of the small sad, despite knowing the longer term outcome. Today I'm practicing choosing the small sad: going outside and walking around my block ( which is a .7mi circuit with +-250ft change in elevation), for the bigger happy later: better health both mentally and physically, and seeing all things I forgot to notice along the way.
Less destination; more journey.
Seattle, I'm back!! Can't wait for another amazing year at the event I've attended more years than any other! If you'd like to book some time, throw me a message or check my website!
