For the love of the Zumba

For some reason my Facebook is blowing up about Zumba today. Various friends and friends of friends discussing it, checking in at it, and questioning it.

That happens sometimes....you know, when your Facebook kinda developes a "theme."

Like politics.
Or football.
Or weather.

But anyways, I digress.

Tonight seemed to be telling me that I needed to get this post out of my back pocket- or more technically, off the Blogger draft list.

Zumba.

Oh, Zumba, where have you been my whole life?

Or more acurately, where have you been the last 15 years?

My parents bought me a Living Social deal for Christmas last year. My mom said, "all the cute young people I work with love it."

I said, "hm."

It wasn't that I was avoiding Zumba. I just never really gave it a second thought. Many of you have followed me through the "fat years" and the journey I've taken the last 2 years to cut the fat and get back on track as to what a 30-something mom should be. I went "couch to 5K," I am all "My Fitness Pal"ed out, I was Jillian's b*tch for 30 days, and I am a P90 graduate. I feel like it was all good...and definitely worth it.

But they all had a beginning and end. And each time something ended or I "graduated," I felt frantic like all of a sudden I was gonna balloon back up 10 jean sizes in 5 days.

So, I cashed in my Living Social in April. And I went like 4 times the whole month of April...and that probably included May, too.

And then I realized that it expired in July.

And dude, you know I canNOT let a deal expire.

So, I started going regularly. And I found a teacher that I loved. And who made me sweat.

More than Jillian and Tony.

And then when I went on vacation I missed it.

Like a lot.

Which made me wonder..."What is it about the Zumba?"

And then it hit me.

I had not danced- really DANCED- in 15 years. You know, the "learn the choreography-come back the next week and do the same routine-feel the music in your soul" DANCE.

Most of you know I danced growing up. For many years. And loved it. And I loved her.

After Blanche died, I checked out. I went through the motions my senior year of high school. I made excuses about other obligations, got mono (that was not on purpose), graduated and went off to UNC where I could make more excuses about "not having time...boyfriend back home....got to have weekends free...etc." And I guess I kind of pushed dance out of my head for oh, about a decade and a half.

But, sometime this summer that love came back. Sneaky little sucker.

The love of dance is back. The love of walking into a familiar studio. Seeing familar faces. Laughing at mistakes. Celebrating the "good moves." And just having fun.

And there's something else about Zumba that's good for your soul. For anyone's soul really- dancer or not. And most definitely good for the "working mother of 2 worship leader" soul. Zumba truly allows me to be 100% in a "moment." For 45 minutes, I seriously cannot think about, worry about, plan ANYTHING. I can be completely "mind empty' for 45 minutes and just BE.

And sweat.

A lot.

All that from an almost-expired Living Social deal.

I'd say my mom can consider that one of the best $20 she ever spent.


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