I’m on a health kick right now! I’m going to attempt to lose a few pounds and exercise more frequently. Jon and I joined a gym a while back, but I’ve been sick twice since Christmas so we hadn’t been going while I recuperated and re-recuperated. It felt so good to go back yesterday after a couple of weeks away!

The part I always struggle with when I attempt to improve my health is my diet. I have a serious sweet tooth, and thus far I’ve been a chronic yo-yo dieter. I’m having an ‘up’ moment right now, but I’ve had my share of ‘downs’ as well. The main problem with this is that I’ve grown to loathe it when people comment on my weight loss. I know the likelihood that I’ll keep the weight off is slim, so when people make congratulatory comments I end up feeling like a huge fraud.

Last time a lost a sizable chunk of weight, a couple of years ago, I had a coworker who kept telling me how much she noticed my weight loss and how much confidence I seemed to have acquired due to said loss. It was really annoying. The ‘confidence’ I was displaying was NOT from the weight loss, it was pure joy and an improved posture from learning to belly dance! (I need to start dancing again – I’ve been slouching a lot!) But, it’s really hard to figure out how to get someone to stop complimenting you without it seeming like you’re fishing for more.

So, I guess, if you’re reading this and know me in person, just let me do my thing and don’t make a big deal out of it. I don’t plan to make a big deal out of it either, but I do plan to get things done. If in a few months I’m looking smaller and you ask me about my weight loss, there’s a good chance I’ll try to shrug it off and ignore the question, so it’d be better if you just don’t ask. *nod*

I’m so excited! I got my first dance photo ‘gig’! (I decided to start doing some free photography as a way to be more involved in the belly dance community.) I’m going to be taking photos at Bohemian Underground’s Boh-ho-ho-Holiday Hafla!

It’s going to be tons of fun! It’s a casual Hafla where the BohoU students can get a taste of dancing for a crowd, as well as allowing other local belly dancers a chance to shimmy, donate to some great charities, and celebrate the Holidays! *grin*

I have to say, while I’m completely thrilled that I get to go, I’m a bit nervous that the lighting will be dim and it’ll be hard to get decent shots. What I should probably do is learn how to use the flash on my camera before the big night. *sigh* But I dislike using flash. Maybe I could pick up a mining helmet instead, you know, the kind with the big head lamp attached… heh heh. Ok, I won’t go that far.

I did get a tip a while back from Eliesa of Photogen-Inc that she sometimes uses a cheap video light for some of her photography. I’d be curious to see how well something like that would work. It might be easier to control than a flash, but it might also be more bothersome in a dim crowded area. I think I’ll start playing with the flash first, because I don’t have to buy anything to practice that. *grin*

Any tips for me about using flash?

One of the things I love about belly dance is the way it can bring me back in touch with my body. Any conscious movement would do roughly the same thing – yoga, running, swimming, etc. – but dancing also gives you an amazing opportunity to blend your physical self with your creative self. It’s a definite confidence builder, and it happens when you aren’t even paying attention.

I found this short documentary a while back and it does a great job covering why I’m so excited about belly dance. In the video, the women seem pretty typical, very similar to the people I’ve met in class. There are many different shapes and ages, and yet they all look graceful, confident, and like they’re having fun!

Also, I’m constantly amazed at the over-all intelligence level of the women who choose this creative outlet. Many of them are leaders. They are earning masters degrees and breaking glass ceilings in their career fields. It’s an amazing environment to be in. If you’ve ever been curious about taking a class, go do it!

So far, my 30’s have started off with a bang! I got a new (part-time) job!! I’ll be starting at the veeeery end of August.  Soon, I’ll be splitting my time at work between my current responsibilities and my new payroll/staff scheduler role! I may even get to go to Baltimore for some training in mid-September! This prospect is very exciting, I’ve never been on a business trip before. For that matter, I’ve never been on a plane all by myself! Anyway, I think it would be a wonderful experience to see an east coast store and learn about my new duties from an outside source with a different perspective.

Beyond that, the amazing ladies at TNT seem to want me to join their tribal belly dance group! I WANT to, but I feel like I need to put work first right now and get a handle on my new job. If I’m feeling more comfortable with my new responsibilities and schedule come October, I’ll definitely be getting in contact with them! I miss dancing with a group a lot – my college dance team days were some of the best – so I’m really hoping TNT will still be interested in me someday in the future!

As for now, I have the second half of my vacation to relax and get caught up around the house before starting my new adventure!