Preparation for Landing

Nothing fancy, I remember the first night someone thought of me as a dancer--the vague excitement, the novelty of such a notion. Fifteen and deep inside the local YMCA, perhaps I knew it wasn't the greatest achievement of my life, but it sure felt like it at the time. The first spark of passion always burns impossibly bright, too hot to examine.
I'm dancing again. In the years between that first night and now, I have had many adventures, many passions pursued--some because of my attachment to dance, some in spite of it. This time around, I'm just having fun: nights-at-the-Spanish-house, hair-down, friends-all-around-me fun. I have missed that this past year as I've chased other dreams across the nation, across the ocean, across the world. It's fitting, then, that I should recover (reclaim, rediscover) that pure joy, the ecstatic freedom of motion, before I head out again, this time taking it with me on the long journey from home.
This strange circularity, the revisiting, re-evaluation, of things past has shown up in every aspect of my life over the last couple of months. My life has a wholeness now, a concept altogether unfamiliar to me, as the recent weeks have brought life choices, skills reconsidered, unthinkable relationships mended. For someone who doesn't want to admit a belief in fate, I admit it's hard to deny that life certainly seems to be preparing me for this next step.
From my brother's insistence that I spend some time at camp learning to relax to my happening into the right dance class at the YMCA, from growing my first garden to discovering a love of cooking, from my uncle's surprise layover just in time to teach me some basic survival skills to time spent with my parents finally learning the importance of family, my world has rounded out, grown, changed shape in ways I could never have imagined up until this point. I'm not now who I thought I'd be, but I'm exactly who I want to be as I head into this next adventure. Strange how life turns out like that. Strange this wholeness, completeness I feel.
I'm leaving on the 26th for Philly (17 hours, 40 min. to S. Africa, spend the night, 2.5 hours up to Malawi--phew!). Until then it's all packing, packing, dancing, organizing, posting photos, and packing. I hope to see just about all of you before I leave, and though goodbyes can be sad, I look forward to the opportunity I have to spend with you guys before I leave. I can't tell you how much the support and kindness you've all shown me has meant. Love you all and see you soon!