I need to clone myself to learn everything I want to learn...

 

Sooo the miscellaneous hobbies...   It's been an insane few months so figured I'd give a quick update...

Piano.  Poor piano was the sacrifice hobby.  But I still follow all the things on socials and am still sad I didn't get good enough to just play cause it's fun once in a while.  Some day.  I decided back in May when I wanted to really drive Spanish that I wouldn't be able to do both *and* fitness and made the intentional decision to put a hold on learning that until after the Spanish exam.   

Which...  Was *supposed* to be November.   But then I overcommitted to commuting to work for a while (2-3h one way is *not* sustainable) and work itself got incredibly busy and and and eventually I decided that stressing myself out to meet an arbitrary deadline was not a good life choice.  I *really* struggled with delaying that one - especially AFTER having stopped piano.  But it was absolutely the right thing to do.  I'm still targeting the B2 exam, but likely spring (schedule isn't posted yet -- I'll have to go to Ottawa to take it anywhere "near" here).  I'm on a pretty ambitious schedule that fits with my life as it is these days and should still get me there about the right time ;).  I have one teacher who thinks I'd pass with no problem, but the one who's a certified examiner is not so sure so I think I'll wait.

That being said - StoryLearning started their first "advanced" class (theoretically B2/C1 level) so I'm on week 3 of that (10 week program).  It's definitely a stretch for me, but I'm pulling it off and learning a lot just need, as per always, more time ;)

And then we have fitness - the handstand practice got me stronger than I've ever been.  I am both shocked and thrilled by that.  Except - then I hurt myself (completely unrelated to handstands) and took pretty much a solid month to recover.  I just started back this week and am *appalled* by how much strength I've lost in that time, BUT - I have high hopes I'll get it back comparatively quickly.  Today was day 2 or 3 back at handstand practice and for the first time ever I was able to adjust my balance when I started to lose it (the program I'm doing calls it "heel pulls" and has exercises to teach it, but even when I've tried, I've never felt it).   Anyways - was a complete accident and dramatically ungraceful 😂.  BUT I really got it?!?!   As in I could replicate it the next two times I tried.  And then my back screamed at me and I figured I should stop.  Tomorrow me will pay for sure.  But it's amazing how the tiniest things are so revitalising. 

Gratuitous handstand pic cause I Did A Thing!

And speaking of tomorrow - that's dance night :). Which has started again and is *significantly* more advanced this time around and I am absolutely loving it!  And completely hopeless at it, but I can evolve my skills while brushing my teeth, so sometimes it helps to be *really* beginner -- there's nowhere to go but up!