Dancing

In the last few days I have been anxiously deciding what I want to devote my time to this semester. Last semester I spent a large chunk of time staring at sociological texts in Spanish, wondering why I had so much trouble reading in my mother tongue. As I have learned in this study abroad adventure, reading, writing, and speaking are three very different aspects of a language. It is slightly astounding that I can speak so well, and read so poorly.

Anyway, this semester, I've decided to dedicate time to what my 14 years of private, progressive education taught me to dedicate time to: development of the self as a well rounded human being. And what this means for me at this point in my life, is refining my strengths and confronting my insecurities via physical activity, "life planning," and deeply studying my passions. Whether or not I accomplish these things is a whole different story. But the first step is trusting that I can develop my intellectual and spiritual self unconventionally. Am I making sense?

So, back to reality... today I did some wonderful physical activity in the form of salsa dancing. My fellow Tufts-in-Chile student, Ben, found this bar/club/thing that has salsa lessons twice a week, which is truly wonderful. I've always thought of myself as a pretty mediocre dancer, but I've learned a lot from dancing with Ben (who is a great dancer), from the teacher, and from watching the masters. The best part is that I feel quite comfortable (even though the teacher is super intense), and Ben is a really fun dance partner. Unfortunately, dancing can be more than just fun, especially with older men. Why men who are obviously over 40 think that I am of appropriate dating age is...interesting. Since they are clearly my only prospects, I'll soon be marrying rich and you can all come live with me in Dubai.