WELCOME HOME

ARRIVED HOME YESTERDAY AND WAS GREETED WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND SNOW ACTUALLY INSIDE THE AIRPLANE BOARDING TUNNEL.

IT FELT NICE TO SLEEP IN OUR BED TOGETHER AFTER SPENDING FIVE NIGHTS IN INDIVIDUAL TWIN SIZED BEDS.

OUR HOUSE FINALLY HEATED UP AFTER A LONG, THERMOSTAT ABANDONED WEEK.

I FEEL HAPPY, BLESSED, AND CONTENT.

I LOVE MY FAMILY AND I'M EXCITED TO POST A THANKSGIVING UPDATE TOMORROW SO THAT ALL OF YOU CAN ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL BABY NEPHEWS THAT I SPENT ALL WEEK DRINKING IN. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M GONNA HAVE A BABY OF MY OWN...

A BABY 

-GIRL-

THAT IS.

TIS THE SEASON

THE TEMPERATURE HAS DROPPED, SNOW UNFAILINGLY THREATENS,

AND GOOD MOMS AND DADS EVERYWHERE HAVE OUTFITTED THEIR KIDS WITH GOOD, WARM, WINTER-READY BOOTS.

I GET THE BIGGEST KICK OUT OF THE BOOTS I SEE HERE AT SCHOOL. 

THANK THE HEAVENS THAT MY STUDENTS NO LONGER HAVE TO DANCE WITH SHOES ON. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WENT TWO STRAIGHT YEARS WITHOUT ANY CHILDREN SUSTAINING ANKLE INJURIES.

CHILDREN'S BOOTS COME IN TWO VARIETIES. FOR THE SAKE OF EASE, WE WILL CALL THEM TYPE ONE AND TYPE TWO.

TYPE ONE VARITIES ARE ALWAYS POPULAR AMONG THE GIRLS. ALTHOUGH STYLISH- THE TROUBLE WITH THESE KIND OF BOOTS IS THE WELL KNOWN FACT THAT THEY ARE TO BE WORN ON THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR PANTS.

FOR OLDER WOMEN WITH A VARIETY OF JEAN TYPES TO CHOOSE FROM- THIS POSES NO THREAT. BUT TO LITTLE GIRLS THAT FOR THE MOST PART ONLY OWN BOOT-CUT JEANS- THE ONLY DIRECTION THAT THEIR JEAN CAN NOW TRAVEL IS UP. I LOVE THESE YOUNG GIRLS FEELING SO GLAMOROUS WITH THEIR SEMI-HEELED BOOTS BELOW, AND THEIR TREMENDOUSLY WRINKLED AND BUNCHED UP JEANS ABOVE.

THE TYPE TWO VARIETY IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE- BUT UNFORTUNATELY- I HAVE NO PICTURES TO ENFORCE MY POINT.

TYPE TWO GENERALLY ARE BOOTS PURCHASED AT A LARGE GROCERY/CLOTHING CHAIN STORE. POPULAR TYPE TWO PROVIDERS WOULD BE WAL-MART, TARGET, AND I'M GUESSING COSTCO AS WELL. THESE BOOTS ARE GREAT FOR MANY REASONS, FIRST AND FOREMOST BEING THE SHEER SIZE OF THEM. 

THESE DEFINITELY CLASSIFY THEMSELVES AS A WINTER BOOT WITH THE ULTRA THICK RUBBER SOLE AND BRIGHTLY COLORED POLYESTER OUTSIDE FABRIC. THE CLOSING APPARATUS IS GENERAL A HEAVY-DUTY, INDUSTRIAL SIZED, PLASTIC ZIPPER.

THESE BOOTS ARE EASILY RECOGNIZED BY THEIR SOUND. THE CLUMP, CLUMP, CLUMP OF TYPE TWO CLAD FEET IS UNMISTAKABLE.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR WINTERS IN UTAH WITH MY KIDS AND THEIR BOOTED UP FEET.

WHET YOUR PALETTE

HERE COME THE HOLIDAYS.

EXCITED ANYONE?

MAGIC

LAST NIGHT WAS MAGICAL. ALL MY WORRYING WAS IN VAIN.

THE OBLIGATION TO HOST ARTWORKS FOR KIDS! AT MY SCHOOL, WITH MY STUDENTS, MY CHOREOGRAPHY, AND MY NAME AND JOB ON THE LINE HAD ME IN A TIZZY. STRESS HEADACHES ABOUNDED AND I FELT CAUGHT IN SLOW MOTION WAITING FOR THE NIGHT TO FINALLY COME:
NOVEMBER 17TH, 7:00 PM.
IT CAME. IT WENT. AND IT WAS A DREAM COME TRUE.

MY HEART SOARED AND MY FACE BEAMED AS I WATCHED FOCUSED FIFTH GRADERS, SUPER-CHARGED FIRST GRADERS, TRYING SO HARD TO BE COOL AND NOT SMILE THIRD GRADERS, VISIONARY FOURTH GRADERS, PATRIOTIC SECOND GRADERS, AND SATISFIED SIXTH GRADERS, ALL PROUDLY PERFORM THEIR DANCERS ON OUR SCHOOL'S SMALL STAGE.
SENATORS AND DONORS, LEGISLATORS AND MENTORS, PARENTS AND KIDS CAME TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDED THE MOST WELL ATTENDED ARTWORKS FOR KIDS! NIGHT YET.
THE ENERGY IN THE ROOM WAS ELECTRIC AND I WAS ABOUT TO LOSE MY MIND FROM THE ANTICIPATION.

NO PHOTOGRAPHS ON MY CAMERA WERE CAPTURED BECAUSE I WAS BUSY HAND-SIGNALING KIDS TO REACH THIS WAY, SLIDE THAT WAY, SCOOT UP ONTO THE LINE OF STRAIGHT RED-TAPE, AND GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CURTAIN BEFORE IT ENGULFED THEM AS IT CLOSED.
HOWEVER, I HAD PREVIOUSLY TOUGH-ARMED EACH TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE ARTWORK FOR THE HALL OUTSIDE THAT WENT WITH THE, "KIDS ACROSS AMERICA" THEME. THE WORK WAS SPECTACULAR AND CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THE AMBIANCE OF THE EVENING AND TO THE PALPABLE HAPPINESS OF THE DANCING KIDS HERE AT CEDAR RIDGE.

I BOWED WITH THE KIDS AT THE END AND WAS HANDED A FRESH BOUQUET OF PEACH-HUED ROSES WITH A CARD SIGNED FROM EACH PERFORMER. I WAS A PROUD MAMA OF 250 LAST NIGHT.
PURE ELATION.

WAITING FOR WINGS

TODAY WAS A HAPPY DAY. NONETHELESS, I AS SIT DOWN TO WRITE, MY THOUGHTS FEEL BLAND AND UNISPIRED. 

IN THIS MOMENT OF ... BLANKNESS ...? I WILL TURN TO CREATE A HODGE PODGE, MEANDERING LIST OF THINGS THAT I LOVE. 

CASE A: THE CHILDREN I TEACH.

WORK IS WORK, BUT EVEN SO- I THINK MY JOB MAY POSSIBLY BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS. THERE IS SOMETHING MAGICAL ABOUT TEACHING NON-DANCERS TO DANCE. THERE IS SOMETHING IRRERISTIBLE ABOUT WATCHING SIXTH GRADE BOYS RUN INTO DANCE WITH MORE EXCITEMENT (COOL AND COLLECTED EXCITEMENT OF COURSE) THAN THE GIRLS. I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE THE KIDS I TEACH. I FEEL LUCKY THAT I GET TO MOVE MY BODY EVERY DAY.  I THINK A BIG PART OF ME WILL  MISS DOING THIS. AND I DEFINITELY KNOW I WILL NEVER FORGET EACH AND EVERY HOOLIGAN AT THIS SCHOOL.

CASE B: BEJOTA PUGMIRE.

THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT OCCURRED THIS WEEKEND THAT RATIFIED MY LOVE FOR MY HUSBAND MORE THAN ANY OTHER SINGULAR EVENT IN OUR HISTORY AS A COUPLE. I LOVE BEING MARRIED TO THIS MAN.

CASE C: GOOD FRIENDS.

WHAT A BLESSING GOOD FRIENDS ARE. LAST NIGHT WE WENT LASER TAGGING WITH TWO OTHER COUPLES WE LOVE. WE LAUGHED AND JOKED AND TEASED, AND WHEN WE GOT HOME, WE WERE SO HAPPY.

THAT'S ALWAYS HOW I FEEL AFTER SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS I LOVE.

PARDON ME PLEASE IF YOU ARE A GOOD FRIEND AND YOU WERE NOT FEATURED HERE.  PICTURES OF FRIENDS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN IN MY IPHOTO REPERTOIRE. MY APOLOGIES.

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT

I AM ALIVE. I AM WELL. I AM EXCITED FOR A DANCE PERFORMANCE TO BE COMPLETED TOMORROW SO LIFE AS I KNOW IT CAN CONTINUE ON.

CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS WILL BE UNVEILED, FUN WILL BE HAD, AND FAMILY WILL BE VISITED WHEN THIS PERFORMANCE ENDS.

 LEAVES ARE BEING BLOWN FROM THEIR TREES TODAY, MOVING ON AFTER ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SEASON OF RE-GROWTH, THRIVING, AND MATURING.
TODAY I FEEL LIKE THOSE LEAVES- READY TO TAKE WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST LITTLE WHILE AND BLOW ON TO THE NEXT BIG THING.
ON THURSDAY... MY LIFE WILL BEGIN AGAIN.

HOW LOVELY TO BE A WOMAN

OH THE IRONY OF THE SHIFT IN CIRCUMSTANCES YESTERDAY WHEN AFTER MY EVER-INSPIRING POST ON POSITIVITY, I FOUND MYSELF AN HOUR LATER IN A HORRIBLE MOOD. IT WAS A SELF-INDUCED DEPRESSION STEMMING FROM IRRITATION, FRUSTRATION, AND I HOPE- SOME PREGNANCY HORMONES.

GIRLS, I THINK MOST OF YOU KNOW THE KIND OF MOOD I'M TALKING ABOUT. WHEN HUSBAND OR BOYFRIEND ASKS YOU WHAT'S WRONG AFTER BEING IN YOUR PRESENCE FOR A MATTER OF MINUTES, YOU RESPOND WITH, "UGH........NOTHING."

AND YOU MEAN IT.

HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, NOTHING'S REALLY THE MATTER, YOU'RE JUST IN A TERRIBLE MOOD AND YOU HAVE NOT A HINT OF DESIRE TO CHANGE IT.

 I MUSTERED UP ENOUGH MOXIE TO DRAG MYSELF TO THE GYM FOR A- I KID YOU NOT- 20 MINUTE WORKOUT SESSION. 15 MINUTES ON THE TREADMILL, 5 MINUTES IN THE "WOMEN'S ROOM." THE ENDORPHINS WERE NOT ACTIVATED, BUT MY TIME LIMIT WAS UP AND I HAD TO GO TO A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR MY CENTER STAGE DANCERS.

WORK HAD ME MOMENTARILY DISTRACTED AND I FORGOT ABOUT MY OBLIGATION TO GROUCHINESS FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. 

BUT THE REAL TRANSFORMATION CAME WHEN I FINALLY EMBRACED THE SITUATION AND I TOOK THE STEPS THAT NEEDED TO BE TAKEN.

I DROVE TO TARGET (STEP #1 TO HEALING ANY SORT OF GROUCHINESS), BOUGHT THE FIRST SEASON OF "MODERN FAMILY," ONE PRE-MADE SHEET OF FROSTED BROWNIES, AND TWO HALF-GALLONS OF ICE-CREAM.

VOILA. HOW LOVELY TO BE A WOMAN. THANK YOU HORMONES.

P.S.- I PROMISE I DID NOT EAT TWO HALF-GALLONS OF ICE CREAM. I'M NOT THAT PATHETIC.

ETERNAL OPTIMIST

I COME FROM A LONG LINE OF OPTIMISTS.

IF YOU KNOW MY DAD, YOU HAVE PROBABLY NEVER SEEN HIM FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME WITHOUT GLIMPSING HIS ALWAYS SINCERE GRIN- OR ONE OF HIS MANY LAUGHS. MY DAD IS A HAPPY PERSON, AND HE IS ALWAYS A HAPPY PERSON.

I REMEMBER THAT I NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT MY DAD CHOSE TO BE THIS WAY UNTIL I WAS IN COLLEGE. WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I TRULY THOUGHT THAT MY DAD LOVED EVERYTHING: WASHING THE CAR, CLEANING THE WINDOWS, MOWING THE LAWN, GOING TO WORK DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY, ATTENDING COUNTLESS CHURCH MEETINGS, AND OF COURSE EVERY SINGLE DANCE PERFORMANCE HE EVER ATTENDED. IT WASN'T UNTIL REAL LIFE SEMI-HIT ME IN COLLEGE WHEN I HAD TO START DOING ALL OF THE FRIVOLOUS TASKS MYSELF THAT IT DAWNED ON ME....

"THIS CRAP SUCKS." 

I THOUGHT ABOUT MY HOURS OF HOME WORK, ESSAY WRITING, DANCE REHEARSALS, APARTMENT CLEANING, AND OTHER VARIOUS DAILY OCCURANCES THAT SEEMED TO GET ME DOWN. I HAD NEVER ACTUALLY REALIZED THE FACT THAT MY DAD CHOSE TO MAKE EVERY SITUATION AS GOOD AND ENJOYABLE AS IT COULD BE POSSIBLY BE. MY DAD LITERALLY DOES NOT COMPLAIN. HE ONLY HINTS AT A COMPLAINT THROUGH LIGHT-HEARTED JOKING AND LAUGHING. I ADMIRE THIS QUALITY IN HIM IMMENSELY.

SINCE I'VE BEEN MARRIED I'VE TRIED TO ADOPT THIS QUALITY MYSELF AND SUSTAIN IT IN THE DAY-TO-DAY MUNDANE AND EXCITING EVENTS.

MY FEELING IS THIS: ANY TASK OR EXPERIENCE CAN BE FUN AND ENJOYABLE, AND ANY TASK OR EXPERIENCE CAN NOT. 

WE ARE THE DETERMINANTS.

MY WHOLE POINT IN MENTIONING THIS IS THIS:

TODAY I WAS LISTENING TO A CONVERSATION ACROSS THE FACULTY ROOM ABOUT PARENTING. ONE TEACHER TALKED ABOUT HOW HARD IT WAS TO BE A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM AND HOW SHE ALWAYS RESENTED PEOPLE WHEN THEY TOLD HER TO, "ENJOY THEM WHILE THEY'RE YOUNG." ALL SHE COULD THINK WAS, "YA RIGHT! YOU TRY TAKING CARE OF THESE KIDS!" HER DAUGHTER- A FORMER SCHOOL TEACHER- JUST HAD A BABY AND IS AT HOME FOR HER FIRST TIME. SHE TOLD HER MOM SHE ALREADY WANTED TO GO BACK. 

THIS- MY FRIENDS-

SCARES ME TO DEATH. I AM AFRAID OF BECOMING A MOM THAT BASICALLY DOESN'T WANT TO BE ONE.

I DON'T THINK MANY OF US HAVE TO THINK TOO HARD OF MOMS WE KNOW LIKE THAT, OR MOMS WE KNOW THAT ABSOLUTELY LOVE WHAT THEY DO.

FOR ALL YOU ALREADY MOMS OUT THERE...

I'M NOT TRYING TO SOUND NAIVE OR STUPID, I AM FULLY AWARE THAT MOTHERHOOD ISN'T EASY. I JUST HOPE AND EARNESTLY PRAY THAT I WON'T TAKE BEING A MOM FOR GRANTED.

THIS IS WHAT I'VE WANTED MY WHOLE LIFE. TO STAY AT HOME.

I KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW, WITH WORK, ALTHOUGH I LOVE IT AND I LOVE MY KIDS AND I'M TEACHING DANCE- THE THING I ACTUALLY HAVE A DEGREE IN, I STILL WOULD RATHER STAY HOME ON ANY GIVEN DAY THAN BE HERE. MY HEART BELONGS IN THE HOME. CLEANING, COOKING, HOMEMAKING, BEAUTIFYING, AND IN A FEW (OR SEVERAL) SHORTS MONTHS, BABY CUDDLING, BATHING, DIAPER CHANGING, AND FEEDING.

OF COURSE IT'S HARD. LIFE IS HARD.

THE REALITY IS, EVERY SITUATION HAS A WHOLE LOT OF CRAP ABOUT IT, AND WHOLE LOT OF GOOD ABOUT IT TOO.

I'M VOWING NOW, THAT WHEN I'M A MOM- I WILL STRIVE LIKE MY DAD TO SEE THE GOOD EVERY DAY AND REMEMBER THAT HAVING A FAMILY AND REARING THEM IN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE SINGLE-MOST IMPORTANT THING I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED.

WHERE WE'RE MEANT TO BE

TODAY I OPENED MY "DANCE TEACHER" MAGAZINE AND BROWSED QUICKLY THROUGH THE PAGES. MY HEART FROZE WHEN I CAME TO A PICTURE OF A BEAUTIFUL BALLERINA- ARMS STUNNINGLY EXTENDED BEHIND HER, A DEEP LUNGE WITH FRONT FOOT TURNED OUT IN FORCED ARCH, AND HANDS AND POSTURE THAT ONLY A TRULY CRAFTED AND TRAINED DANCER COULD HAVE.

I SEARCHED FOR A NAME AND FOUND ONE I KNEW:

WHITNEY JENSEN.

OH, OF COURSE.

WHITNEY JENSEN. GORGEOUS. BLONDE. GROWN UP NOW- WHITNEY JENSEN.

I DANCED WITH WHITNEY FOR A FEW YEARS AT CENTER STAGE. SHE WAS YOUNGER THAN I WAS, SHE WAS EXTREMELY TALENTED AND SHE MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY WHEN SHE WAS 13 TO TRAIN EXCLUSIVELY WITH A FORMER RUSSIAN BALLERINA.

SHE NOW DANCES WITH BOSTON BALLET.

THE JUXTAPOSITION OF MINE AND WHITNEY'S LIVES ARE ALMOST LAUGHABLE NOW.

IN MY CURIOUSITY- I GOOGLED WHITNEY'S NAME AND READ ABOUT HER: AWARDS SHE HAD WON, HER FEELINGS ABOUT TRAINING PRIVATELY, HOW COMPETITIONS KEEP HER MOTIVATED, WHO INSPIRES HER, AND HER PERFECTLY MAPPED OUT DAILY SCHEDULE FILLED WITH ONLINE CLASSES AND BALLET PRIVATES, COMPANY CLASSES AND REHEARSALS.

SHE LIVES THE LIFE I THOUGHT I WOULD LIVE. NOT THE CLASSICAL BALLET PART- BUT THE DANCE FILLING HER LIFE PART. ONCE UPON A TIME, 99% OF MY ENERGY, PASSION, AND DESIRE CHANNELED TO ONE THING ONLY. THAT WAS DANCE.

I SEE FRIENDS THAT I GREW UP DANCING WITH, THAT I ACTUALLY STOOD NEXT TO IN CLASS, THAT I COMPETED AGAINST AND BEAT, THAT I LEARNED WITH, AND TRAVELED WITH, AND DEMONSTRATED WITH- NOW FAMOUS.

NOW COMPLETELY, SUCCESSFULLY TREADING THEIR PATH IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD OF DANCE.

AND WHAT A WONDER IT IS.

AS I LIVE IN OREM UTAH, AS I GO TO REAL SALT LAKE GAMES, AND BYU SOCCER GAMES, AND LITTLE KID SOCCER GAMES OF WHICH THERE ARE NO CHILDREN I ACTUALLY KNOW, JUST CHILDREN MY HUSBAND COACHES. AND AS I JOURNEY OUT ON VACATIONS WITH MY FAMILY, AND PLAY IN THE STREET AT NIGHT, AS I GO ON DAILY WALKS- MEANDERING DOWN STREETS OF HOUSES I LIKE. AS I COOK MEALS FOR MY HUSBAND, AND DECORATE A HOUSE I LOVE, AND CONTINUALLY RETURN TO THE GROCERY STORE DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.

AS I TEACH CHILDREN THAT HAD NEVER DANCED TIL I CAME TO THEIR SCHOOL. AS I TEACH DANCERS AT CENTER STAGE WHO ARE INCREDIBLE AND I REMINISCE ABOUT WHAT IT USED TO BE LIKE WHEN I DID THAT- WHEN I WAS IN THEIR SHOES. DANCING.

AND NOW THINGS ARE DIFFERENT. NOW I'M NOT LIVING THAT LIFE THAT A LOT OF MY FRIENDS ARE LIVING. AND THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE I HAD TO ADJUST TO THE WHOLE- DANCE DOESN'T DEFINE MY LIFE ANYMORE- MENTALITY. AND IT WAS HARD.

BUT NOW IT'S SO SWEET.

I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS SIXTEEN, COMPETING IN PORTLAND ONE WEEKEND. I MET AND BRIEFLY TRAINED WITH A FORMER PROFESSIONAL BALLERINA. SHE TOLD ME ABOUT HER CAREER AS A DANCER AND HOW JUST AS IT STARTED TO FLOURISH, SHE DECIDED TO QUIT.

AND SHE DID, COLD TURKEY, QUIT.

AND I REMEMBER HER SAYING THAT SUDDENLY A NEW WORLD OPENED UP TO HER. A WORLD WHERE SHE ACTUALLY HAD TIME TO SOCIALIZE, AND TO SKI, AND DEVELOP HERSELF IN OTHER AREAS BESIDES DANCING.

I'M NOT ABOUT TO SAY THAT MY FRIENDS THAT ARE DANCING AREN'T LIVING A FULL LIFE. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THEY'RE MISSING OUT- CAUSE THERE IS AN UNBELIEVABLE SATISFACTION THAT COMES WHEN YOU GIVE ALL OF YOURSELF TO SOMETHING YOU LOVE, AND WHEN YOU CONTINUE TO ENDURE IN THE PATH OF YOUR PASSION EVEN WHEN IT'S HARD.

BUT FOR ME, I WAS LIKE THAT BALLERINA. BALLERINA #2 THAT IS. I WAS LIKE THAT BALLERINA WHO FOUND A NEW WORLD.

A NEW WORLD FULL OF A COMMITED MARRIAGE, AND A DEDICATION TO MANY THINGS, NOT JUST DANCE: WORK, CHURCH, HOME, SELF, EXERCISE, FAMILY, PERSONAL INTEREST, FRIENDS, ETC. 

AND MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS NEW WORLD IS THAT IT INCLUDES SUCH RANDOM AND VARIOUS THINGS: 

THINGS LIKE BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND BRIDAL SHOWERS, WHIFFLE BALL GAMES IN THE BACKYARD, BIG WHEEL RIDES IN THE STREET, TRIPS TO THE BEACH, DINNER WITH FRIENDS, MEALS FOR NEIGHBORS, RELIEF SOCIETY ACTIVITIES, AND LONG WALKS.

THERE IS SO MUCH OF GOOD IN LIFE. SO MUCH THAT IS OURS TO BE ENJOYED. AND WE CAN DIVE FACE FIRST INTO AREAS WE LOVE AND SIT THERE AND STAY A WHILE, OR WE CAN SAMPLE AND TEST AND DIP INTO EACH CATEGORY WE FIND. LIFE IS OURS FOR THE TAKING- WHICHEVER WAY WE WANT IT.

I FEEL THAT IN THIS WORLD, I AM WHERE I'M MEANT TO BE. AND ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT COMPLETELY WHAT I IMAGINED IN MY YOUNG, DANCE DEVOTED MIND, NOW THAT I'M HERE, I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE ANYWHERE ELSE.