Part Two: Where I'm going
Okay, so now that I've got all that house keeping out of the way, the next burning question is what the future holds.
Honestly, I have no idea.
There are plenty of people who have gone back to Irish dance after having kids. Some are better than they were before they got pregnant. Hell, there are plenty of people out there that don't start dancing until they've had their kids and they still compete in and overs. I've already been told that I can come back whenever I'm ready.
Here's where it gets tricky...While I made it work dancing three days a week and competing twice a month...it was really exhausting. I would get home after nine, I'd be gone all day on the weekend. I would have to work once a month or more to afford my competition fees and what not. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret a minute of it. I pushed myself to places I never thought I would get, but it was hard on my body, on my relationship with my husband, just in general. This was one of the reasons why I was "not ready" to have a family because that meant slowing down.
Now that I have had to slow down, I can see that is was A LOT. It was a lot and it was just the two of us. I feel like my relationship with Jon has improved. I think that I'm much more relaxed. I feel like I'm turning into a ball of dough, but overall...I am surprised at how I'm feeling otherwise.
I'm going to have a person relying on me in just over three months. I'm hoping that I will be able to provide him sustinence as long as I am able. It's not that I don't think my husband can handle watching my kid or my mom couldn't watch him, but is that fair to do three nights a week? I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to want to be gone that many nights a week. So I originally I thought I might do one night...but then I think about how far South Windor is and I'm not sure if I want to make that commute and come home at almost 10 o'clock at night.
I'm sure some of you guys are reading this and asking "so why don't you transfer closer?" I'm sure I probably could, but this is one of those "principal of the situation" kind of things. My TC is more than just my TC. In 4 years she has become one of my close friends. She's taught me so much, been there for me through thick and thin, and been so accommodating. It would not be the same, and she didn't do anything to make me want to leave. I would rather find something else to do near by for mommy alone time than start over somewhere new, if they'll let me compete as an adult at all...remember my old TC?
So am I retiring from Irish dance? I don't know...ask me after my boy is born I guess.
In natural Kay fashion, I've been researching and trying to find other hobbies that I find interesting and challenging that most people out grow by college. Some people think it's weird...I'm going to say that it keeps me young.
-I tried an adult ballet class early on in my pregnancy before I had my placenta previa. It kicked my butt and I wasn't the oldest! It was about 20 minutes from my house. I would have liked to keep doing it this summer, but I may ask my doctor what she thinks.
-I have considered going back to a mainstream studio. There are like 5 billion of them where there are like 10 Irish schools in CT. I found options in Torrington as well as Burlington (The towns my town touches) I don't necessarily want to do an adult class because I feel like they are watered down and my competitive nature desires more than that but I think people would hopefully be willing to work with me. I might be able to use the studio to practice Irish too and maybe meet with my TC biweekly or once a month or something.
-Gymnastics. Remember the days of old before I started dancing where I went to 12 and over "open gym?" I have never been more sore in my life. Even with conditioning and champ class, it never came close. I was able to get back a lot of my tumbling in the short while I went there and it was a big class where I was often working on my own and didn't always have a spotter. Well...I know I've alluded to it before, but one of my closet interests (except its more of an obsession than a secret) is Womens Artistic Gymnastics. I watch the competitions, I follow the athletes, I listen to podcasts, I've read biographies. I just can't get enough. There are several gyms that offer adult programs, but a few gyms even closer to home offer private lessons. This is like the one instance where I'm not sure if being in a class with a bunch of kids is a good idea, so I would see if they would let me work one on one with someone. And I don't want it to be like before where it was kind of every man for himself. I want to learn a level one beam routine. I want to lean a pullover on bars, the right way. Maybe finally be properly taught how to do a back handspring so I won't break myself like I did when I was 15. There are also opportunities to compete (cough, you bet your ass I looked it up) and if I did the xcel program, I could potentially be competing not too far down the road. Not sure if I would be allowed to do that without being on a team, but those are all questions to ask. Adult gymnasts are probably even more rare than adult Irish dancers (Jon's gonna love that. LOL) but as I always say...bring it.
Pretty much, I will be doing something to get back in shape after my kid is born and preferably in better shape than I was before I was pregnant. I have already started to doing some safe upper body workouts because regardless of ballet, dance, or gymnastics...I have no upper body strength and that needs to change. My thighs could stand to slim down a bit as well.
Am I retiring? Not sure? Do I have some sort of genetic issue where I refuse to truly adult...even with a baby coming. Sounds like it. Wouldn't want it any other way.
Kay
Honestly, I have no idea.
There are plenty of people who have gone back to Irish dance after having kids. Some are better than they were before they got pregnant. Hell, there are plenty of people out there that don't start dancing until they've had their kids and they still compete in and overs. I've already been told that I can come back whenever I'm ready.
Here's where it gets tricky...While I made it work dancing three days a week and competing twice a month...it was really exhausting. I would get home after nine, I'd be gone all day on the weekend. I would have to work once a month or more to afford my competition fees and what not. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret a minute of it. I pushed myself to places I never thought I would get, but it was hard on my body, on my relationship with my husband, just in general. This was one of the reasons why I was "not ready" to have a family because that meant slowing down.
Now that I have had to slow down, I can see that is was A LOT. It was a lot and it was just the two of us. I feel like my relationship with Jon has improved. I think that I'm much more relaxed. I feel like I'm turning into a ball of dough, but overall...I am surprised at how I'm feeling otherwise.
I'm going to have a person relying on me in just over three months. I'm hoping that I will be able to provide him sustinence as long as I am able. It's not that I don't think my husband can handle watching my kid or my mom couldn't watch him, but is that fair to do three nights a week? I'm honestly not sure if I'm going to want to be gone that many nights a week. So I originally I thought I might do one night...but then I think about how far South Windor is and I'm not sure if I want to make that commute and come home at almost 10 o'clock at night.
I'm sure some of you guys are reading this and asking "so why don't you transfer closer?" I'm sure I probably could, but this is one of those "principal of the situation" kind of things. My TC is more than just my TC. In 4 years she has become one of my close friends. She's taught me so much, been there for me through thick and thin, and been so accommodating. It would not be the same, and she didn't do anything to make me want to leave. I would rather find something else to do near by for mommy alone time than start over somewhere new, if they'll let me compete as an adult at all...remember my old TC?
So am I retiring from Irish dance? I don't know...ask me after my boy is born I guess.
In natural Kay fashion, I've been researching and trying to find other hobbies that I find interesting and challenging that most people out grow by college. Some people think it's weird...I'm going to say that it keeps me young.
-I tried an adult ballet class early on in my pregnancy before I had my placenta previa. It kicked my butt and I wasn't the oldest! It was about 20 minutes from my house. I would have liked to keep doing it this summer, but I may ask my doctor what she thinks.
-I have considered going back to a mainstream studio. There are like 5 billion of them where there are like 10 Irish schools in CT. I found options in Torrington as well as Burlington (The towns my town touches) I don't necessarily want to do an adult class because I feel like they are watered down and my competitive nature desires more than that but I think people would hopefully be willing to work with me. I might be able to use the studio to practice Irish too and maybe meet with my TC biweekly or once a month or something.
-Gymnastics. Remember the days of old before I started dancing where I went to 12 and over "open gym?" I have never been more sore in my life. Even with conditioning and champ class, it never came close. I was able to get back a lot of my tumbling in the short while I went there and it was a big class where I was often working on my own and didn't always have a spotter. Well...I know I've alluded to it before, but one of my closet interests (except its more of an obsession than a secret) is Womens Artistic Gymnastics. I watch the competitions, I follow the athletes, I listen to podcasts, I've read biographies. I just can't get enough. There are several gyms that offer adult programs, but a few gyms even closer to home offer private lessons. This is like the one instance where I'm not sure if being in a class with a bunch of kids is a good idea, so I would see if they would let me work one on one with someone. And I don't want it to be like before where it was kind of every man for himself. I want to learn a level one beam routine. I want to lean a pullover on bars, the right way. Maybe finally be properly taught how to do a back handspring so I won't break myself like I did when I was 15. There are also opportunities to compete (cough, you bet your ass I looked it up) and if I did the xcel program, I could potentially be competing not too far down the road. Not sure if I would be allowed to do that without being on a team, but those are all questions to ask. Adult gymnasts are probably even more rare than adult Irish dancers (Jon's gonna love that. LOL) but as I always say...bring it.
Pretty much, I will be doing something to get back in shape after my kid is born and preferably in better shape than I was before I was pregnant. I have already started to doing some safe upper body workouts because regardless of ballet, dance, or gymnastics...I have no upper body strength and that needs to change. My thighs could stand to slim down a bit as well.
Am I retiring? Not sure? Do I have some sort of genetic issue where I refuse to truly adult...even with a baby coming. Sounds like it. Wouldn't want it any other way.
Kay
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