Recently a lot of situations are in the planning stages, things that I can't just leap into immediately with an optimistic hope for the best. Instead I have to plan, debate, practice, or otherwise strategize in order to make it work.
1) My dance competition is coming up in about three weeks. I'm doing seven routines at a Bronze II or Silver I level. There are two parts to a dance routine: feeling the music and technical expertise. I can do either individually but put them together and a clash occurs. So right now is the practice stage.
2) I've been hanging out in this country for too long. Granted, I've been taking mini weekend vacations so I haven’t just been sitting at home. Still, it's time to get on a plane and travel. The next place I want to go, Australia, doesn't lend itself to an extended weekend on the spur of the moment. Unlike my past two international vacations where I decided about a week before boarding the plane, Australia, and then Antarctica, takes a bit more time to figure out the details. Right now I am planning and trying to save money. I also might get my scuba certification before I leave. Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef would be amazing.
3) Recently I completed a Wellness Cleanse which significantly altered what I eat. Before doing this cleanse I never read ingredients or thought about what I ingest. Having to plan meals out ahead of time was a challenge, especially as my cooking skills involve omelets, grilled cheese, and pasta from a box none of which was allowed during the 21 days. Even though officially done with the cleanse, I have kept up with some of the recommendations. Although I did a spectacular job this past weekend falling off the wagon complete with celebratory cupcake, a walking/eating tour of DC, tequila tasting, and a dinner of candy.
4) A few weeks ago I won the International Speech contest at my Toastmasters Club and last night won the next level (the Area 42 contest)! Now I am gearing up for the Division D competition in April, meaning once again I have to plan out and develop my speech. At each level of the competition, I will give the same speech but the intention is to take feedback and make improvements each time.
Last night I was keenly aware of how similar my hand motions, voice inflection, and mannerisms are to my mom. Almost creepy in the similarity. But she is a published writer and an entertaining, compassionate storyteller. Emulating her is a compliment. I’ll post a video of my speech after I get as far as I can in the competition. Working towards Vegas!
Also congrats to Rafay for winning the Area 42 Evaluation Contest.
