Breakable

This week I was plagued with my first cold of the season. It was bound to happen as I don't think I've had any sickness other than the sniffles since last fall/winter. Friday evening I attended my first social dance at Breakin' Out Ballroom in the town neighboring Stony Brook. No doubt that was the source of my illness as we frequently exchange dance partners...and germs. Nonetheless, it was a lot of fun, just as I anticipated. For those of you that don't know (like my parents), a social dance is simply a room full of individuals with the common interest and a source of music that plays varying genres of dance tunes. I usually go with my team so there is a comfort in knowing you'll dance with people you know, but I always find excitement in getting asked to dance by someone I do not know. I love how ballroom dancing connects me to different generations of individuals. I could be approached by a complete stranger in his 50's asking if I'd like to dance swing and for the most part I am be able to follow him. It's a common language, if you will. It has also been a fantastic talking point with my residents back home, as they always reminisce of dancing the jitterbug back in the day with their loved ones. After five long days of battle, my cold is almost gone, thank goodness.

Kicked my butt for 3 weeks, but I finally beat level 147 on Candy Crush. I fist pumped on the bus when it happened.

Before becoming sick I started attending yoga classes at the recreation center on campus. Offered three times a week, these classes fill up FAST! Each class is open for registration online 24 hours in advance and there is always a line of people waiting a couple minutes before hand to see if they can squeeze in. I've taken yoga in the past, but I think I've always followed the stigma that yoga is merely a relaxation technique. It is, but it also left me sore the next day. Not only am I stretching muscles I've lost much flexibility in since high school, but I'm also strengthening muscles just as much as if I were to do push-ups and sit-ups. I think I will keep up with it throughout the semester.

SBU showed The Great Gatsby as a drive in movie in one of the school's parking lots yesterday. A couple National Student Exchange friends and I took the bus and sat on the pavement in front of all the cars. We didn't plan as thoroughly as other squatters who brought pillows and blankets to keep comfortable. While the movie played I constantly had to readjust to relieve sore joints and bones in my legs. It brings me to the sad realization that I am getting older. Back in grade school I could sit "pretzel style" for hours and not get sore. How can it be that my feet cramp if I sit with my legs straight for 2 minutes? Hopefully yoga will remedy that. Perhaps I should have done what the obnoxious girls behind me decided to do: Take a sip of alcoholic beverage hidden in a non conspicuous water bottle every time Jay Gatsby said "Old Sport". Apparently he says the phrase 55 times throughout the movie, so I was fortunate enough to get a British narrated version of the entire movie yapping behind me. Oh well, you get what you didn't pay for.