Spanish Lessons, Dance and Comuna 13

Yesterday I felt my system start to relax into being here. I could feel my “list of things to do” calm. The pressure just started to rise off of me. As I really got clear on “why am I here”? I am in Medellin to learn Spanish. And Sunday I took my first lesson, and it wiped me out. I haven’t had that kind of focused attention on something in ages from a mental point of view. And…I LOVE my teacher! We had a ton of fun, I made him laugh, and he is light hearted…and cute…that always helps! But he is good to going with the flow….or should I say my flow. As he knew without testing me fully in the first 20 minutes exactly where I was and what I needed to learn. He did have me read in Spanish, and he told me my pronunciation was great! Shew! I love that! Though I didn’t really know what I was reading. Today we started on past tense…Wow! What a crazy wild thing for my brain. It is like taking my brain, twisting it and squeezing it into a different sized box. Especially with the irregular verbs…WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!

Now..I don’t remember taking English and I don’t remember all the words and what things are…though I do know what verbs are. But what is amazing is how things are making sense to me…when he explains that they don’t end things with (I think they are called- with, it, etc) prepositions…something just shifted in me and I got it. I woke up thinking of Spanish, seeing how I can put sentences together and by the end of today’s lesson I really got that I really want to learn this. I feel motivated. Though my dyslexic brain is having brain strain…and yes, at times I feel my embarrassment of not getting it faster and I am really liking it.

Last week I spend 5 hours on Friday doing Contact Improv…truth…it felt amazing! I got to help teach, I showed some how to lift and I felt high on life. I got to know the teacher, his husband and their boyfriend! Yes gay marriage if legal here and they are all so happy! It was beautiful to connect with them…learn who they are, how they live and feel their joy in their lives!

I got to take my first Salsa lesson here the other night too…WOW! I truly love this dance! I haven’t danced it in ages and my last lessons (on a regular basis) was in 2001 in India…yes that is right! And man I loved it then and I love it now! So much fun!

What I am learning by being here and by doing this online course with Alison Armstrong is why I wasn’t fully fulfilled the last year or so I was in LA. It didn’t have to do with what I fully thought it was. It had to do with not doing the things I love…I didn’t make as much time as I needed to fill up my cup…to really take the time to be creative, to be physical…part of that was my knee, but part of it was I got to into my work…my work became my life and I love my work…and I realize now I have got to find balance in work and fun…otherwise I won’t be happy when I come back either. Part of me wishes I would have done this course this past year, while I was in LA, when I was meant to be doing it…and I also know that this is the time I’m meant to be doing it. I am creating lists and things to do that I need in my daily life to keep me filled, fulfilled and in my joy…. And that goes for being here too! I have the “why’s and the what to do” in order to be how I want to be in this world…and this feels good! I really get that I need to move, I need to be active, this is what makes me happy…with the balance of reading, writing, creating art through dying clothes and sewing…Kundalini Yoga and so much more!

I get up every morning…do my homework from the PAX program and then after that I start going over my Spanish lessons, then have Spanish and then I’m off to my day!

Yesterday I took off to Comuna 13…I had not heard of this place before being here...but this was one of the most dangerous places in the world from 1980-1993. It was filled with drug trafficking, killing people, manipulating, killing families, the military and guerrilla army and how every thing was a trap for the people. But the art there…the art was breath taking…it was like walking around an art gallery in the streets. And these artists are amazing! It is hard to believe these people do what they do and every few years the come back and paint over their paintings or someone asks to paint over the last artists painting to create more art. I saw one wall completely transformed on my street in 2 days! It went from black to colorful and full of surprise!

I have finally adjusted to the time change…I wake up now at 6:30am feeling peaceful, feeling into my body, into my day to come...I think of and sometimes in Spanish and then get up and go.

The people here are just amazing…they are friendly, helpful, and willing to practice with me my Spanish lessons! Yes, I have to talk to strangers every day now for my homework. And it is good. Most people don’t see my shy side, but that is because I’m mostly shy when I’m doing things I don’t do well…and when I don’t do something well my shy side shines forth. It is stretching me big time and it is so good.

I’m loving being here…relaxing in. I’m excited to see what is to come and I love learning more about this country, how to travel in it and what there is to see and do. I just found out that I can stay a year here if I wanted to…all legally and on a tourist visa. Who knows if I will, but it is exciting to think about. I have always wanted to immerse myself in a Latin country and learn Spanish. And though the Spanish here is different from Guetemala…and Argentina, I’m adjusting to it. The double ll’s sound differently in each of these countries and that is a bit challenging for my brain to remember which way to say it here. For not having studied Spanish in 22 years I think I’m doing well!