Hello! How was your July?!
I’ve been feeling very happy and fulfilled these last four weeks since I wrote to you all. Most days I come out of my room in a state of jubilee and announce to my father the latest big idea I have for my business, career, and life at large, giddily jumping up and down before disappearing into my bedroom to take another client call.
I think most of the time he (quietly) believes I am some combination of completely nuts and utterly naive, but he is also supportive in the way that he is and always has been, and says things like “if you say so” and “if anyone can do it, it’s you.” To which I like to remind him that he didn’t really quite believe I’d become a professional Salsa dancer all those years ago, but I did (and I managed to win a world championship and dance on TV too).
That is all to say I’m feeling super excited and inspired about the work I’m doing, which is such a shift from the end of May. Some of the ideas I planted back in January are finally coming to life and it feels so good! I started working with two new clients this month who I absolutely love, have really tapped into who I can best serve, and am giving myself permission to create the business I know I want and am capable of building.
I’ve also been spending a lot of time in nature and man, is nature good for my soul. Here I walk in the trees almost every day, and the more I do, the more I realize how important being outside is to me. I rarely think about these things in New York, but my body and spirit miss them dearly.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about what my dance life is going to look like moving forward. So much of what I love about dance––and Salsa specifically––is the connection that’s created when you dance with another person; the way movement creates this magical energy in a room full of people. It’s so hard to know when these things will return to New York or the larger Salsa community at large. And if they don’t return for quite a while, do I still belong in New York without them? I’m not so sure I do.
Back in May, I felt angry about this and then depressed. Losing something I have loved so much––something that defined my twenties and helped me heal from childhood trauma and abuse––was heartbreaking. I didn’t want to let go of it. I refused to let go of it and instead spent weeks feeling terrible.
But after I came out here, I started moving more. Moving my body, but also moving around more. Going for drives with the windows down, music blaring. Not going anywhere except to go somewhere before turning around and coming back home.
I hadn’t been on a nighttime summer drive since I was in high school, but something about them still makes me feel like anything is possible. I feel free. Energized. Open.
I think those feelings helped me move into acceptance, and as soon as I did, my relationship with dance began to shift.
My dance life does (and will) look very different for a very long time. It might even change forever in some ways. BUT I’m no longer upset or angry about that. Instead, I feel excited about where my new path is going. Intrigued by the endless possibilities that lay in front of me, some of which I know I can’t even begin to imagine yet.
How are things going for you? Have you been able to find a new state of normal with everything going on? Have you done any fun, socially-distanced summer things? I’d love to know! Hit reply and tell me what your world looks like these days.
A Few Other Things…
💃 I wrote an article for Dance Spirit magazine (!) about how to keep dancing after graduation
💎 My friend launched an Etsy jewelry shop with the sweetest handmade designs
🎥 Have you watched Disclosure yet?🔥 A must-read for anyone who wants love and desire in a long-term relationship
🍒 The perfect after-dinner treat
with love,
Brielle
P.S. Last month’s update and what I was doing last year this time