Summer Life.

Now that I moved in to my new small but extremely cozy apartment this week, I can truly say that I've literally started a new life: no more studying after work, new job that I love already and, finally, my own little home. When you add a summer to that mix, meaning no weekly schedules or dance classes, my everyday life feels totally new.

Moving to a new empty space has given me a great chance to consider what kind of a surroundings I really want to build for myself. For the first few days I had no furniture and the only item in my living room was my turquoise yoga mat. I have no food of any kind lying around in the back of the cupboards or freezer. No piles of papers or useless stuff that have just been accumulating over the years. I find this so purifying! There is no better timing than this to make good decisions of what to let in into my everyday life. Now that I finally have a place to call home, I want to make it as good place for myself as I can. Ideally I'd have a space for dancing, but realistically it is not going to happen in such a small apartment. However, I have left a good amount of space for my yoga mat and (hopefully daily) yoga practices.

First thing to do when getting keys to a new apartment: to bring yoga mat and have a yoga date with the new, still empty home to be <3 (and I did dance around a bit, just from the excitement of having a home).

After-yoga happiness.

Talking of yoga, I decided to take part to the Yogobe's 30-day yoga challenge that started this week. The idea is simple: to practice yoga every day for 30 days, either in a group, with a friend or by yourself, and as short or long of a practice as you want or need. To make the challenge easier, an online yoga service Yogobe has made a schedule of yoga videos for each day (btw, you can try out the service free for 10 days with a code JOOGA so I urge also you to try it out!). Since my internet is not yet working in my apartment, I have done my own practice at home the first days, but right after I get the internet working I'm definitely trying out the ready-made schedule. Also, I realized that there are at least three yoga studios really near my apartment, and I already tried out one of them, a hot yoga studio Yoga Nordic. I did a nice one hour hot yoga practice before heading to the office in the morning and I must say that morning yoga is really the best way of starting the day, though hot yoga might not be the thing for me. However, the hot yoga studio has quite good summer deal (35 € / 1 week unlimited) which I might take advantage of some time soon. Again, you're more than welcomed to join my trial week if interested!

Since dancing is not that much included to my normal weeks during the summer as normally it is, couple of dance trips is a must do. In the end of July I'm heading to Mataro, Spain with couple of friends of mine for the 2nd ZoukDevils & Friends Summer Weekend. We're taking just the party passes and planning on relaxing in the beach during the day workshops. After the weekend we'll spend some days in Barcelona and hopefully make some visits to the Spiral Dancer's dance studio. Then, in the end of August I'll take part the Amsterdam Zouk Congress with a full pass. No need to mention that I'm spending all my holiday leave from work to these trips (bad thing about starting a new job is that you don't get full 4-week summer holiday, but I'm happy to get two). Talking about nearer future, I'm spending this weekend in a cottage with my Zouk family, so a lot of dancing and good company is guaranteed!

Even during the summer, I will be found every now and then in my dance space having a dance practice, workout or just a good chat with someone. What I love about summer schedules is that many are quite free to have extempore practices in a short notice. So let me know if you want to have one - I rarely will say no to dancing!

@ my dance space

Btw, check out this cool video of the summer Zouk Tuesday evenings behind the Opera house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1q-8SAOZE5k. Gotta love these crazy people!