Today is the beginning of the rest of my life.

I should be 18 years old and graduating from high school to post a title like that. The truth is...this is an accurate statement for any living being. I may be 28 years old (a true woman is not afraid to tell her real age!), but I feel like I am still finding my place in this world. So...what is the purpose of this blog? First, this blog is meant to track my progress for at least one year of trying to return to dance. Second, this blog is meant to inspire former dancers to re-discover their love for dance. Third, this blog is a way to raise awareness that it is never too late to follow your dreams! Now, let's get a little background!

Name: Mollie

Age: 28 years old

Occupation: Former Dancer, Current Accounting Assistant. (Furniture restorer for fun )

My Story:
From the moment I was born, I was dancing. I rolled over when I was only a few hours old. I was dancing as soon as I could pull myself up in my playpen. My parents and siblings would tell me to dance for their friends. When I was in kindergarten, my parents decided to pursue dance classes for me. The closest dance studios were 30 minutes away. Fortunately, my parents knew a very talented 6th grader who could give me a few pointers. We began a relationship based on love of dance and for 13 years she was my mentor. Not only did she teach me dance, she showed me what an incredible person she was. She changed my life. When I was in 7th grade I began to teach some small classes with her. Four years of teaching followed and then....bam.

I threw it all away. There are many things that involved these turn of events, but the most important thing is that I decided to walk away because I was young, dumb, and chasing a boy and what felt like home to me. After my parents divorced when I was 16 I was very lost. I was looking for a home and someone to fill so many voids in my life. I found trouble and for 3 years endured a horrible life filled with domestic assault and resulting in the pregnancy of my oldest child. She gave me the strength to leave the relationship and pursue college. I entered the working world and married a wonderful man. We had another little girl 4 years ago and I have continued to live a live void of dance.


Today...
I am unhappy with my body. I am not a healthy eater. I do not exercise. I weigh a little over 200 lbs. A whopping 80 lbs. more than I weighed when I left the dance studio. Just talking about this makes me depressed. I know I have the ability to dance. I remember everything she taught me. I just try to dance and the weight of my body feels strange, and I feel off balance. It's almost as if I'm carrying 80 bean bags placed all over my body. I start dancing and quit a few minutes later. That is stopping today. I have a plan and today is day 1. Tomorrow I will detail my plans. Wish me luck when I put on my dancin' shoes tonight!

M