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When I started my first job, I was stressed out. Unbelievably, undeniably, every un you can think of stressed. I was living on my own in a new city, I had bills to pay, and I worked a job that I loved that was very demanding. Long hours during the workweek combined with a lot of weekend time took a toll on me.

I met my now-husband three weeks into the job. I think if we hadn’t met then, we probably wouldn’t have met for years because I didn’t have the time to go out and find a social life. He introduced me to his friends (some of whom I stole to become my friends), he showed me around the city, and he made me prioritize what I wanted out of my life at a time when I REALLY needed to learn that perspective.

Enter adult tap dancing…

I first took tap as a five year old and then on a whim in college signed up again. I love tap dancing. It plays into my love of old movie musicals and that for a long time growing up I thought entering show biz was as easy as it looked in Holiday Inn.

I signed up for lessons through the park district and for two years, I’d leave work early once a week to shuffle off to Buffalo. And we had yearly recitals. Like on stage, in front of an audience (of mostly the parents of the children in the other classes), with costumes and music. And it was fabulous (and my friends came).

Besides spending time with the people I care about, that time to spend doing something I really love is restorative to me. I took a break from tap when I started my life as a stay at home mom and then picked it back up. I’m on a break again at the moment, but know, love, and value that anytime I need to, I can resume. Hobbies are important. Time to unwind and let yourself go into something you love is important.

So if you get a chance to perform in a dance recital, I hope you do!

PS Did you know the heroine of my sweet romance, Tidal Patterns (Golden Shores 1), is a tap dancer? Check out her story here.