The Universe Told Me to Skate

When I started my list of “routine maintenance,” I thought about how much I enjoy learning new things. A couple of years ago, a good friend suggested we try a tap dancing class and I was totally game. We ended up taking a weekly class together for a year! Ultimately, we did lose interest when we moved up a level and got a new teacher and the class just wasn’t gel-ing for us in the same way anymore. But that year of learning a new skill that had nothing to do with work or anything other than pure joy? It was awesome.

So as I was on my google spree of “bored with life what to do” I tried googling “fun classes to take in NYC” and figure skating popped up. And if I didn’t sign up for the next session (starting in just two weeks), I wouldn’t be able to do it until September. So the universe was literally saying “Bored, are you? Prove it. Take this class!” The universe was also saying “empty your checking account” apparently. Because like anything in NYC, it wasn’t cheap. But I just knew in that moment that it would be worth it!

I took the first of my 10 classes yesterday and it was awesome! I’ve always adored figure skating (I’m actually headed to Boston tomorrow to see the World Championships!) but I’ve never actually done it (with the exception of an ice skating birthday party here or there as a kid).

So…this is the only photo I took to commemorate my first class (because I was there to skate, not take selfies, duh!):

And as I put on my rental skates, I was feeling pretty nervous. I honestly can’t remember the last time I was on ice skates and I wasn’t sure if I’d look more like Uncle Jesse:

Or feel as fierce as Ashley Wagner:

Well…I wasn’t quite Ashley Wagner, but I wasn’t Uncle Jesse either! I felt much more confident on the ice than I thought I would!  I couldn’t really skate backwards, but I felt good skating forward pretty fast which was just pure fun. (And I was reasonably good at stopping which is important when you want to speed around the rink!) I can’t wait to keep working on the whole backwards thing. I’m also excited for next week’s lesson when I’m sure they’ll be teaching me skills like this:

[Side note: Michelle Kwan is the greatest skater that ever lived. I am obsessed! And just thinking about the fact that I am trying out “her” sport makes me happy!]

So in conclusion, the universe made a great choice. I absolutely loved my first hour and a half on the ice! But because the universe can’t let me be too happy…

On the walk home from the rink when I was just beaming and on the phone telling a friend about how much fun I’d had, a bunch of garbage blew into me and then sort of stuck to my leg. But I’m choosing to see that as my movie moment:

Fun montage of girl walking home through the streets of NYC while happy music plays the soundtrack of her life.

Garbage hits her and knocks her back down a peg.

BIG laughs from the audience as the girl gives the universe this look: