NEW ballet school, job and nyc family member :)

Wow this week has been quite eventful!
I started my summer intensive with Gelsey Kirkland and her AMAZING faculty at her classical ballet school in chinatown/tribeca area!
- Gelsey Kirkland is a ballet legend.  An ex-cocaine addict, anorexic ballerina; she has overcome some crazy addictions and love affairs that were very public, over-exagerated and known during her stellar ballet career. As a ballerina she was amazingly theatrical, graceful, musical, technical and of course constantly evolving and growing because she was constantly working on improving, expanding and learning about the arts in general. Essentially Gelsey Kirkland (in my eyes) is one of the most successful ballerinas and the ideal proto-type. As a dancer she did everything possible to learn and never stopped working or thought that she had reach a perfect diva-worthy level. I think she overcame her eating disorder and addiction and heartbreak because she is capable of learning from her mistakes and let go!

Anyways in person the woman is absolutely lovely and unassuming. She definitely has a presence to her and I must say when she first walked over and gave me a correction part of me was trying to fix what she was telling me and at the same time I was thinking OH MY GOD GELSEY KIRKLAND IS TOUCHING MY NECK!!!!
Needless to say I have learned SO much in a mere five days that I am swiftly falling in love with her school. The way the classes are carried, the seriousness of the students, the professionalism of the teachers and the minimal neurotic atmosphere in the studio is a perfect balance/environment for me. I can just say that I am thriving and am so so grateful that I try and not to think of when these four weeks shall end...because the idea of leaving makes me feel slightly panicked and teary eyed.
Might I add that Ms. Kirkland kind of reminds me of a pretty slim elongated version of edna mode in the incredibles movie. Of course personality wise there nothing

alike its just in the glasses.....

ANYWAYS on randomish updates outside of my ballet life
-I got a second job! I Train on Monday evening for it and its awesome because it works with my current dance and work schedule! its essentially a hiring company for events that require some sort of hospitality from carrying hour de ourves at a Bat Mitzvah to doing promo/publicity work for a company! Every week I log in my availability and they look at the event, its requirements etc and you work whenever you match the event and are able to.
anyways its huge stress relief to think of some additional income coming my way :)
- Now most importantly is that today I was wandering around after work, window shopping for the new jobs uniform, I randomly decided to enter petco. I looked around; looking yearningly at the kittens, cats, bunnies and hamsters that I know I wouldn't be able to have. And suddenly I saw this huge magenta betta fish and I decided I really did want one. So I went on my phone googled betta fish read about what are its ideal habitats, plants, food, water temps and mainly made sure it wouldnt die on me in my un-air conditioned apartment. And guess what the sturdy, Thai-origined Betta os a trooper who thrives in water at an average of 76 degrees! SOOOO  I asked the petco guy to double check on the magenta Betta I had seen. He told me it was healthy and explained what makes a Betta healthy (they look alert and have evenly colored scales and no white spots or discoloration) He also explained to me what the differences in the types of Bettas there were. I asked for the price of the magenta Betta which honestly kind of looked like an oversized tutu and alas he ended up showing me the BABIES. They are all very small about 1-2 cm long AND you have no idea what they will look like when theyre full grown. The idea of raising my own Baby and watching it grow appealed to my motherly instinct. The one I chose was is so tiny and squiggly and looks so curious and so BABY like even if it is a fish, that I fell in love right away. Thus I bought my baby. BTW it has no name for now until I find out its personality although subconciously I keep calling her Coral.
Also I almost had an anxiety attack carrying her home on the subway I had her and her supplies in a paper LOFT bag and was clutching it nervously convinced that someone would smash her or she would be jiggled to death like that terrible girl in Finding Nemo. Anyways we made it safely off the subway and barely made it to the 99C and up store where I bought a large glass mason jar to be her new aquarium.And of course to keep it interesting; while walking home, I got caught in an impromtu rainstorm. The paper bag dissolved in my arms just as I made it to my front porch. Fortunately all was well and I washed her aquarium put in the gravel and the live plant on a rock in it and introduced her to her new home. She rapidly adapted to it and is presently swimming in!
ANYWAYS
I am one happy Betta Mom and very inspired and grateful person overall!

MAH BABY^^^^^
oh and heres a link to Ms. Kirkland Dancing <3

ALMOST One year later.....

Well I arrived to NYC and have survived 10 months so far. This city is definitely the busiest place and filled with the busiest people; even tourists don't relax here! These past 10 months have been intense!
I have been through probably every emotion possible except romantic love.
When I first arrived to NYC I was blown off my feet!! All the music, theatre, dance, old buildings, cultures, races, gay people, restaurants, museums, drag queens, bars, aspiring artists, wall street guys, hipsters, models, manorexics,anorexics, left over wall street protestors that are homeless and are addicted to heroine, crazy people that roam the street, aspiring dancers, aspiring actors, uptight republicans, mega liberals, hare krishna chanting people, dog owners and essentially every type of person and place you can think of are all found in one city.
throw in a hurricane, some snowstorms and now tropical rain storms
and personal transformation. injury and illness.......
It has literally taken me these 10 months to process it.
Dance wise I would like to say that I have grown alot since I arrived; my mind is much more open to all forms of dance and I also now know why I dance and what I want to do with it and how i dont give a f- about other peoples opinion...including teachers. That being said I obviously would prefer to be approved of :)
Personally I have learned to be completely comfortable being alone, Because I have been alone so much it has brought in a lot of self discovery. I spent a majority of the time here feeling depressed probably brought on by being lonely. I now have learned to be grateful that I am homesick because I have been blessed with knowing and befriending and living with amazing loving, giving and responsible beings.
I finally snapped out of the depression when I grew completley comfortable with myself and finally listened to my own advice which was to fully love myself and not care about other people think.

Also it helped that I finally have made some very few but lovely friends and the whole time I had a great job to go to where I could see people who were older and happier than me.

School here is quite intense . The schedule is very busy but not overwhelming to me physically as much mentally. It was extremely hard for me to interact with the people/gaggle of girls because for so many years I have avoided most society in general because I have been quite weary of  how they will treat me and have set up a protective barrier. Now I have taken it down finally ....and have nice acquaintances at the school but not any genuine friendships; which is totally fine.
I also had a fascinating rooming experience; which I guess is necessary and part of the dorm life experience; needless to say I have listed it with high school as not completely damaging but not something I am will wistfully think of returning to.
 Luckily I have work and a life outside of the school keeping me sane!
I love my job, my coworkers everything. It is what has kept me sane and has provided me a safe haven that I could go to. There was one point where I dreaded being in my apartment/dorm and would walk in the streets for as long as possible to get away from the environment there. My coworkers were always very kind and understanding and I honestly owe ALOT to them.

Overall I am so happy I stuck it out and lasted the school year. I am much more confident in my dancing and person. I am very grateful and happy, I still miss my friends at home yet I no longer think that I should be there or am missing out NYC is where I am meant to be for now :)

Next Monday I start an Intensive at the Gelsey Kirkland Ballet academy and I am super excited to go!!!!
also grateful because I havent danced in two weeks because I was having alot of pain in my achilles but its all been fixed by my amazing chiropractor who happens to be an ex dancer....but more on that later!! For now i must go to the gym!!!
-Sofia

heres a picture of a sunset at the Hudson river :)