One of my goals this summer was to do things I wanted to do, but were "too afraid" to do them. A few years ago I started hoopdancing, and was very into it for awhile. I had one friend who would come over and hoop with me, but eventually that died out. And I was unable to find anyone around here that was interested. In July, I heard of a gathering about an hour from here called Hoopla!. We went, and my love for my hoops was reborn and I guess, in a way, validated. Finally I had found a group of people who loved hooping even more than I do, and they were so good and so inspirational. I didn't want to leave that night without building some connections, so I asked one of the ladies that ran the workshops if she knew any other events like this one coming up. She said the only one she could think of was the Wildfire Retreat. When I got home, I looked it up and found out that it was basically a training camp for the fire arts. www.wildfireretreat.com There would be hooping, poi, staff, fire breathing, and so much more, and we could go! We could have a whole weekend just learning more and more stuff with other people that like the same thing! After finding out about that, I did even more research and found a local group that met by the river every Tuesday for a local spin jam. How did I miss all of this before?
So we've been going to that, and we went to Wildfire. The photo above is from this past weekend at Wildfire. I took several hoop classes along with fire fans, belly dancing, and fire breathing. It was really an amazing experience and will have a lasting impact on me. I won't say I was one of those people that go and find the family they never knew they had. I was probably too nervous for that. What I did find is a place where I feel free to learn and fail, a place where competition doesn't exist and everyone wants everyone else to experience their personal best. I was shy, as I often am, and didn't make the kind of connections with people that I hoped I would, but everyone I have met has been so open and willing to embrace me anyway, and I feel more than welcome to pursue this passion as a new path in my life
This last photo is my first attempt at fire breathing. It's arguably the most dangerous of the fire arts, but in that environment and with that group of people, I felt educated enough and safe enough to try it. It was a hell of a lot of fun!
