I don't think it's any secret I love to dance. I've danced since I was in elementary school and while I don't do it so much anymore (other than around the house), it's still something that I love. So when my friends decided we would be going out to a country bar to celebrate our friend's last night out before moving, I couldn't wait to put on my heels and hit the dance floor.
Y'all (I say this loosely since I'm not a southerner but feel I can say it since I live here...right?), I don't think I've ever felt more out of place. Apparently I didn't get the memo that this was a legit country bar and heels were frowned upon, cowboy boots encouraged. Minor setback, right? I could still get down to some Boot Scootin' Boogie and Electric Slide in heels, no problem.
But then they played Cotton Eye Joe and I squealed like a school girl and hit the dance floor launching my imaginary lasso into the air. Strike two. Apparently that was the midwest Bar/Bat Mitzvah /Middle School Dance version and I was the only one in the south who didn't know the "real" Cotton Eye Joe dance. It was like the country version of "Ride the train" except they linked arms with someone and danced around the dance floor in slow motion and stone faces. They were VERY serious about this dance people, but I decided to befriend some other girl who appeared to be dancing to an entirely different song too and rock out with her. Haters gonna hate!
And then it happened... they played Ball So Hard and I LOST MY SHIT. You would have thought I just won the lottery as I threw bows to get out to the center of the dance floor. I love country music people, don't get me wrong, but I had no idea how to dance to it or the line dances they were doing. Of course they're super easy to pick up and I plan to wear boots next time and get down. But after a few drinks, all I wanted to do was shake my rump.
I don't get out often and it will probably be a very long time before I go out and get that crazy again. I used to drink like a fish in college and now, I can drink about 1/3 of what I used to and feel like I got hit by a bus. And my body? I feel like I ran a marathon (not that I know what that feels like but I can imagine it sucks). Calves, thighs, arms... everything hurts. Apparently I danced like it was my last night on Earth or I was trying out for So You Think You Can Dance or something. But it was totally worth it.
It was a challenge making friends when we first got here; it's a lot bigger here than our last duty station and I had just had a baby. Long story short, I didn't get out often or put myself out there. But now that we've been here a year and my baby isn't so much of a baby anymore, it's been a lot easier to make friends. And I know it's only going to get easier from here.
The ladies I've met thus far are amazing and if there's anything I've learned from military life, it's that we're all in the same boat. Having no family around, picking up your roots and planting them somewhere else can be challenging, but finding people in the same situation makes it that much easier to survive.
And I'll leave you with this. It may or may not be me but if it were me, I would blame it on the Lemon Drops. Samantha Show out.
