Societies, Cappuccinos, and Squares

To preface this entry, I should probably explain the way clubs work at UCL. Here, they are called "societies" across the board, and you pay an annual membership fee to be part of a club, plus whatever extra costs classes or events cost to attend. For example, for the Dance Society (or Dance Soc), you pay £10 a year and then you can go to as many free classes as you want. To contrast, for the Mountaineering Society (UCLMU), you pay £4 a year, but £7 every time you go to the climbing gym. So it varies, depending on the Society.

In the past week, I've attempted capoeira, Kickboxing, Young Writer's, Dance, Mountaineering, and Photo. I have Salsa and Yoga yet to attempt. Capoeira was a bitch on my legs, squats, jumping jacks, kicks, lunges--all to avoid getting kicked in the face the first day of class. But amazing, in a surreal, I-can-imagine-myself-doing-this-on-a-Brazilian-beach-during-the-sunset kind of way. Kickboxing wasn't fun enough to describe, although I did miss it. Young Writer's got me really excited to start writing with a group of people again, to have some accountability for producing work that is worth editing. It also got me excited to steal some editing practices from the Brits and returning to the U.S. full of new ideas for Teeth and Oye--but keep that one on the DL, don't want them knowing they have an American spy in their midst. Dance was fun today, realized I have lost all Ballet talent I once had, I still love Contemporary, and I might pick up street jazz-the teacher was this really cool woman with huge hair and the best body in the world. I want to look like her--thus, I will buy cool pants, and take her class. Bachata is tomorrow and Yoga on Wednesday, and I couldn't be more excited.

My mom is sending me my climbing gear, to go as regularly as I can. I met this awesome girl who loved it when we went, and I got an email from a guy in my hall who got my name from a mutual friend and found out I climbed from her. So I might have two belaying buddies--dale! I missed climbing, so much, the feeling of pushing yourself, the world falling away once you've climbed far enough, fighting the wall, fingers throbbing, knowing that someone will catch you but fighting the fall anyway. It's addicting. And it makes me feel powerful, to remember my body can be used like that. I miss that feeling--I have become soft and English majory since I got to college, and I miss have callouses and short nails and arms that can carry 4 grocery bags each. Having a body that is useful for something, not just comfortable as a pillow.

I also realized I can't have nothing to do, it drives me insane. And since I'm only here until December, I've filled my schedule with things to push my body, the only things that can be short term. And writing of course. But there will always be words, paid for in membership fees or stolen from my sheets, but they will remain. I miss them, sometimes. Like an old friend you grow nostalgic for, imagine the conversations you could have, and then let them drift again, things unsaid. I don't want to be that writer anymore. That is not a writer at all--a writer must produce, something I have always failed at.

Besides dancing today, I slept for a long time, after I realized during the contemporary class I may have pulled a thigh muscle. Improper stretching: don't do it. The nice thing was, though, I woke up to a shower and then a cappuccino with two girlfriends, one who had just returned from Spain. She told us of Madrid, of the squares, of Granada and Alhambra castle, of the history, the music, the people. I can't wait. My other friend mentioned Prague as a possibility for the weekend-I'm down. I've resigned myself to squandering my food money on plane tickets and living on pasta for the semester. It's all I can safely cook anywho. When the cafe closed--at 8, ridiculously early in true London fashion--we settled ourselves into a square with benches and strong lighting nearby, settled myself into J.D. Salinger's rich prep school settings and disenfranchised teenager voice. It felt comfortable, like home. Like a little more of the person I wanted to be, I wanted London to bring me closer to.

Tomorrow class begins again: my second week. Feet are cold, muscles slightly sore, tummy warm from pasta and mozzarella, and hopes high. Loving this, more each day.