The title of this blog sums up my feelings about this weekend.  I do not have the vocabulary to describe how amazing it was but I shall try to put some of it into words for you:

Highlights:

• Arriving on a gloriously sunny day at Pontins Southport to be confronted by people dancing in an outside marquee open to the terrace where others were laughing and drinking sitting on benches – I had walked into my own little heaven.

• Getting stuck in straight away on Friday afternoon and having some wonderful dances. I loved it from the first moment.

• Dancing on Friday night, well actually, Saturday morning at 4.30am thinking what the hell  am I doing dancing for 12 hours straight, and then looking around me to see nearly 1000 other mad people doing it too

• Staying in a block of apartments with 40 fantastic people from my regular venue.  I got to know so many of them much better and they are a truly great bunch – I felt quite blessed to spend the weekend with them.

• Having dinner cooked for me by four lads in a neighbouring apartment.  Me and my fellow chalet mates were thoroughly spoilt with cordon bleu cooking in what can only be describe as a basic kitchen.  The effort was incredible and made us feel well loved

• Dancing with the most amazing dancers I have yet to come across.  I learnt moves galore and experienced dance moments which will stay with me forever. I also realised that I have been very fortunate to be ‘raised’ on dances with most of the best in the country thanks to being part of an amazing venue.  I was told that our group ‘owned the floor’ in the Blues room and they were not wrong.  I am part of an amazing dance community which is probably why I am so flippin’ addicted so quickly.

• Receiving lots of compliments on my dancing ability, style and musical interpretation and being told by many that I could ‘be a champion’ if I wanted to be. I made the decision that one day I do want to be if only to prove to myself that I can.  This would be an awesome achievement for me for reasons I need not go into detail about huh?!

• Staying up all night on Saturday night until 6.30am on Sunday morning having only had 12 hours sleep over the entire weekend.  I worked out that I danced more than 40 hours! I just CANT believe that I can do that.  This time last year I couldn’t get down the stairs – what an amazing thing huh?

• Proudest moment – managing to stay on my feet to ‘Free Bird’ with one of the most brilliant dancers I know.  My God he put me through my paces and on a Sunday afternoon after over 20 hours of dancing on next to no sleep I felt this was one hell of an achievement!

Lows

There weren’t any.  The whole weekend more than lived up to my expectations.  I learnt an enormous amount about dancing and I learnt a lot about myself.  I came back refreshed (despite being completely and utterly knackered) and I have found a really positive and refreshing perspective on a lot of crap that has been thrown my way recently.  I really, really, really feel alive again and God it feels soooooooooooooooo good!

I am now looking forward to a full weekend of dancing coming up this weekend.  My husband and I are out dancing on Fri, Sat and Sun night this weekend as it is his birthday on Friday and mine on Sunday (31 – yuk!). I know my dancing has changed a lot over this weekend, in good ways so I am looking forward to using it. I am also already counting the days to the next Southport in September – roll on September.

I really wish that everyone could find something that makes them feel as good as this makes me feel, especially those who are or have suffered from chronic or debilitating illness.

Talking of my UC, going to Southport was obviously a big deal for me.  I felt more than a little anxious at the prospect of sharing a chalet with three women I didn’t know and if I am honest it was difficult.  It was worth it but it was hard.  I did have some unpleasant moments but I just had to go with them.  My UC would start to play up at about 11pm and cause me problems every few hours.  I was cursing it but I realised that the more anxious I got about it the worse it would get so I just had to deal with it and then carry on.  It was okay. It is playing up something wicked now but I think that is down to be having pushed my body too far, so it is my own fault!

One classic moment was when I felt I had no choice but to go back to the chalet at midnight on the Friday night to go to the loo and have a rest as I was in quite a lot of pain. I got there to find one of my chalet mates naked in the lounge with some bloke! They hadn’t even drawn the curtains, which in hindsight was quite fortunate as it meant that I was confronted by them without having to walk in on them completely.  Needless to say that although they had spotted me and she was shrieking with horror, I quickly carried on walking and had to go back to the dancing.  This meant that I had to deal with how I was feeling amongst over 1000 other people but although not easy I did it and it makes me realise that I don’t have to hide when I feel bad as it will pass.  Actually this particular chalet mate was a complete nightmare as on the Saturday she went off with both keys to the chalet meaning that I couldn’t get in at a point when I desperately need to again but this time really did need to have the bathroom to myself and get some sleep as I felt rough.  Despite looking for her everywhere she didn’t turn up until two hours later – I was overjoyed ;-(.  Then, on the Sunday I had just got back to the chalet, again at a time when I needed to just deal with my UC, and within ten minutes she walked in to find me there with a very disappointed look as she had bought someone back with her – another fella! Seriously, this girl was on some kind of shag fest.  Note to self – do not share an apartment with a single women who clearly likes to enjoy herself

All in all tho my UC didn’t stop me from having a bloody good time and it proved to me that I don’t have to stop doing stuff.  Granted my symptoms aren’t too bad at the moment and of course this makes them far more manageable but regardless it is easier to be reclusive with UC than it is to be sociable and I have proved to myself that it needn’t have such a drastic effect on my social life as I can hide it and work around it if needs be.

Anyway, I may reread this at some point and realise I have completely waffled. I am so exhausted that my senses have gone to pot and I keep seeing and hearing things that aren’t there! I need to go to bed.

I shall no doubt write more about this amazing weekend when I am feeling more coherent.

Gonna be dreaming of that next dance……………………………..love it