No Expectations, No Problems for Sheila

Hey! I’m Sheila, and I’m a first year BFA Dance major. (or I was? Or I am, for 2 more weeks?) I think we can all agree these last couple months didn’t turn out exactly how we expected them too, BUT, I’m trying my best to remember that expectations: Do. Not. Matter. 

These days, expectations for myself have changed a lot along with my everyday life. I’ve been allowing myself to move when my body tells me, and I’ve had a lot of fun trying things out of my normal routine. Something great about all of us going through this together, is that there are tons of online classes available EVERYWHERE! I’ve been taking classes from the Martha Graham Dance Company, San Francisco Ballet, Lucy Vallely, and even doing some collaborative classes through Zoom with my friends. I’ve also been exploring things outside of dance like biking, skateboarding, yoga, and hiking. Yay for good weather and getting outside!

Don’t worry, between all this activity there is plenty (and I mean plenty) of time I spend doing things which require oh so little effort. Binge watching the entire Avatar: The Last Airbender series? Yep. Reading at the park, pretending it’s warm enough to get a tan? Oh yeah. Baking elaborate vegan desserts in my comically tiny kitchen? Most definitely. Spending my whole day listening to crime podcasts? You bet. Drinking ungodly amounts of iced coffee while making yet another annoyingly specific Spotify playlist? Um, yeah. (not like I didn’t do that before.)

The thing is, the whole purpose of this quarantine is to allow us to heal as a global population. That being said, we can’t forget about taking the time to allow ourselves to heal, on whatever level that may be! This time has really allowed me to focus on the things that nourish me, and indulge in that feeling. It took me awhile to realize that my life isn’t on hold. It’s still happening. Still wonderful and crazy and unexpected and beautiful and busy. But most importantly, it’s still mine! Here’s to hoping we all emerge better, more nourished, versions of ourselves, ready to take the growth we’ve had into whatever comes next!