In order to enjoy life, I think it is important to have interests that fills you with energy. And I don’t just mean in term of physical health, like exercise, but something that completely absorbs you in a good way. Whereas for many, that is actually exercising, for me it involves a broad range of activities from traveling, going to museums, or studying languages. Part of this is probably something that Gretchen Rubin argues in The Happiness Project and that is that an environment of growth is essential for human wellbeing. My real energy boosts however comes from singing or playing instruments, and from dancing. My other focus this semester (apart from work of course) was thus supposed to have been ballet. After a break for about 15 years, I have now been dancing for about a year, but not more than once or twice a week on average. So I thought I’d take classes more intensively to get back in shape (if that is even possible at my age of course). The studios where I currently take classes are a little far away, which involves quite a bit of logistics to every class. A few weeks before Christmas, I found however a studio at Dupont Circle, about three blocks from where I live, and I quickly planned for a 4 – 5 classes per week schedule, involving both traditional ballet classes as well as a barre class (the new trend here in the U.S.) and point class. And yesterday, I was about to go to my first class but when I went on-line to book it, there was a message on their website saying that due to financial difficulties, they had to close down their business! So no ballet intensive for me this spring. Guess it will leave me time to follow Justin Sanderloe’s guitar lessons on YouTube, which Dan recommended me and finally learning properly how to play.