from the archives: this time last year...

***Originally posted on April 24, 2015.

I had a whole post written (and by written I mean I had it planned in my head) for today about all my favorite Charleston things and places. This means mostly a post talking about all the food I love to eat here. Fatty status. A Charleston heavy (get it?) post would be rather fitting for today since it is my last Friday in Charleston.

Cue the freaking out face emoji(s).

But then this week happened and Dear Lawd, this week has been so humbling. Wonderful? Bittersweet? With a pinch of sadness? And a spoonful of happiness? I can't even put into words what this week has been like which means I should definitely not try to write a blog about the week since blogs need words.

#oops

You see, I teach (roughly) around 150 kids a week. That's a lot of kids in not a lot of days <<<<my math skills are off the charts amazing. The youngest kids I teach are still wearing diapers or just being potty trained and they go all the way up to the high schooler who are just figuring out how to drive and what it's like to juggle obscene amounts of homework with obscene amounts of rehearsals with obscene amounts of social calendar appointments. 

This week I have had to say goodbye to these 150 kiddos. There's been a lot of See you later! And Of course, come visit me in Texas! And Yes, you can definitely ride in my moving truck and come with me! And even some Thanks for your mom's cell phone #, can't wait to FaceTime you! (side note: since when do four year olds know all about FaceTime?! Feeling so hashtag old these days).

I've been given flowers and the best handmade cards and gifts and other goodies, and it's all been so sweet and completely overwhelming, but the best thing I've been given? 

All the cheek kisses. All the second and third and fourth "last" hugs. The high fives. The We have to take a selfie so I never forget you! The fifth and sixth and seventh "last" hugs. The reassurance that what I've been doing for the past 3.5 years has been something.

Teaching dance is in no way seen as a job of importance and some days (a lot of days recently) it has felt like that. Unimportant. But knowing that I've made a difference, no matter how minuscule, in even one little student's life makes me want to saute and jump for joy. Plies are important, people, okay?

I come home at night and just collapse on the couch. From the couch I can look to my right and see all the pretty flowers perched on the empty table. I can see the stack of cards on the kitchen counter--the cards that I really need to go ahead and pack, but I just want to leave them out a little longer so I can read through them one (or three) more times.

I am so, so excited to begin this new chapter of our lives, but Texas you betta' not mess with ME. I'm leaving behind some precious people. 

Now please, you may go ahead back to your regularly scheduled, non-sappy, and mostly happy Friday activities. 

on working hard and playing harder

Once upon a time I swore I would never go to college and get a dance degree. I went on to say that I would never teach ballet, especially to children. I had taught ballet to young kids for years and always thought I would end up doing something else. Well folks, life is puhretty funny. Because here I am...about to graduate college with a dance degree and continue on with my new job of teaching dance to the cutest kids in Atlanta with a great new studio. And I couldn't be more excited about it. Freds told me I was obviously just denying the things that I really wanted to do.  

I have spent the week in Charleston training for my new teaching job. The studio originated in Charleston and brought a location to Atlanta this last year. Teaching proper dance technique to kiddos is no joke and I have had the pleasure of observing, learning, and teaching a grand total of seventeen classes this week. Seventeen! This is a dream come true for a dance freak like me. As if reliving my glory days of ballet classes and rehearsals in the studio life wasn't exciting enough, I got to spend this week at the beach and in this beautiful city! !!! Exclamation points all over the place, people!!! 

!!!!

I met the sweetest teachers here in Charleston and am so excited to begin work with their studio this summer in Atlanta. So technically, while I did spend my spring break week working, I consider it more of playing. I got to work play dance with some sweet, sweet children and spend free time getting my freckles on at the beach. I also got to eat a plethora of nom-licious local food. Charleston, you were too sweet (and delicious) to me. Thanks for making me not want to return to the ATL tomorrow. I love you long time! Promise I will be right back. That promise only makes me feel better, I MUST COME BACK. 

p.s.--I often forget I do not have sun friendly skin. Every summer we go through the same thing. I'm like Heeeey body, let's go get our tan on! And my body responds, Heeey stupid pants, hope you enjoy your terrible sunburn! Well, if you can tell at all from the last picture my latest sunburn work of art is a two toned body. One side blood red and one side bright and white. It's called body art and I am the master. 

Giving Some Thanks

Thankgiving. The time of year when most people make long lists of things for which they are thankful. These lists often say things like,

I am so thankful for my loving and supportive family, my amazing friends, the roof over my head, and the delicious meals I am able to cook and share with others.

We have all seen these lists. We have probably even made these lists (Don't deny it). However, this Thanksgiving I wanted to mix things up a bit. Wooooo hoo, wild Emily, I know. I wanted to get deep down into my life and find the obscure things about which I am very, very thankful. Buckle up your Pilgrim shoes and tie on your Indian headdresses because here we go:

1- I am thankful that I have indoor plumbing. Isn't it fantastic? I don't have to go outside in the cold and dark to go to the bathroom. You don't either. We are so lucky.
2- I am thankful that I was born in the South where the summers are filled with magnolia blossoms, the winters are not filled with mountains of snow, and where everybody wants to figure out if they know my family several generations back. I live in a small enough town where this happens almost on a daily basis. Everybody knows Mr. Diddy and Mr. Diddy knows everybody. And now, after reading my blog, everyone will know me.
3- I am thankful that a) I have a sister and b) she was born to keep me amused and entertained. Did you know that 15 year old Ann Elizabeth has her entire wedding planned already? The only thing she is missing: the groom. Her favorite way to spend her day: looking at her wedding app on her Itouch.
4- I am thankful that I take drum lessons because they are better (and cheaper!) than therapy. Also, probably way more fun.
5- I am thankful that my family allows me to steal the space heater every winter and sit with it between my feet until the warm weather decides to come back around. Did I mention I am GREAT at sharing?
6- I am thankful that I have danced on pointe for so long. My feet are so beaten up and used to pain that I think if a piano or anything else large and heavy were to fall on my feet I wouldn't feel pain at all. You only think I'm kidding...   (Let's not test it out, however.)
7- I am thankful that I have a bff who loves Disney as much as I do because when I say I got this ring in Mexico she knows that I am referring to Mexico in Epcot, not the country. Nobody else seems to understand that.
8- On that note, I am thankful that my brother works at Disney and we are able to get in free. Disney is like my second home. I think I may spend an equal amount of time there as I do here in Newnan. (Not really, buuut that's not a bad idea...)
9- I am thankful that I have grown up always having pets (yes, pets with a "s", multiple animals in our household) because this only reassures me that I never want to have pets. Sorry, future children.
10- I am thankful that my third grade teacher taught my class that our signatures needed to have something unique about them so that they would be harder to copy. My name doesn't necessarily look like Emily when I sign it, but hey, it's unique and Miss Powell would be proud.
11- I am thankful I got the following traits from my father: I like my sheets untucked, and I like to eat on a very regular basis.
12- I am thankful I got the following trait from my mother: I am able to multitask.
13- I am thankful that my uncle is a very handy man to have around. Holmes on Homes has got nothing on Uncle John. I hope he realizes that his handiness will not only extend to his sister, but also to me when I get my own home. Did you read this Uncle John??
14- I am thankful that my uncle is a Marine because from going to several of his ceremonies, I have realized that one of my life goals is to re-choreograph formations for the Marines. My idea is genius. That could be a whooole other post.
15- I am thankful that my ancestors had crazy names that I will be able to pass on to my children. Example: Potch, Zella Mae, Pink Pauline. No, I am not kidding. I cannot wait to have a little Zella Mae running around.
16- I am thankful that Christmas is right around the corner (30 days, 8 hours, 30 something minutes to be exact) and people have starting decorating for the sole purpose of keeping me excited and beyond thrilled as I drive around every night and look at their decorations.
17- I am thankful that my family realizes I am serious when I say I seriously dislike the outdoors, therefore they do not take me camping. This one ties in nicely with #1. I will always choose my indoor plumbing and indoorness over anything outdoors. This is partly because chiggers think I am DELICIOUS. Nothing like nom noming on some MLE Moore.
18- I wish I could be thankful that I can sew, but my mother has never taught me. Hint hint. The only thing I can sew is a pair of pointe shoes. That will get me far in life.
19- I am thankful that my mother did not have 19 children. While the Duggars are one of my favorite things about which to talk and watch on t.v., I think I am doing just great with Joseph and Ann. I am sure sometimes I have been such a handful that my parents feel like they have 19 children, but I will only admit that on here.
20- I am thankful for TLC for creating the show Sister Wives which keeps me highly entertained and fascinated. You do not understand, I am obsessed.

So, there's my list. I could keep going and going and going and going...but I will leave that to the Energizer bunny. I have too much cooking that needs to get started to sit here typing all day. Although, I could go ahead and get started on that choreographing for the Marines post...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Eat lots. Have fun. Be Safe. Oh, and P.S.-

I AM  thankful for my loving and supportive family, my amazing, friends, the roof over my head, and the delicious meals I am able to cook and share with others.