dancing queen

When we last left our heroine, she was contemplating going out dancing with the Meetup group of strangers. What did she decide?

Well, I actually decided to go. 

I went to the Happy Hour event the night before and it was fun. I met some very nice people and ate the best lobster and shrimp quesadilla I've ever had. I wish I'd taken a picture but I forgot...guess I'll just have to go back and order it again!

I even met a man who loves ballroom and swing dancing with a passion, almost equal to his passion for birdwatching and I know all this because he talked about it a LOT...one could almost say obsessively. LOL He told me that he would ask me to dance the next night.

That "scared" me enough to almost make me not want to go. In fact, I woke up the next morning convinced I wasn't going to go but as the day went on, I realized I really did want to at least give it a try. I decided I would tell the bird guy that I wasn't feeling dancy and just wanted to sit and listen to the music. I figured I might get up on the floor and group dance but wasn't ready for a one on one situation.

So as the evening wore on I spent time getting ready and headed out to the Boardwalk as it was getting dark. Charlie was quite confused because I've never been much for nightlife and rarely go out after dark. But it's a brave new world!

The Boardwalk is such a fun place at night, so much activity with carnival entertainers and families. I had a great time walking around in the 45 minutes before the Dance Hall opened. I got to sit and watch the Epcot fireworks which was lovely. They were Taz's favorite fireworks and he photographed so many brides during that show.

Then it was time to go into the dance hall. I found the Meetup group but didn't recognize any of them, none of the people I'd met the night before were there yet. So I decided to take a look around the Dance Hall as I hadn't been in there since our vow renewal reception in 2005. Maybe that was the problem, I remembered it as an elegant Art Deco ballroom filled with the music I like and people I loved.

Now it wasn't elegant at all, it was loud with flashing lights and music blasting that I didn't like at all and I was surrounded by strangers who weren't particularly friendly and something inside me snapped. I didn't want to be there a single second longer. I didn't want to dance, I certainly didn't want to listen to that music.

I just wanted to go home.

And so I left.

In times of crisis I only have one thing on my mind - McDonalds.

I may or may not have cried the entire drive there...ok, it's pretty clear that I did.

 One chocolate milkshake and many french fries later, I felt pretty good and was ready to put the evening in perspective.

I'm not sorry that I went although it didn't work out the way I'd hoped. I feel good that I gave it a try but I recognize that it's probably too soon for that kind of outing, at least with strangers. With friends it might have been a lot of fun.

I will still keep doing the occasional Meetup especially the food events. The happy hour experience proved that it can be fun but I need to just take all this one step at a time. I'll also keep doing the walking events because that's just good for me and will hopefully counterbalance the food events. LOL