Raleigh, NC

"In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Ain't it just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm gone to Carolina in my mind."

-James Taylor

A few weeks ago I visited Raleigh, NC. It is another city in which I'm shopping:

Pros:

• I love NC, especially the triangle
• Southern Weather (not too cold, not too hot)
• Dancing Friends
• Non-Dancing Friends
• Growing Dance Community
  
• Family nearby, close to home (Granny)
  
• SW airport hub
• Job opportunity (@ Arthur Murray)
• Opportunity to teach and organize
  
• 5 hours from DC, 3.5 from Asheville, NC,
  
• Gain back NC resident status (for possible masters/grad degree)
• Good music
  

Cons:

• I'm familiar with Raleigh (it's not a new place for me)
• I generally don't like how typical dance studios market themselves, so I'm not sure I'd want to work at Arthur Murray, even though the staff is amazing!
• I'm worried I won't make the effort to go dancing as much as I should
• Cost of living is moderate

Ok, so to be honest, it was hard for me to come up with reasons not to move to the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area. Perhaps it is because I know the area better than Pittsburgh, PA, but perhaps because it is a strong contender.

I truly enjoyed my stay in the Triangle... After 9 hours of driving I arrived at Loafers Beach Club and danced for over an hour with Jason, Abi, Frankie, Daniel, and friends from Abi's studio. We had a grand time despite my tiredness, culminating in a trip to IHOP, and me falling asleep on Frankie's couch. On Friday, I went to Chris' dance, where I had a fun time at their Mardi Gras party (complete with crazy 80s dancing). Richard Springs, Rob Moreland, and Adam Sheltz showed up, and I enjoyed dancing with all of them.

From the dance, I met up with Joe Troop (pictured above), and we, as kindred spirits, talked until 6am. After some sleep, Joe and I ate a traditional Mexican lunch with Rob Stephens (one of the boys next door from Winston-Salem, pictured right). We went to the Open Eye Coffee Shop until I had to meet Sue Hawn for the TSDS dance that night.

At the dance, Sue had asked me to teach with him, as his lovely wife, Katie, was sick with the flu. We taught the beginner lesson and rocked out to the sounds of a high energy Rockabilly band. The beginners were energetic and curious to learn, the class went well, and I was glad I stayed.

After Raleigh and Pittsburgh, I'm in Nashville again. This coming weekend, I'll be in Denver, and then Tulsa. From now through April, I won't be in town on the weekends. My departure from Tennessee is entering into focus more each day - and despite my apprehension, I'm excited!

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh, PA: Land of the cold, home of the frostbitten.

Pros:

• Cost of living is cheap
• Southwest Airline City
• Trader Joe's is awesome
• Small dance community
• Opportunity to teach
  
• Kevin and Jo are here
• 2 hours from Cleveland, 5 from DC

Cons:

• Ridiculously cold (it's snowing today, it snowed yesterday, and the day before)
• Isolated, quiet city
• Small dance community
• Kevin and Jo won't be around a lot
• Not a ton of stuff to do

This is my impression so far. And, it's probably more objective than it could be, as my experience has been a bit different than I thought it would.

On Monday, Kevin St. Laurent and Davis Thurber picked me up from the airport, and we made our way to Kevin's place - a sweet 3 story house on Woodstock Ave. In its previous life, it was a barber shop, but now it is the place where he and his partner Jo live, train, and base operations.

Unfortunately, a couple days before I arrived, Davis and Kevin decided to practice dive rolls, and Davis took a bad fall, directly on his tail bone. By the time I got here, he had been bedridden for 30 hours. So...needless to say, he hasn't been able to dance above 180 bpm for extended periods of time. Grr...

Overall, the trip here has been comfortable and pleasant. I've enjoyed getting to know Kevin and Jo, and the dancing Davis and I have been able to do has been fun. We went and helped out at K&J's local classes last night (Basic Lindy, Big Apple, and a Performance Class), and as a teacher, it was interesting seeing how they taught basics and jazz movement, along with their choreography choices.

Back to Nashville on Friday, for fun and frivolity for a week before Rocky Mountain Bal Blowout!

Snow Poem

I love snow! Odd really, since I hate being cold. We had quite a bit this morning. In order to commemorate the weather, my post includes, "Anchoring," a piece I wrote for the first snow I'd seen in 2007. It is a poem I wrote when I was teaching a workshop in Calgary, Canada with Solomon Douglas in November, and also one of the few poems I wrote last year.

Anchoring
-Abigail Browning

A translucent screen of flurries
Fabric their soft shield between here and there;
Between what is, and what has happened before.

Winter exhales the smell of cold rocks
and empty space-
each pause filled with white noise.

My winter is early this year.
"You are you," she says.

Pursuing a private decision,
Thick white captains pilot their course from space to ground
Or branch, or fence, or patio chair.

I, like them, may choose anywhere;
Anchoring down my invisible string to earth.

Why I'm Leaving

Why am I leaving Nashville, TN? Good Question.

First of all, there are many many people I will be sad to leave. I've lived in the Music City for 5+ years now, and I have gained many life-long friends and extended family. The dance community is strong and growing, and I'll be sad to miss out as it gets bigger and continues to mature. I'll miss teaching Photography at Vanderbilt and working with the Lynne and the other awesome artists in the Art Smart Program. I'll be especially sad to leave my home and my baking crazed housemate, Breanna Perry (pictured below in a stunning coat). But, sometimes when you know you've got to go, you've got to go. So, why am I leaving Nashville, TN?

1. Change of scenery.

I moved to Nashville in 2002 to start my undergraduate career at Vanderbilt University, and graduated in 2006 with a degree in English, with a creative writing focus. I've lived in 6 different locations while I've been here, from dorms to condos to houses. I'm 24, and I've only lived in two places in my life: Winston-Salem, NC and Nashville, TN. Not very diverse, eh? At almost a quarter of a century, I'm excited about having this time in my life to explore other cities and regions of the country.

2. To explore cities and get a better idea of what location is the best for me.

Since I've only lived in two places, I want to gain more knowledge about what is important for me to have in my residential location. I want to see how culture and environment affect the dominant identity of the place. For example, the "Bible Belt" doesn't necessarily appeal to me, as it is more strenuous to identify with a majority of people who explain reality through a different means than myself. This is not to say that I don't get along with people who are more faith oriented, but to live in a city or state that is defined by that kind of culture might not be the best place for me.

3. To reconcile my quarter-life identity crisis :)

Well, not really. More to help me be aware of what is important to me, who and what I need to make time for in my life, whether or not I want to make writing, dancing, or something else take the forefront of my life. Starting somewhere new is a good way to strip back down to fundamentals, exhibit the best of who you are, and pursue what you want to do.

4. To explore the world!

Who wouldn't want to explore the world if they had the chance? My mother and father LOVED to travel, and some of my fondest memories of my mother were of trips we went on as a family. Whenever I travel, I revel in the high it gives me of choosing a destination, and achieving the reality of setting foot in that place. Traveling, seeing new places, and experiencing new cultures is something I value highly.

5. To improve my dancing.

There are tons of good leaders and followers in the southeast. I am so lucky to be able to dance with all of them on a regular basis. However, in order to get better, I need to mix in a large quantity of dancing with a diverse group of people. Being in one place too long, you get used to the way people dance and start subconsciously accommodating or anticipating certain movements. As a follow, I want to be as sublimely connected and creative as I can possibly be, so I can give every lead the best partnership possible. Therefore I need to travel both in and outside of the southeast. It is too costly to travel every weekend and pay for housing in one location; my home base is just essentially an expensive storage unit. So, without a home, in April I begin a whirlwind tour of weekly traveling.

6. So I can come visit you.

Many of my best friends and family live all around the country. In fact, I have close relatives in DC, Boston, Chicago, San Jose, Seattle, and LA. Similarly, since graduation, my Vandy friends have scattered across the globe to seek their fortunes. I want to have the chance to catch up with everyone, laugh, see how life has changed, and enjoy seeing your environment. Please, please email me if you want me to drop by; I'm always looking for a new place to be.

City Shopping (or, where am I going to live?)

If you didn't all ready know, starting in April, I'll be spending the next 6 months traveling, teaching, couch surfing, dancing, training, and trying to find out where I want to live.

Cities from which I am currently accepting applications(East-West):

1. Washington, DC
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Denver, CO
4. Seattle, WA
5. Somewhere in CA (LA, Bay Area, Sacramento)

What I'm looking for in a city as a residence:

1. Good Leads, Inspiring Dancing, Consistent Venues
2. Accessible Airport ~20-30 min away (Southwest Airlines City Preferred)
3. Lots of cultural points of interest (museums, geological features, colleges, arts, theater, music, etc.)
4. Relatively warm weather (Cold + Aba = not fun)

Extras:
1. Friends and Family nearby
2. Specific Job Opportunities
3. Established solo and partnered swing performance groups
4. Near Ocean and Mountains

Where will it be? Tune in by August to find out, or send a self, addressed, stamped comment to suggest another location. Petition for your city by contacting me.

I'm sure there's more I want from a city, but now I'm tired and must sleep. Goodnight all!

Off to Raleigh!

I'll be in Raleigh , NC this weekend, yay!

Lots of fun people live there, too many to name. I'll probably be out at the Friday and Saturday night dances, so if you'll be there, save me a dance!

I'm going to visit a friend, Abi (strange name coincidence, one of the few dancers in the scene with my name whom I've met), as well as childhood friends Joe Troop (a fabulous bluegrass and hot jazz musician) and Jaclyn Konczal (an amazing artist who is leaving for Uganda on Monday).

And, as I pass through Winston-Salem, NC, I'll have lunch or dinner (probably at Panera) with my grandmother. Granny raised my sister and me after my mother died, and she is one of the most charismatic, energetic people you'll find. Up until a few years ago she toodled around town in a 1965 porcelain white Mustang.

(I was going to insert a poem here about Granny and her Mustang, but somehow can't find it. I hope I haven't lost all of my poetry since sophomore year!)

:)

2 Things You Should Know

1. I'm not always the best at talking about important things in my life.
2. Both of my parents died before I turned 14.

With that in mind, today was a difficult day.

In the past, the story of my parents frequently found its way into conversations. Ever since coming to Nashville, that has diminished more and more. I'm not sure if it is just the age of my peers (not inquiring, growing out of ties to parents, etc), or if it is the private, closed nature of individuals here.

My father has been dead for 18 years of my life. He was a brilliant, nearly bald, 6'2'' pediatric nephrologist (kids' kidney doctor). He was also a tennis player, writer, and studied English as an undergrad. What did I get from him? His squinty eyes, his alligator smile, curly hair, love of Star Wars, photography, freckles, and poetry.

I don't remember much about him; all the memories I have are from when he was sick (he had lung cancer, although he never smoked). I remember playing Chutes and Ladders with him on my parents' bed, watching him watch tennis while eating lunch, and pulling our couch outside to the backyard so he could recline in the sun and watch us play.

Just because I'm not generally going to bring my parents up in conversation doesn't necessarily mean I don't want to talk about them. In fact, most of the time, I do. Grieving is difficult, and goes through many stages. It may have been over a decade since my father died, but there are times where I still wish he was here to help me with my writing, to tell me how he proposed to my mother, to tell me what my first word was.

So, there you have it. It is important for me to talk about my parents because my relationship to them when they were living and since they've died has factored into a lot of the way I live now. To be unaware of something this important to me is to be missing a huge chunk of my person (and doesn't that sound like I've been taken out by a great white? side note - sharks are one of my favorite animals).

More on Mom later. Right now, deep breaths, good memories, and the understanding that despite where you are in your life, it's all going to be ok. There isn't an alternative.

I'm *still* in Nashville

Just putting it out there.

I know my world-wide tour is exciting and going to be fun-filled, but the adventure hasn't started yet. I'm still at the famous House of Burt in Nashville, TN, and will be here until at least April.

That is all :)

Teaching = Happy

Today has been a fulfilling day. In addition to working on my new website, I had lunch with one of my favorite people in Nashville, Lynne Bachleda. She's a fabulous writer and an inspiring friend. I hadn't seen her since Halloween, when we sat on her porch drinking wine while handing out candy. We met months ago when she came to take classes at my studio. She recommended me to her friend, Leigh Jones, who then hired me for the Art Smart Program, where I was a teaching artist in the public schools last fall. Teaching Kindergarten and First graders dance movement, drama, body percussion was tough but a creative challenge.

Overall, I'm happiest when I'm teaching, regardless of the subject matter.

Which, is why, of course, I'm excited to be teaching an elective at Down South Camp Meeting. Join me on Friday night and you'll learn an addictive routine to the Cats and the Fiddle's "Gang Buster." I'm excited to have quite a few friends helping out with the class. I'll also be DJing, judging some of the competitions, and perhaps competing!

Tonight I'm taking a Bharatanatyam class at Vanderbilt. My teacher, Monica Cooley, is incredible. A classical Indian dance focused on lines, I'm thrilled to be working on something new.

Uncanning

Welcome.

The title of my blog is based off of a series of poems I wrote for a senior project in college. I haven't written hardly anything since. So, right now, I'm way behind. Why way behind? Well, in fourth grade we had to make time lines of our life. I planned on publishing at the age of 15 (granted I also planned on winning the lotto twice). Now I'm 24.

Here we go.