Gold mining out west!

GOLDMINING OUT WEST!!!

Back in the day, explorers in the United States, heading out west to search and pan for gold, embraced a life changing adventure!  Last year, Homecoming became just that, not only for me but for my family as well.  Tacking a family vacation onto my eventual destination of the very first ATS® Homecoming, was the adventure of a lifetime for our family!  Typically keeping close to home, busy with family life and activities, this opportunity to intertwine my Darshana dance travel with a family vacation gave us a chance to experience *most* of the California coast.  Every moment was amazing and it lead me to the most incredible goldmines… First, cherished memories of Lego Land, San Diego Zoo (including panning for gold), swimming on the coast, hanging with sea lions, spending a day at Hearst Castle, driving the ‘back way’ (um, freaky actually) to the infamous Hollywood sign siting, as well as a few days checking out as much of San Fran as possible, ending family vacation with a celebration of my daughter’s 9^th birthday at Alcatraz.  It was bitter sweet to send my family off… especially given it was so bitter cold that specific day back home in Wisconsin.

Dana with her family in San Francisco

While I was not actually feeling well for most of this trip, Wednesday I took respite to prepare for what I anticipated to be one of the most incredible of dance events I have experienced (along side GS in Michigan and TT/BT in Toronto).  The moment Darshana had been working toward was right around the corner.  Through the collaboration of many, the incredible access to a gold mine of ATS® instructors for a whole weekend, was a vision I had been dreaming of since it had been announced.  I am a visual/kinesthetic learner, getting the chance to learn from multiple sources, most times original FatChanceBellyDance® instructors, is like osmosis to me… pure gold!

And so this adventure into the ATS® goldmine began Thursday evening…volunteers (myself included) gathered to rally around the amazing feat ahead of us, greetings began with distant dance sisters, and new connections were made to explore how everyone’s dance journeys relate to each other through time and space.  THE GOLD IS HERE! I was thoroughly amazed every turn, getting the chance to spread out my ability to learn from as many instructors as possible and STILL not have a chance to learn from them all...which is why I am so incredibly thrilled to be back this year!!! 

 Darshana Tribal at ATS® Homecoming

The talent, both instructors and students, leaves an ever-lasting shiny memory in your heart.  Homecoming, the goldmine of ATS®, a welcome embrace to all who attend, a beautiful expression of the language of love, depth in both individual and group dedication, expansive brother/sisterhood, and pure bliss!  As you could see the inspiration in Carolena’s most perfect wrap up of the weekend, “ATS® is Love”.  What better goldmine to have found…

Dana