a quite literal sign from above

Being unemployed and living in a hotel in a foreign city is sort of like a constant dare.. what are you going to do today, other than go shopping, and really, I double dog dare you to stop shopping because YOU HAVE NO INCOME. Ahem.

Down the block from my hotel (en route to market for the 8th time this week, because we only have a mini-fridge), I was dared, from the second story window:

Never mind that I've never done any yoga (except one class once that was really meditative and boring). Never mind that I hate heat. Never mind that I am woefully out of shape. Never mind. They have a $27 unlimited introductory week? Sign me up.

So, that was the dare. Truth?

• I made it a half hour before black spots appeared before my eyes and I had to leave the room, despite the instructor telling me before I went in that you really really really should not leave the room. Sorry, people- I was in no shape to stand still and breathe, or even sit and breathe. Heaven forbid I lie down and breathe, I never would have gotten back up. So into the hallway I went, water bottle in hand, until I could manage to lift the bottle without shaking.
• I then made it another half hour before I basically laid on the floor for the entire end of class. Oops.
• I sweat in amounts that I didn't think possible.
• Today I hurt EVERYWHERE.
• Despite drinking a gatorade and approximately a gallon of water after class (and who knows how much before), I woke up in the middle of the night so dehydrated I thought I was having a heart attack.

However, the dare stands, and the pass is for a week, and I'm fucking going back today at 7. And who knows, I might pick up a class pack for the rest of my time in Toronto. Suck on that, rational thought. Suck. On. That.

What did I learn day 1?

I learned that you should not attempt perfection on your first day.. or second or third or 12th or ever, but especially not on your first! Sit down little Virgo first born. If you insist on doing every posture as hard as you possibly can the first time you take class, you're going to black the fuck out. This is not the President's Challenge chin up test, or some mind over matter thing, or attempting to balance in releve just a little longer in dance class. This is stretching and posing in a majillion degree room with no breeze and no escape for 90 fucking minutes. Take it down a notch.

And frankly, that's a lesson I needed to learn, so... who knows. Maybe I was dared with good reason. Maybe this is a life changer. Or maybe I'm actually going to vomit and faint today around 730. The possibilities, they are endless.