Z-Z-Z-Z-ZZuuuumba!

Zumba. Or with lots of Z's...but that pronunciation is only in my head. The post is titled as such because there is a radio station that shouts out a particular phrase that sounds like that every few minutes. Right now I can't remember for the life of me what they're actually saying...but I hear that phrase about a hundred times a day. That being said, for now, in my head, it's replaced by "zuh-zuh-zuh zoooommbaa!" There. Now you can have it in your head too!

Anyway. For those few of you may not know what this is (hi, parents?!), Zumba hit as an exercise craze some years ago. It's an exercise-cum-dance class, that includes dancing to a variety of predominantly latin types of music and dance. I'd always heard of it, thought, "That sounds fun!"and promptly deemed myself completely incapable of participating.

Well, when I visited friend Abby in Cartagena, we headed to her zumba class for fun at night. (Unlike in Barranquilla, Cartagena has a variety of free awesome offerings during the week and weekends. Case in point- Zumba classes!)

And here's the thing: I could do it. I mean, I wasn't awesome. But somehow, shaking my butt, doing pelvic thrusts, not to mention following an instructor and doing brand new dance steps that were a mixture of salsa, reggae, and who knows what else for a full hour...was suddenly possible.

I attribute this to two things: 1) I have learned just a little bit of dancing in the last 8 months. 2) I have been humiliated so entirely and completely in dancing situations in the past 8 months, I have become almost immune to my previously crippling shame/embarrassment regarding my lack of dance skills. You want me to look silly with a class of 20 other people and try and figure out dance steps? Hah. I've done this alone in front of hundreds!

All foibles aside, it was super fun. The most surreal moment might have been when I found myself doing cumbia (a conservative, traditional courtship dance) steps to a Latin-ized remix of the Bloodhound Gang's "The Roof Is On Fire."

 Yeah. That happened.

Good to know that I'll bring one tangible skill back to the US after all this--the ability to join in a Zumba class, and maybe not be the worst person in it!