I feel the need to return to general talk about ballroom dancing. I’ve been spending a little too much time talking about dance-TV.

Does this have anything to do with the half-swallowed aspirin bitterness I feel whenever I think about Cristina getting voted off of So You Think You Can Dance? No, no…of course not.

When I was an undergrad, I remember hearing the following saying a lot: You know you’re a college student when 2 or 3 miles is not too far to walk to a party. To myself, I would always add “and not too far to walk to a dance.”

These days, 70 or 80 miles (1 – 1.5 hrs) is not too far to drive. This I do, a 2 or 3 weekends a month.

I envy my friends who live in big, diverse cities.  Not for the traffic or the higher cost of living (I enjoy the fact that it only takes me 15 minutes to drive across town and that I can buy an apple for less than $1), but for their easy access to a wide variety of dance venues. And for their proximity to so many other dance enthusiasts.

In the town where I live, I feel like a big fish in a small pond, and I don’t like feeling that way. This is, in part, because I know that I don’t deserve that distinction. I love dancing and I’ve been at it for more than 10 years, but I’m no virtuoso. There’s really nothing special about my abilities. I know so many people who have more natural talent or have invested more time and effort.

When I travel up to the Twin Cities, I have the opportunity to dance with people who are better than I am. I can find inspiration in watching others. And I get the chance to gawk at the higher life forms floating around the floor. It feels like returning to my natural habitat–a more balanced dance ecosystem.

There’s no help for it. I think I’ve become a dance pilgrim. As long as I live here, I will continue making long trips for dancing. The trail will be very well-worn.