Blog.... I Have Neglected You!

In the end it turns out that I am not very good at maintaining a blog. I started this blog to share my trials, tribulations, joys, and accomplishments of hooping, but after sometime.... I just stopped blogging.

I still hoop. I still LOVE to hoop. I go through periods of hooping every day, for hours. I go through periods of not giving my hoop a second glance. I still get immense joy every time I learn a new trick, or push my body to do new things. I still get frustrated when I hit myself in the face (or shin!).

The thing that hooping brought me that I didn't expect, were some truly amazing friends. I have met some really awesome women (and men!) that I know will always be part of my life.

I am taking off from Tokyo next week, and continuing my hooping journey in Pittsburgh.
I will try my best to blog more, so I can keep all of you back in Japan up to date on the hooping is going oOoOoOoO Love you all and will miss you. Mata ne!

Current things I am working on with hooping: all tricks and movements in my second current, split level hooping :)

Rainy, Chilly Days Go Away....!

My hooping journey has slowed to a crawl the last couple of months. I live in a very old Japanese house. Japanese housing in general has poor insulation, and my house is maybe the coldest house in all of the Kanto region. Now, I know that if I went outside and starting hooping, I would warm up very quickly. But when I am shivering my room (the heat is on, still cold!)- I just can not muster the motivation to go outside. When I first started hooping, I hooped everyday for at least two hours The last couple of months, I average about twice a week for about an hour. I used to constantly watch hooping videos, and now I watch hooping videos only right before or right after hooping. Hooping has found a more balanced place in my life, then it had at first. It kind of took over everything for awhile. When it warms up again, I am sure I will start hooping more. Today was a bright and sunny day and Christina and I had a great time hooping in Yoyogi. I tried to teach myself paddling without really knowing what paddling was.... amusing to say the least!

Christina, Kristen and I had our performance debut as the Spinbirds this week. We performed for the enlisted wives club on the airforce base and I thought we did great! It was such a fun time. It was so much fun rehearsing with them! They were very patient with me when I came to ur biggest rehearsal day with a raging hangover. Thanks again girls. Love ya!
Dont forget to look for my videos on youtube:
tokyotinkerbellhoops
youtube user name

じゃあ。。。またね！

blogging... blogging....

When I started this blog, I did it because I wanted to share my experience learning to hoop with as many people as I could. I have come to find, that I am actually just not much of a blogger. My passion for the hoop hasn't subsided at all.... but my passion for chronicling this journey has died down tremendously. 

I have found the chilly weather in Tokyo keeping me indoors more, and hooping less. I have only enough room to work on tight tricks, and isolations in my room so I have seen a lot of improvement there. Working on tricks isn't the same experience as dancing and I have found myself missing the dancing so much! Going to class in a nice warm building with my friends substitutes a little, but I cant ever really let go unless I am by myself. 

I arrived in Portland three weeks ago, and was really hooping to meet up with some hoopers here. A combination of jet lag, being absent minded, and a busy schedule as so far made that impossible. I missed a hoop jam last week because I forgot what day of the week it was. I knew the hoop jam was Saturday, but... I didn't actually what that certain day that was happening was Saturday.  It makes me feel like a flake, and flaky people drive me crazy.

When I arrived here, there was a lot of snow everywhere!! I am from Idaho originally, the I dont mind the snow but I was wondering how hoopers living in snowy climates hoop all winter. It has to be indoor hooping only I am assuming. I tried to use my new psi hoops out in the snow at night and my hands froze up after about 5 minutes. Body was ok, but hands started to ache and hurt. I wonder if all of the super amazing hoopers are from warm climates, or have big empty inside places to hoop in the winter?

I miss my Tokyo hoop girls....! Cant wait to see you all!