I went line dancing.
Last night, I was standing on a crowded dance floor at the Rockin’ Ranch, surrounded by people in cowboy boots that seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I was there by invitation of a friend … who didn’t show up! At least I looked the part. I was looking good in my brown suede booties, complete with fringe, and a dress that looks like a bell when I spin. I actually wore my line dance getup to work, figuring that I would be less likely to chicken out if I didn’t have to go home to change.
This experiment has been in the works for a while. I’ve always loved dancing. I once hired a dance instructor to come to my house to teach a group of friends and me. It was so fun! With that in mind, I was sure I could get a group of friends together to take a class, but it never worked out … so when I received the email about the Friday night class, I was thrilled.
Last night was actually my third attempt at line dancing. My first try was at The Boss Lady women’s conference. The organizers, Boss Ladies Teresa and Jennifer, included line dancing at the end of the first day of the conference, and it was great fun! Some of the ladies wore Western outfits and cowboy boots, and I bought the new fringed booties specifically for the dance party. We laughed, stumbled through the steps, and generally had a wonderful time.
I liked it so much that I decided to try again.
My second outing was a Monday evening lesson at the Pictona Community Center—a small cement block building next to a huge pickleball arena. The atmosphere was decidedly different. Instead of cowboy boots and Western wear, most of the dancers wore tennis shoes and exercise clothes. We spent an hour learning steps and practicing routines. I enjoyed it, and in hindsight I realize that it’s the perfect way to learn those dances. However, it felt more like an aerobics class than a night at the honky-tonk.
Which brings me back to the Rockin’ Ranch, my third attempt.
Fortunately, I met a lovely woman named Kim from Astor, Florida. She was an excellent dancer and took me under her wing. She eased me to the atmosphere and helped me feel welcome, and not like a weirdo for showing up alone. And thank goodness she did, because the guest instructor was an hour late.
Apparently, the guest instructor is an influencer from Las Vegas, which explains why the place was packed. I watched the regulars dance while I waited for him to arrive. They weren’t watching their feet or looking around for cues … they were listening to the music and enjoying themselves.
I aspire to that!
I tried to follow their steps as I sipped a peach-flavored Sun Cruiser. It’s very yummy if you haven’t tried one, and low in alcohol, which was good so I could do the steps. By this time, I was wondering if the lesson was even going to happen! I almost left a couple of times, but I had made the effort to get dressed, drive to the ranch, and had put myself out there. When the instructor finally arrived, I joined the beginners’ lesson, feeling pretty good that my previous experiences had prepared me.
They had not.
There was stepping and turning and shuffling, and just when I thought I had figured out which direction we were going, everyone changed direction. I’m not ready to give up yet. I loved the country music. I loved stomping in my boots. I loved watching people who knew what they were doing. And I especially loved meeting Kim, a stranger who made me feel welcome when I might otherwise have turned around and gone home.
The way I did it. Out of step.
This is part of what I’m calling Expeditionvision—my quest to find what a meaningful life looks like. One experiment per week: Possible strategies for a happier life. Trying things on purpose and paying attention to what happens. I’m not offering advice or giving instructions. I’m just sharing the way I did it. If there’s something that you’ve been wanting to try—but haven’t—I’d love to hear about it. I’m open to reader suggestions for future experiments.
Field Notes: For Paid Subscribers
Paid subscribers, I’ve added a short field notes section below with what surprised me the most, what I didn’t expect, what I might do next time, plus things I’m still working on.