I Heart Pole.

Not that there's anything wrong with that!  (Is there?)  Is it normal that my extremely very favorite hobby slash workout includes dressing in clothes too small to wear to the grocery store, wearing heels so high they make me tower over my tall husband, and emulating a stripper with a room full of other ladies doing the same?  Sure, we keep our clothes on, but other than that, pole dancing is a hybrid of athletic moves and overt expression of sexuality.  The music is dirty, the lights are low and disco, and the moves are sultry.  I adore it.  I crave it, I look forward to it every week.  The dirtier the music the better.  I love learning the impressive tricks, but even more than that I dig the grinding, hip swinging, dance moves.  I love it when the lights are low, the disco ball is on, and we spin around, climb up, hang from, slide down, and rub up against the pole like no one is watching.  Except that to take it a step further, I can't wait for people to watch.  That I can't quite explain, but I have been looking forward to the opportunity to perform since the day I started.  It's a fantastic cardio and strength building workout, and an incredibly empowering exploration of sexuality mixed with artistic expression.  It's addictive.