Any Time, Any Place, Any Circumstances, Any Age...

I have the best examples that show how The Universe has always worked for me. This first story I'll share happened perhaps over 10 yrs. ago, not exactly sure of the timeline but give or take a year. The scenario starts way before that with a dream or rather a role in a movie. I learned how to manifest through the movies, but that's a whole other story for another time.

It started in August of 1987 when I went to see "Dirty Dancing" for the first time. I'm not surprised I loved it so much since so many others did as well, all for different reasons I'm sure but it has many things in it that makes it so likable. The old fashion values, the lifestyles, the change in the lives of the Dancers, the coming of Age, the scenario and the simpler times when we had fun as a family each with our own diversions and entertainment. It created continuity, going back to the same places year after year to find the same smiling faces who were happy to see you. Kind of like "Cheers". 

As for me I fell in Love with all of that plus I had all these unfulfilled dreams and my life was already more than half way. Would I ever accomplish that at this later stage of my life? I certainly didn't think I would to tell you the truth. There were more reasons for me to believe at that stage that it was never going to happen, than reasons to show me that it was still possible.

I watched it many times over the years, I'm good at placing myself emotionally while watching movies as if I was the protagonist of the stories I like and maybe that's one of the reasons that helps me manifest movies in such a similar pattern even at totally different stages of my life and with the least of possibilities to make it happen.

The years passed and I raised two wonderful children and one day they each went their way and I was left to be with myself perhaps for the first time in my life. My ex-husband and I parted ways and I found myself with the doors of manifestation wide open, NO MORE EXCUSES!!! Oh No!!!What Now??? I asked myself, are you all talk or do you really believe you can accomplish as many dreams as possible or will you never find out what it could have been like?

I was starting my life all over again and didn't know what steps to take, I had never done much of anything on my own, there was always someone around to ask and I felt like my family needed me to help them with something, but I think I was avoiding the feeling that I couldn't really walk my own path whatever that meant.

I pushed myself beyond the limits of my comfort. At first I traveled to Europe alone, I went all over, Amsterdam, Ibiza,  these two cities deserve their very own Blog Entry so we'll leave that for another time. I went to so many places I forget Prague, Florence, Venice, Rome, Sicily, Murano, Pizza, Bologna and many other cities in Italy, London, Banks, other cities in England, Croatia, where I met the family of a young man I was Foster Parent to while he lived in the US with us. Went to many cities in Spain like Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, to Germany, to tell you the truth I didn't have much money, but somehow I just trusted it would come from somewhere and it always did.

I didn't panic when I got to Prague without a hotel reservation, took a cab to Hotel X that was listed on the Hotel Board at the Airport. Checked-in at 11:30 pm and walked to an Internet Cafe that closed at midnight but forgot to take the name or address of the Hotel I was staying at. I was sure I would find it on my way back I just didn't want the Internet Cafe to close so I could move to a nicer hotel the next day.

I booked myself at the Westin and proceeded to go back to the Hotel Something or Other Green. The word Green was the only thing I remembered. It should have been 15 mins. from the Cafe, that's what it took me to get there, but an hour later at almost 1 am. walking alone on the streets of Prague I realized I was not going to find it that way.

I walked to the nearest open Pizza Parlor and they didn't know where that Hotel was, not around there they said, so I had a slice of Pizza and kept on going. Found a Police Station, they looked in the phone book, but nothing to my surprise. I thought could I be on the Twilight Zone perhaps? Now if you knew me before, this would have sent me into a state of total anxiety, despair perhaps, doubt, fear, anguish, but this time I trusted that everything was exactly what the Adventure needed, something exciting to experience and write about.

I kept on walking, sat on the sidewalk to smoke a cigarette with a street person, he asked me for one and I used to smoke so why not share and take a break, soon it'll be morning you will think of something by then, I thought. I kept on walking after that going down small streets, it was a neighborhood of houses, interesting to see a neighborhood during the wee hours of the morning in a foreign country where I don't even speak the language. It was exciting!

I stumbled into a Pub that was sort of on the Basement of one of the Houses, there was loud music coming from there and a lot of laughter. How could I not go in and see what makes them laugh, I wanted to laugh with them. I had some coffee and the best time laughing at their laughter. I couldn't understand a word they were saying but I understand laughter so I laughed too. And that's when it came to me, "take a cab Anita", I said to myself and ask the driver to take you to the Airport where you found the Hotel you're staying at and then ask him to drive you there and that's what I did. But to my surprise the cab driver knew exactly where the Something or Other Green Hotel was. It was called something else just a week prior, the Green House I believe had just acquired that name so not many knew about it.

He took me there, I rested like a baby and lived an adventure that nobody can take away from me. At that moment I felt like the luckiest and wealthiest woman because I had experienced a sense of no fear and total freedom to live a life of Adventure regardless of the circumstances.

One day I was in Milan I remember like it was yesterday. I went to the ATM to get some cash, was sure there was money there but all I had left were $40 dlls. while in the middle of the streets of Milan. Oh NO!!!! What Now!!!! The only person I could think of was my brother although we don't have a close relationship. He's been managing hotels for many years now.  I sent him an e-mail and he replied to me "If you can get yourself to Cancun you can stay at the Hotel as long as you want".

I had a ticket to go back to San Diego in about a month, so I took a cab to the Milan Airport with the $40 dlls. I had left on my debit account, went to the ticket counter of the Airline that flew to Cancun and asked for help getting there with the ticket I had. At first they said no of course, that's not how it's done, my ticket wasn't even for their Airline, but I must have touched someone's heart as I said to them "Pretend I'm your mom and she's in this situation. Would you want someone to help her get home?" and well that worked cause less than a day later I was being picked up at the Cancun Airport by a van from the 5 Star all Inclusive Resort that my brother used to Manage.

And that's where one of my long time dreams came true. Of course if I'm at a Resort my Brother manages I'm going to get to know everyone, I'm not shy and if I'll be staying there for free for a while I gotta become useful and do something to pay it forward or I won't feel good about it, not to mention get bored out of my skull. So first I go around introducing myself to the whole staff, one by one and I make myself available to help where my help might be needed according to the things I feel I have to offer and they bring me joy in return.

Everyone accepted the help I offered of course, nobody will ever refuse your help when it comes from the Heart. So in the mornings I would go to the pool to have breakfast, relax, exercise and catch some rays, I'd walk on the beach, exercise in the pool, sometimes even got a massage or paint a ceramic piece, and right around 12:30 pm is when my workday would start.

First I'd go the theater to rehearse with the Entertainment Group to participate with them at the nightly shows. Then I'd go straight to the kitchen to help the bakers, the chefs, the cooks, I'd even sweep if I had to. Then I'd go to the room, shower, get some rest, change and then the fun part would start.

Every night the Dining Room would turn into a different Country, we'd decorate and prepare meals from the countries and since I wanted to interact with the Guests too I asked to be placed behind the Grill. I'd grill the meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or whatever it was to be grilled that night and everybody that ate in that dining room and wanted something from the grill gave me the opportunity to serve them with a big smile. It gave my stay there a purpose. Right when dinner ended I'd run to the theater to perform with the Entertainment Group.

They all loved me because they had the perception that I was going to be like my brother, harsh and a fierce leader, instead I felt appreciative that they were letting me in their territory, giving me the tasks I asked for and without even me knowing it I was fulfilling my long time dream.

I had created my very own "Dirty Dancing" scenario and was living the very things I lived every time I watched the movie in my mind and most of all in my heart. I guess I was "Baby at the ripe age of 52" ;) there was even the cute young Italian dancer making passes at me every night under the Moonlight when the Entertainment Group and guests would gather at the beach to dance the night away.

I don't have a clue what life has in store for me but what I do know is that I live in a state of excitement and wonder. Before I would have thought of it as anxiety and worry, but how can I have anxiety about something that doesn't exist or worry when I can see clearly how it is my ability to surrender my control to the Mysteries of the Universe that has showed me time and time again that Amazing things happen at Any Time, Any Place, under Any Circumstances at Any Age.

Here's to you fulfilling your Dreams...

Hugs xoxo
@nit@

Dirty Dancing...

I don't know about all of you, but I go on stages. Sometimes I like certain foods and I can eat them every day for months and not get tired of them, same as reading, or walking, or listening to music, or watching movies, etc. etc. I focus on one thing from each category in my life, and I try to keep some sort of continuity. I think I do it more as an escape, an illusion of having some sense of control when my life seems too chaotic. Lately it's been movies.

At the end of my long day, once I finally rest my head on the pillow, I just like to transport myself into a fantasy world, so depending on the type of adventure I feel like experiencing, that's the type of movie I will play on my little portable DVD player. I've been going through A LOT!!!!! of big time challenges, that made me wonder how to better control my thinking, so as not to continue to attract what I seem to be attracting lately, and it was only after I watched Dirty Dancing last night, for the umpteenth time, that I decided to see the 'Special Features' and read the huge challenges they had to go through to make that movie. It reminded me that when we are going through rough waters, we just have to let go of the resistance, trust, believe, stay focused, and the the storm is sure to pass.

I paused the 'Special Features' to write down all the facts of the Making of the movie, so that you can see what I'm talking about. What is most important is to realize that challenges will continue to happen, it's how you handle yourself while going through them that matters. Some people just quit, some others begrudge going through the challenges, some fall apart, some thrive and are passionate enough to keep on going until they succeed. Which of these are you? I hope you enjoy these facts.

Hugs, xoxo @nit@

The Making of Dirty Dancing

• Movie Budget $5,000,000
• New York was too expensive for the shooting, so Kellerman's was filmed at the Mountain Lake Hotel in Giler County Virginia, but the cast and crew had to lodge there in order to make it viable.
• Record rainfall had the crew wearing hip boots.
• The clouds parted for 4 days, just long enough to shoot all exterior scenes.
• The scene where Johnny teacher Baby how to do the lifts in the warm summer lake, was done on an icy 30 degree lake.
• Throughout the production the set was plagued with bad luck.
• The rehearsal place was burglarized, heavy flooding blocked the roads, an art department station wagon destroyed the prop department van, and a set decorator fell off a ladder, injuring his face.
• The wardrobe assistant broke her toe, the second assistant director fractured her wrist, and three crew members were stricken with food poisoning.
• To add to the bad luck, the production crew was experiencing, it was soon discovered that much of the green foliage surrounding the resort was turning red, left with only one solution, they spray painted the leaves green.
• When the cast and crew moved on to Lake Lure, NC to film the staff quarter scenes, they faced overwhelming heat.
• During the filming of the final dance scene, many of the cast were overcome with heat exhaustion.
• Miraculously on October 27, 1986 production of Dirty Dancing wrapped with all involved surviving bringing the film under budget.
• Ten months later on August 26, 1987 it premiered.
• It was greeted with highly favorable reviews and a brisk opening weekend business.
• It went over to gross over $65 million in the US and propelled both Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze into stardom.
• As a result of the film's success, two chart topping soundtrack albums were released, a nationwide dance tour was launched, and the subsequent home video broke many records...