i spent 14 fabulous days in Maribor Slovenia with Ksenjia (our BDS workshop sponsor there) preceding and following my workshop weekend where i taught Double Veil/Spinning on Saturday and a Modern Drum Solo Choreography on Sunday with a Saturday Evening performance. My workshops went well and i was pleasantly surprised by all the participants’ eager desire to learn. It seemed the harder i taught, the harder they worked, the harder i taught – and the circle went round and round. 4 hours of Spinning and Double Veil is a lot and the same for a drum solo workshop. I don’t mind sweating since that’s all i know when i’m on tour, but sometimes people aren’t used to that. My workshop weekend in Maribor was filled with dancers who couldn’t wait to sweat and work hard alongside me and thats always inspiring to me as an instructor. Where I stayed, was centrally located in the heart of this old and beautiful city with the availability of walking anywhere and everywhere i needed to go. There was a LUSH bath store staring at me every morning when i stepped outside of my hotel (LUSH and i are involved in what i consider to be a love-hate relationship: i love their products but i hate what i end up spending whenever i leave that yummy store), and a main square with cafe’s breathing life and singing music through the stone paved streets and artistic historical buildings that add to the charm of the Maribor Magic. I walked the twists and turns of these alley’s in my high heels each day clicking and clacking my way to Hisa Zahir  (Ksenjia’s Dance Studio/Arabic Cafe) where i indulged in Arabic coffee’s to my hearts’ content, reading my book, and sitting on the patio enjoying Turksih Delight treats and taking in the view of Swan Bay in the winter sun rays. There was a stray gray cat that was living on the patio my first week there who seemed to love the warmth of my computer and always wanted to sit in my ‘lap’ while i was typing, inevitably sitting, not on my lap, but my lap top! I grew to love this fluffy gray ball of annoying hair and she was my buddy, but alas, she found a safer/warmer home with one of Ksenjia’s students shortly after our friendship began.  I ate honey tea cookies that were really delicious and had homecooked meals by Ksenjia’s mother tasting some of the traditional Slovenian cuisine. I loved my time in the Balkans and i hope i can go back soon and enjoy some of the surrounding beauty as well in Croatia, Sariejvo, Serbia, Bosnia, and Austria (i have been to Vienna multiple times before, but would love to see other cities in Austria).