Adios Aspen

I thought about titling this post either "Adios Aspen" or "The Last Tango in Aspen"...my last tango in Aspen (tonight) was watching Jimmy and Mara dancing three songs at Jimmy's - prior to beginning salsa - Saturdays are "salsa nights" at Jimmy's, but he has always danced a set of tango before hand.

Jimmy (of Jimmy's Restaurant) and Mara dancing tango each Saturday night has done wonders for tango in Aspen. Heather - our teacher and community leader here in Aspen - and Jimmy were once a couple - and have a son together. My first tango classes were taught by Jimmy and Heather as a team. They split a couple of years ago but remain close friends.

I will never forget one exercise Jimmy had us all do in that first beginner class. He dimmed the lights and asked everyone to sit meditation style on the floor. He then asked each of us to visualize ourselves dancing a beautiful tango. As beginners, most of us didn't know what beautiful tango looked like, but I think this is an important exercise for more advanced dancers that we don't do enough of. Downhill skiers and other athletes visualize themselves doing what it is that they do. I recently read an article about this - I will try to find it.

So, in closing, my last tango in Aspen was watching Jimmy and Mara dance tonight - the last song they danced to was Adios Nonino by Astor Piazolla (Jimmy is a big AP fan...)...

And so it is..."Adios Aspen"...and adios to my tango days in Aspen...adios to the snow and cold...adios to the mountains and the aspen trees and the bears and the foxes/deer/elk...and the crisp cool clean air...these are the things I will miss...but saddest of all...and missed more than anything else...will be my friends...

Adios...