As many of you know, I have been a member and a staff for The Barre Code (now known as Barre 3) for about 6-7 years. We were The Barre Code until spring 2024 until we transitioned to Barre 3. As The Barre Code, we had a mantra that was painted on the wall of every studio.
I loved our mantra, but was especially struck by the line "we live to evolve". I even contemplated getting it tattooed.
And right now, 6 years after joining the staff team and roughly 8-9 years of taking classes, I'm feeling the "live to evolve". Because I have decided to step away from being on staff. It was a difficult decision, but what it really comes down so is that at 37 years old, I have different needs than I did at 29, 30, 31. While I had taken classes here and there at the studio for a few years, I got "serious" about the Barre Code after my dad passed away. The day after he passed, I needed somewhere to go to workout my emotions. But I didn't want to go to my YMCA where I had been taking classes regularly. I needed to go somewhere where no one really knew me, and I could quietly express what I needed to. So I marched into The Barre Code. And while it was true no one really knew me at the time, what blossomed was years of community and friendship.
I have come so far since that day in February 2018. I've cried, laughed, sweat, danced, hugged on those studio floors. And now, it's time for something new.
So, if I love that place so much, why am I stepping away?
Well, I've learned that you can love something dearly and still outgrow it. Or that, even the right decisions are hard decisions. It's true that Barre has been a major part of my life, but it's also true that I don't necessarily need what I was seeking before, and at this point in my life, I am needing something new. Also, I am ready to stop waking up at 4:30 in the morning every Friday to do my shift ;-)
But won't you miss all your friends? Yes, dearly. But the thing is, I don't get to the studio nearly as much as I once did prior to having Zack, and while I have a community of women I consider to be pals and acquaintances, the friendships that are meant to continue outside the walls of the studio will do so.
What if you never find a community like the one you found there? Honestly, I may not! There truly was something special there. But I can't hold onto something out of fear that I will never find something like it again. That's like someone staying in a relationship that is fading just because they are afraid that they won't find another one.
Will you keep taking classes? Here and there, yes. But part of my reason for moving on is also needing new ways to move my body. My work gives us an incredible discount at Lifetime Fitness, which as tons of classes to choose from and I can bring Zack, plus open family swim.
To close, The Barre Code has been vitally important to helping me become the woman I am today and will forever be a part of my story. I will take the confidence I have gained, the memories I have made, and the friendships I have formed forward into the next chapter. I am relentless, and I live to evolve.
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