It’s been a busy few weeks here at Womack and Bowman.
We flew over to the big island of Hawaii with a small group of family and friends where this happened:
Pic by Couple Cups
Rachel got married!
And then this happened:
Brett got engaged!
What?
Yes, seriously!
We have been on cloud 9 celebrating ever since!
Between Mai Thai’s and sunset swims, we still managed to squeeze in a bit of this though…
Pic by Sita Acevedo
…While still having plenty of quality time with our sigs.
It hasn’t always been easy navigating the complex world of dating while keeping up with the demands of our professional lives as aerialists.
We have made (many) mistakes, let people down, lost awesome jobs and made a ton of sacrifices but we have learnt A LOT over the years and now pride ourselves on maintaining an excellent work/life balance and feel good about the choices we make.
For those of you currently juggling a busy work life with aerial training, family commitments AND a relationship, learn from our mistakes and know that it is possible (though definetely not easy) to have it all!
1. Communication
It seems so obvious but, poor communication can wreak havoc on any relationship. Be sure that your partner or potential partner is aware of your commitment to your aerial training. Let him/her know the days/nights each week that you will be training and the times that you do have available for dates or vacations. Explain to your partner that aerial is your passion and that you take it very seriously, invite him/her to watch a class (or even better, to take a class with you!) it wont take long for them to realize just how ridiculously cool you are!
2. Prioritize
If your relationship is important to you, you will likely have to make sacrifices at some point that might be detrimental to your aerial training. It is important to remember though that there will always be another student showcase or performance opportunity or workshops with that kick-ass aerial duo 😉 If your partner needs your support and it conflicts with an aerial-related event AND you value that relationship, there will be times that you need to make tough decisions.
3. Just say ‘No’
If you are sincerely seeking a balanced and sustainable life full of passion, love, joy, good health and excellence it is necessary to make room for all that is positive and brings you energy. This often means saying ‘no’ to all that doesn’t truly excite you. Maybe it’s that Tupperware party that your friends mom wants you to attend, maybe it’s that handstand class that your sister says is amazing (but handstands just aren’t your thing..), as hard as it can be sometimes, a polite but firm ‘No thank you’ leaves room for sooo many more ‘OMG YES’S!’ in both your personal life and your aerial career.
4. Involve your Partner
Whether your partner is an aerialist also (easier on some levels, super challenging on others..) or a ‘normie’ like both of ours are (Brett’s partner is a Chef, Rachel’s works in finance) it is helpful to ‘lift the curtain’ on your glamorous circus life in order for your partner to understand just what it is you do 3-4 nights a week (and most weekends). This can involve inviting him/her to your shows and classes, asking him/her to count to 30 while you hold your over split and helping you find the absolute perfect training outfit at Alo Yoga.
There are many other ways to involve your partner in your aerial passion but the most important thing is that you do.
In the process of sharing your love of aerial you might just inspire your partner to open up about his/her passions also, helping you understand each other more and deepening and enriching your relationship.
Ok enough of the gooey stuff; lets get back up in the air and train!
Have a fabulous rest of your week!
Aerial Art, Aerial Dance, Aerial Partner, Aerial Performance, Aerial Tips, Aerialists, Womack and Bowman
