It's Fun to Stay at the Y - M - C - A.!!!!
The Borg has a lot of great (somewhat eroded) benefits, one of which is membership at an incredibly posh fitness club that was, I believe, originally designed for the Seattle SuperSonics. I rarely went there. It's close to work. It's incredibly nice. They offer a lot of services. I found it hard to engage. It was too much like going all the way back to work in the evening, and most of the class schedules seemed oriented toward either a mom who had a lot of time in the afternoon or toward a woman with no kids. I don't know if that's true, but it's how it seemed any time I looked at the schedule of stuff I'd be interested in Also, everything I was interested in cost extra.
This year, we made a bold move during benefits enrollment and tossed out Club Posh and opted for a family membership at the YMCA. The iBoo is in swimming lessons there, and she's flourishing to a degree that she never did at Club Posh. I think it's partially because they just expect more of her, so she gives more. I think it's also partially because the learning pool is 4 feet deep rather than 2.5 ft, so she can't screw around as much, and she also doesn't have an easy out, which is just stand up whenever it seems hard. She's also taking ballet there now, and she's amazed at how one place can offer both ballet AND swimming. I plan to avail myself of my friend Misty's Aqua Zumba lessons there, too, as soon as we get our logistical crap together.
In addition to the mechanics of the classes, the people at the Bellevue Y are just genuinely friendly. The Club Posh people were friendly enough as long as you were paying them for a class, but the Y people are friendly and remember your name for no reason other than it's just friendly. They've also got programs like Tuesday morning walks, where each Tuesday they choose a different neighborhood point of interest and walk 5 miles and then grab lunch. Makes me want to turn 40 just so I can qualify to go. I'm really energized by their offerings.
And so one of the lifeguards at the iBoo's swimming lesson recruited me as a fundraiser. They have a community fund that they use to offer programs to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. He recruited me at the "I promise to mention it to my friends" level, which I will continue to do. I'm actually really impressed by the diversity of offerings that they have at the Y, and I would encourage you to look into your local Y's programs. And also, since I'm (semi) officially a fundraiser, I'd encourage you to look at the programs and think about how they might be of benefit to the community around you, and how you might contribute. And if you're here in Seattle and you want to find out more about what the Y has to offer, let me know. I've got like four 3 day guest passes, so you could check it out for FREE.
This year, we made a bold move during benefits enrollment and tossed out Club Posh and opted for a family membership at the YMCA. The iBoo is in swimming lessons there, and she's flourishing to a degree that she never did at Club Posh. I think it's partially because they just expect more of her, so she gives more. I think it's also partially because the learning pool is 4 feet deep rather than 2.5 ft, so she can't screw around as much, and she also doesn't have an easy out, which is just stand up whenever it seems hard. She's also taking ballet there now, and she's amazed at how one place can offer both ballet AND swimming. I plan to avail myself of my friend Misty's Aqua Zumba lessons there, too, as soon as we get our logistical crap together.
In addition to the mechanics of the classes, the people at the Bellevue Y are just genuinely friendly. The Club Posh people were friendly enough as long as you were paying them for a class, but the Y people are friendly and remember your name for no reason other than it's just friendly. They've also got programs like Tuesday morning walks, where each Tuesday they choose a different neighborhood point of interest and walk 5 miles and then grab lunch. Makes me want to turn 40 just so I can qualify to go. I'm really energized by their offerings.
And so one of the lifeguards at the iBoo's swimming lesson recruited me as a fundraiser. They have a community fund that they use to offer programs to people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. He recruited me at the "I promise to mention it to my friends" level, which I will continue to do. I'm actually really impressed by the diversity of offerings that they have at the Y, and I would encourage you to look into your local Y's programs. And also, since I'm (semi) officially a fundraiser, I'd encourage you to look at the programs and think about how they might be of benefit to the community around you, and how you might contribute. And if you're here in Seattle and you want to find out more about what the Y has to offer, let me know. I've got like four 3 day guest passes, so you could check it out for FREE.