5.30.2012

learning to cartwheel


I had somehow managed to make it to the age of fifteen years and eight months without knowing how to cartwheel. Oh, I would cartwheel mentally whenever I was particularly happy about something, but I was never able to actually do it. So I did what any normal person would do: I added learn how to cartwheel on my bucket list. (Which was actually the only thing on my bucket list. Aren't you glad I have high goals in life?)

My eight year old sister is the queen of cartwheeling. She is seriously one of the best I've ever seen (you can check out this video if you want to see her in action). She cartwheels all day, every day--down the hallways, in the front yard, in the backyard, on the trampoline, at karate, at ballet...you get the picture.

One night in late spring, after the dinner dishes were washed and the table cleared, she lead me to the golden light filtering through the backyard, determined to teach me once and for all how to cartwheel. We stayed out there for well over an hour. I repeatedly fell and made an all around fool of myself while my sister coached and cheered my on in between those perfect cartwheels of hers. By the time it was dark, my cartwheeling skills were nowhere near perfect, but they were much better than they had been earlier in the day. We practiced every day that week, and while my cartwheels are still nowhere as perfect as my sister's, I can do them. No longer am I the fifteen year old who can't cartwheel, but I am the fifteen year old who just learned how to cartwheel--and who checked off the one and only item on her bucket list.

I wonder what my next goal will be?

much love,
carlotta

24 comments:

  1. loove love. :) this is sooo cute.

    xx.

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  2. Ah, cartwheeling. I had a period in life where I just couldn't do it, but now, I can do a decent cartwheel. In dance, me and the others did them as a warm-up practice, and if you could cartwheel with one hand, you were insanely cool.

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  3. you are going to have to teach me to cartwheel girl, because I've never been able to, either. ;)

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  4. Good for you!! ;) this is so cute. :)

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  5. Haha, this is SO awesome. And so are you! I'm 14 and 3 months and I don't know how to cartwheel either, although I've always wanted to learn. We'll have to get together and you can teach me ;)

    Abbie /// XOXOX

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  6. I've made it nearly 25 years without knowing how to cartwheel, kudos to you! :)

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  7. haha, I can't do a cartwheel, either. :) I might just have to ask my little sister if she'd coach me this summer ;)

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  8. cartwheels are supersuper easy, aren't they? :) (i suppose they seem like that to me, though, because i do gymnastics. ;)

    on my to-do list?

    read a 1000 page book.
    go to paris.
    swim in the meditteranean sea.
    laugh harder, love deeper.

    xx

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  9. man, I never learned to cartwheel... You've inspired me to try it again!

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  10. Congrats, girl! Once you get that down, you'll have to try a one-handed. That was the one "cool" thing I could do in gymnastics. While all the rest of my friends were on their way to backhandsprings.
    Could you possibly post a video of your cartwheel? I'd love to see. :)

    {{hugs}}
    ~bree

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  11. i haven't cartwheeled in years. i think i'll have to start up again :)
    -jocee <3

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  12. I have never learned to cartwheel either, and I'm seventeen. Guess it's never to late to learn, though. :)

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  13. hehe, this is too cute. it reminds me of last summer when I was totally incapable of blowing a bubble with gum. the little girl I babysat was determined to teach me, and she sat there and demonstrated and described and laughed at my antics until suddenly--finally--I blew a bubble, and have been able to ever since. it was a bucket list item (yes, high aspirations for the win), and I was very excited. she thought it was hilarious. so yes, that's what this reminded me of. I love it.

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  14. Hooray for you! You just inspired me to go cartwheel. Sometimes it takes months, or even years to actually go do those things we've always wanted to do.

    xx.
    Lindsey

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  15. i still don't know how to - i can't even do a handstand :) maybe i'll add cartwheeling to my bucket list :)

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  16. This is great :) Just curious, what did you use to film the lovely film you linked to? :)

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  17. So cute, this was fun to read. You know what, I haven't even started a bucket list but it would be fun to. I really like your first goal :D

    Blessings!

    ~Madi

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  18. This is adorable. :)

    ~ Abby

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  19. I still can't cartwheel -- and believe me, I've tried! So CONGRATS. Because it's a massive achievement. As for the next goal, can you whistle? Yeah, I can't. I guess I've got TWO things on my bucket list. :P

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  20. Ah, I love this! I used to be exactly like MeMe- cartwheeling all day everyday just for the fun of it! I actually used to be able to do like 50 cartwheels in a row, but now I can barely do one! ;)

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  21. this is just beautiful. THIS is what simple, beautiful life should be about!
    and yes, i'm almost fourteen and cannot cartwheel one single bit!! : )

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  22. I kinda stopped cartwheeling after my arms gave way and I fell on my face... But I probably should! :)
    Kimmy xxx

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  23. Can you do a post on how to cartwheel? that'd be SWEET! :)
    ♥ Emily

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  24. Hehe! Love this! I couldn't do a cartwheel until last year when I was fifteen, and even then they were pathetic. This is the first year I've felt I could do a "proper" one. I was so proud of myself for learning!! They're soooo fun! Now I cartwheel randomly in random places ... dining room, soccer field, front yard, living room. ;)

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