For the past 6 months I have been taking dance lessons. Dance Class for most men in the US is often viewed as anywhere from ridiculous, to subtly acceptable as wedding preparation. Here in Hamburg however, it is not only widely accepted, but seen as a right of passage for both boys and girls.

As such, I have class once a week with my host sister, our friend/her dance partner, and my dance partner where we learn (starting with the basics) a multitude of dance types from discofox to Viennese Waltz and even some Salsa moves. This weekend, we missed dance class so my friend and I tried to go to the Monday class. Our dance partners were both busy, so we went hoping there would be a few more girls than guys, as often occurs.

To our bad luck, we got there a few minutes late and everyone was already dancing with a partner. Usually, we would just wait and switch in, but there were already two other boys waiting and we decided to spend our time elsewhere.

At first, I was a bit sad, as I was very much looking forward to one of my last dance lessons, but then my friend suggested we play tennis instead. Not going to lie, my tennis skills (if you can even call them that) leave much to be desired, but I hadn't played in a year and was really excited to get back on a court.

We met up with two more friends, one of whom brought me a spare racket, and we were able to play a few double matches. I ended up being on the winning team for all of them, despite clearly being the worst player there, and even after switching teams at the end. I guess sometimes luck and a bit of teamwork can go a long way.

Running home, it dawned on me that what could have simply ended up as a missed opportunity to learn a few new dance moves turned out to be a great time bonding with some friends, and even being able to, in a private club nonetheless, play for the first time on a clay court.

While travelling, it is easy to become upset due to a missed flight, an overbooked restaurant, or whatever else doesn't go exactly as planned, but one missed opportunity can often lead to new and unexpected adventures.

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Photo is of the both of us right before our Graduation Ball, after completing our first 3-month class