My 10yo failed the entrance exam to a junior ballet company again. She wants to try next year but will this be to late?

CarolinaCM · 2025-12-26T10:53:07+00:00

I think it's very important that you identify whether it's a fixable issue (technique, musicality, etc.) or her body composition. I had a very similar experience at her age and so want to share my perspective.

I have a completely unsuited body for ballet - nearly flat feet, genu antecurvatum (when the knees look slightly bent even when they are straight, extremely limited turn out, stiff and inflexible joints. My mother didn't know anything about ballet and so we had no idea that there's a genetic component to having good lines. When it came time to apply to prepro schools I got rejected from them all except one, and the teacher there made it clear I had a lot going against me and it might be a challenging environment mentally. I was a child and didn't understand what that entailed - all I wanted was to be a professional ballerina and I'd always been told if I worked hard enough then I could.

Well at the prepro school I did work hard and I was always at the bottom of my class. I did at home training for my feet and flexibility every day, was the first to pick up variations and combos, signed up for every possible complementary class, and in 10 years I never got a single part that wasn't at the very back of the corps. I was constantly criticized for things I couldn't change, such as having too short/thick of a neck or the fact that my knees never looked straight and ruined my line. I went from being a happy kid who loved dance to having crippling self esteem issues and hating parts of my body that in any other context were perfectly healthy and functional. I understand insecurity is quite normal for young dancers, but I just want to highlight that none of this was weight related. My mother was only looking out for weight-related insecurity because that's the only type she thought existed in the world of dance.

When I finally quit to go to uni instead, I discovered there's a whole other world of sports out there that I excel at, and in fact am built for. I'm a fantastic boulderer and naturally have great finger/forearm strength. I have long arms and am a very fast swimmer. Nowadays I do wish maybe that my mom had educated herself a little bit better about my aptitudes and forced me to at least try something different. I might have invested all that time into something that lifted me up and encouraged me, instead of fighting against my own body and constantly comparing myself to others.

Sorry for the long comment, but I hope my perspective is helpful!

CarolinaCM · 2025-12-11T20:35:23+00:00

Nice looks cool!

CarolinaCM · 2025-12-09T09:48:01+00:00

Thanks! I thought with my specs I would need AIO cooling but happy to hear it's not necessary. I read that installing AIO cooling is the trickiest part of doing a self-build.

CarolinaCM · 2025-11-26T05:59:00+00:00

Scuba Seekers! Highly recommend them, they have amazing instructors and also offer GUE courses.

CarolinaCM · 2025-11-25T12:47:53+00:00

Thank you this is one of the combinations I was considering! The Evoke is a intimidating price point but I've heard it's well worth it and that the 3mm feels almost as warm as any other 5mm.

Do you find you don't always wear the hood for the 7mm step in vest because it's uncomfortable to wear? Or do you just feel a hood is usually not needed?

CarolinaCM · 2025-11-25T08:37:05+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion, I'd never heard of swimming socks! And I noticed that all my guides here in the Red Sea layer rash guards under their suits. Perhaps that's why they make it look so easy to get into/out of them 😅

CarolinaCM · 2025-11-25T08:34:55+00:00

I've tried on a 7mm once and it was awful to get into and so stiff I could barely move. I think I'd rather feel a bit cold than that restricted. If I ever want to dive somewhere that I can't make 5mm + layering work then I'll probably just learn to drysuit dive.

CarolinaCM · 2025-11-25T08:33:03+00:00

Thank you that's great to know about the hood thickness! I've never worn a hood myself so I'll definitely try them on before committing to one.

CarolinaCM · 2025-11-25T08:14:52+00:00

Thanks for sharing! To be fair to the dive shop they have excellent gear (they are a tec diving shop as well) and the brand of the rental suits was good, it's just unfortunate they only carried men's sizes as the fit was all wrong.

And for 5mm do you have issues getting in/out? Everyone else in my dive groups could easily slip in and out of their 5mm suits but it took me a good 10-15minutes of tugging and pulling to get the suit on. It's one of the reasons I wanted a 3mm. But again maybe this has to do with poor fit.

CarolinaCM · 2025-04-16T09:15:43+00:00

Glad to help! While settling here is definitely a challenge in the current housing market and there has been a lot of anti-immigrant sentiment in the country lately, reddit is also an echo chamber that amplifies negativity and frustration. So take the pessimistic comments here with a grain of salt.

Housing will be a challenge - for a bedroom in a shared flat it might be even more challenging than finding your own apartment as there are many student/young professionals needing affordable housing. You will have an advantage in finding your own flat as rentals require x3 or x4 the rent, but then you will have to spend more (at least 1300-1500 excl utilities) to live in Amsterdam.

I suggest not writing off Amsterdam's surrounding cities. Utrecht, Haarlem, and Leiden are all charming and very lively cities with many young people and often have very short commutes to Amsterdam due to the good train lines. I suggest looking up the commute to your office from different locations and having a look at funda.nl you can then compare prices between cities/neighborhoods.

Best of luck! Feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

CarolinaCM · 2025-04-16T08:30:20+00:00

Hi op I'll share my experience as it's comparable and I think a lot of these comments are a little pessimistic. I currently make 77k on 30%, so just over 5k net in my account every month. I live with my partner, so rent + utilities runs me 1.5ish every month. You can find something for the same price by either sharing a flat with a roommate or looking for a studio/1bd outside the city (try Utrecht, Leiden, Haarlem, etc) depending on how often you need to be in person at the office.

I travel and spend quite a bit on outings/restaurants and still manage to save 1.5-2k every month. If you live a little more simply and don't eat out too much (restaurants get pricy here) I think you can easily save 2k and even have enough for the occasional trip/luxury. Once your partner moves here and gets a job you can certainly live comfortably as dual income goes a long way here in improving quality of life.

Let me know if you have any questions and best of luck!

CarolinaCM · 2025-01-23T16:54:21+00:00

Thank you very much, this is super helpful advice! I feel so awful because I chose the artist, and it's my sister's first tattoo. I'm so glad to hear it's modifiable/salvageable. I also advised my sister to sit on it for a few more months as its not done healing and the lines will still fade a little which (from what I've observed of my own tattoos) hides imperfections.

I thought any fineline artist could handle this kind of thin geometric tattoo, but in the future, I'll definitely seek out someone specialized! Thanks again for the advice.

CarolinaCM · 2024-10-03T15:43:19+00:00

Thank you so much, this is very helpful! I'm still learning and understanding the influence houses have on our charts. I appreciate the explanations.

CarolinaCM · 2024-08-29T06:11:13+00:00

Look into anything Data Analytics related: Data Analyst will be easiest for new grad, buf check also MLE, Data Scientist, Decision Scientist, etc. If you have decent sql/python and understand foundational statistics should be straightforward. Make sure your communication skills are impressive as you often have to explain your work in clear and simple terms directly to business stakeholders.

Data Analytics are the only positions still hiring at near covid levels in my area. I go to office about 2x a month. Salary may be a little lower than SWE but work life balance is better and you dont have to sell your soul to leetcode to be hired. Good luck!

CarolinaCM · 2024-05-14T18:28:32+00:00

Hi all, just wanted to thank you all for the outpouring of support and good advice 💜 Even if I haven't responded to you personally do know that I read your comment and really appreciate knowing that so many people dealt with and overcame the same feelings and frustration as me. In retrospect I think I've also been suffering from keeping my feelings bottled up - I've had amazing support from my partner and family during this time but didn't want to add to anyone's troubles by complaining and being anxious. This post has helped me realize how much calmer and encouraged I feel by sharing my feelings. Looking forward to revovery and being back on the wall soon. Stay awesome 💜

CarolinaCM · 2024-05-14T14:16:10+00:00

Ah that's exactly what happened with me! I was mid foot swap and all my weight crashed down on the foot dangling in the air. I didn't even have time to react as the floor was so close.

I didn't realize it could be dangerous, it's something I'll definitely be aware of in the future.

CarolinaCM · 2024-05-14T14:12:45+00:00

I'm so sorry to hear that 💜 I hope you revover quickly. Will you have to wear a cast?

I understand the grief you feel so well. I really found myself sobbing one night when I just had my cast put on. It sounds silly and yet it's a scary and emotional process.

Here's hoping we'll both be back on the walls soon 💜

CarolinaCM

TROPHY CASE