I danced for three years in college. It was simultaneously the hardest and most rewarding thing that I did in those three years - I have no dance background, minimal coordination, and a giant dose of stage fright (it should be noted that there were no tryouts; the group accepted everyone who wanted to drum or dance). It was the thing that kept me sane, the thing that drove me insane, and the thing that kept me moving (three two-hour practices every week makes for pretty good exercise).
Then I graduated, that was the end of that, and I joined a gym.
At this point I go for a run more often than I go to the gym, but what I found was that some kinds of cardio - the elliptical machines in particular - give me the same feeling of strength and joy that dancing did/does. With the right music, it doesn't feel like exercise at all. I haven't found that feeling yet with running, haven't yet found a space where I don't know my limitations, but that's where I hope to be eventually.
Today was a gym day instead of a running day: I'm on the second week of a 12-week half-marathon training program (I don't do moderation very well... but that is perhaps a topic for another time), and Mondays are "stretch and strengthen" days (stretching: another thing that I don't do very well). I have mixed feelings about circuit training, but it definitely makes for a nice break following yesterday's four-mile run - my longest yet! I'm chomping at the bit somewhat, though; I miss cross-training.
The rowing machine is my favourite cardio yet: if I could find a way to row and read at the same time, I wouldn't need to run.
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