Switching Gears

Winter break!

Having managed to survive the final weeks of the past semester, and pump out some promising results in the lab, I now find myself with time on my hands to relax and spend with family/friends.

I had a great time over the holidays with my family. Sharing conversation over a series over delectable meals, watching a great movie (The World's Fastest Indian - Netflix it sometime), and spending some quality hours on the slopes of Cascade Mountain. My first few turns of the year were a little bit wobbly, but it wasn't long before I had my edges back under me, and was cranking out some turns like in previous seasons. While I'm happy to just rediscover my ski-legs, it seems like my parents have both made considerable strides in their ski technique since I last had the chance to ski with them. It makes sense though, considering my Mom is a PSIA instructor (read: mad skillz), and both parents are highly active members of the National Ski Patrol (NSP). I wish I had the time this year to continue patrolling myself, but other things have taken priority this season, and I've made the decision to rejoin the patrol once my undergraduate education is over. Anyway, it's always fun to ski with the family.

When I think back on my childhood, it feels like I was pretty much brought up on skis. The winter meant several trips to local ski hills, and once my mom and I got my dad back into skiing, multiple trips to mountain resorts out west. Steamboat, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Big Sky have been past destinations. On my own (well, in the company of others than my parents), I've managed to conquer the steeps of Park City too.

And now I find myself on the verge of yet another winter mountain adventure. I'll be heading out to Telluride, Colorado tomorrow along with a few friends, a van, plenty of music, and about 24 hours of driving ahead of us. Hopefully we can add a bit of good luck to that list too - After all, the common adage about our destination probably isn't "To-Hell-You-Ride" for nothing, right?

Right now I find myself amidst the final stages of packing, hoping to not forget anything too vital. I've been through this before, but I've always managed to find myself missing something by the time I get settled in my hotel room or condo. I think it's inevitable, but I'm doing my best to assure that I don't leave something like my skis, boots, backpack, cellphone or my underwear behind... Yea that wouldn't be good. I think I've got it all under control though - Optimism can fill the void left by any of these modern amenities anyway. Well... Maybe not underwear - That would just be cold and awkward considering the destination.

Well - this should be fun. A good change of pace from school, indoor training, and the frigid recent temperatures of south central Wisconsin. All I can do is hope for good weather during the drive, and copious amounts of powder snow once we get there.

I'll try to keep up semi-daily posts during the trip. Hopefully there will be some pictures too, so stay tuned for more!

Best regards, thanks for reading.