I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to have found something that I am so passionate about, as some less fortunate will never know what it is to have something be such a driving force and influence in their lives. Snowboarding has taken me to places I only dreamed of going, inspired me, gave me the courage to move to a place where I didnt know a soul, led me to friendships that i will carry with me for the rest of my life, and more amazing memories than I can even begin to count.
Because of snowboarding, at the age of twenty I packed my gear into a bag, hopped on my first solo flight and headed out to Park City, Utah. I was invited on this trip by friends that I had met in Cancun, Mexico on vacation who lived in Los Angeles and New York City. It was because they knew how much I loved snowboarding that I got invited on this trip of a lifetime. When I arrived in Park City, I was greeted by a heavy down pour of Utah's famous "best snow on earth", as well as a welcoming hot tub on the deck of our plush six story condo in Deer Valley. It was on this trip that I realized I had to be somewhere where I was free to do this anytime I wanted. My life was not complete without this element in it.
It wasn't long after that trip that I applied for a job at Breckenridge, which is now the one place in this world that holds my heart. I have traveled to so many beautiful places, but THIS place, this is my haven. But without snowboarding, I would have never found such an amazing dot on the map. Because of my love for snowboarding I moved to a perfect ski town, one comparable to anything a Hollywood studio could dream up, filled with people from all around the world who share the same passion as me. Because of snowboarding I was given the courage and strength to leave all things familiar. I gave up all the luxuries of a normal life and job, because to me they were no longer luxuries. I lived off of ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly, hopped on a bus at 6 am in extreme temperatures, and shoveled snow all day for tourists. But I wouldnt trade any of that for the feeling that I get whenever I am able to snowboard every.single.day.
So. What is snowboarding to me? It's that anticipation in fall, knowing that winter is just around the corner. It's a trip up the mountain with a car full of gear, good music, and great friends. It's the butterflies you get in your stomach when you first get off the lift and hear the clicking of bindings being strapped down to boots and knowing what comes next. It's finding just the right song that makes the ride that much better. It's disconnecting from the entire world, just you and the mountain, and forgetting about everything else in life, because nothing else at that moment could possibly matter more. It's a side trail that so few know about, weaving in and out of trees, and just stopping to take in the beauty, silence, and scenery that is all around you. It's pillowtops that can only be described as shimmering clouds of snow, that if you landed on you would surely sink forever. The mountain is like a canvas, and you are the artist, and you have so many natural elements to use as your paintbrushes, to paint an amazing new picture each and every run. I am never more myself than when I am snowboarding, and if I have my way, I will snowboard until I can't anymore because I was given the talent to do something that has blessed my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined.
Because of snowboarding... I am me.
until next time...
peace&love
