Hike, Ski, Breathe, Repeat

Last winter my brother came to visit me in Provo, and being in Utah he of course wanted to go snowboarding. I love to ski, so I went with him and a group of his daredevil friends. I was the only girl, and had never been to Canyons Resort before, so I didn't realize how far up the mountain we were going until it was too late. We took three ski lifts to the very top, and by the time they started taking off their boards (and I my skis) to hike up past the "you can die" signs, I realized I was going to immediately regret this. It was my fault for going with a bunch of crazy boys, but up we hiked.

After a ten minute hike up snow-shaped stairs, I was completely out of breath. Hauling your skis up a snowy hill while wearing ski boots is not fun. The view, however, was breathtaking. I had never felt so removed from the chaos of school and life. My brother and his friends hiked another 20 minutes across the ridge, but I went down my own way through a powdery face. It was challenging, and the boys still beat me back to the lift, but there was something very empowering about getting down a mountain alone. What made it so powerful was the silence that enveloped me. All around me was white. White powder below, white powder above, white walls to my left and right. I tumbled and fell and even lost my pole a time or two, but I made it down. The only thing I could hear was my own breath. While it was frustrating to be alone and feeling like a failure for not getting down more quickly, it opened my eyes to the incredible power of nature.

In the day to day rush of school and to-do lists and commitments, it's easy to forget about the mountains and lakes and rivers that surround us. I learned that as we stumble through our many challenges, it's okay to stop and breathe. We'll all make it down the mountain eventually.