What happens when you wake up on your day off and decide you are going to ski like a badass? That is it! No more chickening out on the blue trails.
And just like that, you have the best skiing day of your life!
I cannot take all of the credit. Most of it, though. I know having Sophie with me is half the battle. She knows the mountain well and is a fantastic ski instructor. I admire her calm energy and her sweetness.
It also helps to have Norman's voice in my head: "Just go through it." A few days ago, as I shared my hesitation about skiing on bumpy snow, he advised me not to overthink it; just ski through it. Well, it seems I always listen to Norman's advice. :)
Good morning, life! I woke up to another sunny day, still high from yesterday. Nothing hurts, and I feel strong and capable. So when Max suggests skiing from the summit again, I do not question myself.
Max is another beautiful soul meant to enter my life, teaching me an important lesson in acceptance. He has paraplegia, he got injured three years ago at just 22, but his spirit is unshaken. Max was one of the first people I met here, and right away, I sensed his authenticity and strength. We bonded over our love of cooking. He is training for several competitions, aiming to attend the Olympics one day. You got this, Max! You have what it takes to turn the unbelievable into reality.
I warmed up slowly yesterday, skiing a few greens before attempting the blues. Today, since Max is unsure how to get to the final lift leading to the summit, I try to retrace my steps from skiing with Sophie, without thinking about the level of the first trails we need to ski.
That is how I find myself skiing down Mary Jane (blue) without a warm-up. Big mistake. Right away, my thighs burn. It is all good at first, but I quickly realize this is just the first blue I need to ski before getting to the top.
It is impossible to feel pain when the open landscape in front of me is breathtaking. Descending from above the treeline is pure magic. Max flies down the mountain, weaving in and out of the trees, meeting me here and there on the main trail. I plan to try skiing through the trees soon. It looks like a fun experience.
I manage to ski down perfectly, but my legs are shaking, and I know that, unfortunately, I am done for the day. I feel lucky to have made it down in one piece!
Somehow, out of nowhere, a few hours later, deep pain strikes my left calf again. Talking with a few friends, it seems I am not leaning forward enough in my boots. As the week goes by, my muscles slowly relax, but not enough to ski or hike—yet.
By now, everyone has formed their own circle of friends, including me. :) I love my time with Mel, Sophie, Max, Ari, Zack, Patrick, Ansley and Gabin.
I enjoy community living. My initial concern about noise never became an issue. There are enough shared bathrooms, so you never need to wait for one, and I love how the kitchen becomes our gathering place; especially when several of us cook at the same time. But I also cherish those moments when I have the kitchen all to myself in quiet.
At work, I genuinely enjoy my team. Chandler, Mariah, and I work well together, and our fabulous manager, Melissa, says we are the best team she has ever had.
I could not wait to share this story—it might be my favorite so far.
Do not ask me why I get more attached to some lost stories than others. This one pierced my heart and pushed me to go above and beyond.
"Good morning, Lost and Found. This is Gila. How can I help you?"
That might seem like a long way to start a phone call, but I love greeting the person on the other side, and it feels important to introduce myself.
"Good morning. I am looking for a blue jacket with a fluffy hood. It belongs to my daughter. In the jacket pocket, there is our car key fob and my daughter's Icon pass."
Michelle went on to explain that her daughter, Rylee, had an appendix attack yesterday while skiing and somehow lost her jacket when she arrived at the clinic.
I could only imagine what a stressful experience that must have been for Rylee. Losing so much on top of everything else was no small thing.
That was when I decided to go above and beyond to help.
"I will go and look for it myself and call you back soon," I told Michelle. My first stop was the clinic. They already knew about the missing jacket and said they had searched everywhere for it. Then I walked outside into the beautiful, sunny day, hoping I might find the jacket waiting for me on one of the chairs. But there was nothing.
I had Michelle's number written on a piece of paper, so I called her back to retrace Rylee's steps. Michelle explained that Rylee had stopped at the bathroom just before entering the clinic. I checked there too, but still, no luck.
I returned to my desk feeling drained. I took Michelle's information and carefully filled out one of our blue lost-item forms.
The next day, I found myself still thinking about that jacket. That was when I realized that since Michelle knew the exact time Rylee entered the clinic, maybe one of the cameras nearby could help solve the mystery.
I called Michelle with this idea. She laughed and said I should consider becoming a detective. She appreciated my effort and said she would discuss it with her husband.
And that was it for the moment.
When I returned after my "weekend," Mariah barely said good morning before blurting out, "We got your jacket!"
Right away, I knew exactly what she was talking about, and you should have seen my smile. What a simple joy it brought me! I thought it was funny how Mariah referred to it as my jacket. I could tell she understood how much it meant to me.
My first step was to check if the keys were still in the pocket. Yes! Then I rushed to call Michelle. She told me someone had already contacted her about the jacket, and she thanked me for all my efforts. She said her husband, Randy, was on his way and would love to stop by and say hello.
Let me tell you, I am so happy I ignored my initial hesitation about this job. It is far from silly. It is fulfilling, rewarding, and filled with detective-like challenges that keep my creative juices flowing.
It was such a pleasure meeting Randy and hearing that Rylee is recovering quickly. She will be back skiing sooner rather than later.
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