Unofficial Networks Readers,
I’m sitting here on my couch entering my 5th week of quarantine. I just checked the weather, and saw that many parts of the country are getting slammed with a spring snow storm bringing upwards of 12″. I can’t help but be frustrated. It seems like winter was ripped out from under me. I had trips planned for mid-to-late March and possibly into April.
I didn’t know the last time I was on snow (February 23rd) would be my last day of the season. Would I have done things differently if I would have known? Maybe. I could sit here all day and wallow in my sorrows, but today I feel different. I’d like to take a moment to share my self-reflection. Maybe some of you can relate.
First, how god-damn lucky are we that we can ski (or snowboard) even one day during a normal season? I’m totally guessing on this, but I image that >80% of the world’s population is unable to afford a single-day lift ticket, let alone all of the gear you need. Second, how fortunate are we to have the mountains that are spread across this country. Skiing brought me to Northern Michigan, the Rockies, Vermont, and Wisconsin this season. Would I travel to any of those places in the middle of winter without the sport of skiing? Absolutely not. But isn’t that the beauty of it all?
Skiing drives us to get off our asses in winter, and (sometimes) bare brutally cold temps, just so we can slide down a mountain on two boards. I’m sure that can seem unbelievable to a person who doesn’t understand our passion. But, we all know that feeling we experience when we crush a groomer, boost off a cliff, or slice through a glade cannot be replicated by anything else in the world. And that is exactly why we continue to ski. Isn’t the ability to experience that feeling a blessing in itself?
Not being able to chase that feeling is what has hit me the hardest. However, I have found solace and gratitude for the experiences skiing has brought me so far. I’m incredibly grateful for my dad. He put me on skis at 4-years-old, and pulled me out of school for ski trips probably more than he should have… But, he is the reason I’m here today. I’m sure all of you have somebody like this in your life. The person who first introduced you to the greatest sport in the world. Take a moment today and thank them. They are undoubtedly a very meaningful person in your life.
So why am I writing this post? I want all of you to take a moment and appreciate what you have. Appreciate the joy that skiing brings you. Appreciate the memories you make skiing with your family, friends, and loved ones. And lastly, I’d like you to appreciate the fact that we will be able to ski again. Whether it’s later this year, or 2021, or even 2022 (worst case scenario), we will all be back on the mountains together. We will get through this, and we will all get that feeling again.
All the best,
Matt Lorelli