A Time for Reflection

As I make my way home to NY for the holidays, it’s a great time to reflect on the past two-and-half weeks in Jackson. In the beginning, I packed my car to the brim and hauled it on a journey that was just shy of a thousand miles. Then, I met some cool and friendly people and one overly friendly deer. Along the way, I gained a good taste for the offerings of the town and the region. And, I refreshingly dove head first back into .NET software development. Best of all, I skied the last 12 of 14 days; this triumph alone instills goose bumps in me.

Yesterday was the best ski day of them all. It was the first powder day of the season and a treat for everyone on the hill, as most of the runs were covered in knee-deep powder. The lift lines were non-existent too. (Ahhh! The beauty of skiing at an amazing resort on a Thursday.) I skied with my new friend, Justin, who has lived in Jackson for the last 10 years. Not only was it great to be skiing with someone, but being led around the mountain to its secret stashes, as we made laps on the Thunder and Sublette chairs, made the day that much sweeter for me.

Slowly but surely, I’m getting used to the cold weather. The weather is a nice change from the consistent and predictable weather of the Bay Area. Some people might think I’m crazy for writing this statement, but I will say that the cold weather still seeps into my bones. Even though it's bone chilling, especially with a fierce head wind, there’s something about it that makes me feel alive. For example, it was hovering around five degrees with the windshield and flurrying for the better part of the day yesterday while skiing. You can see the aftermath in the photo.

Skiers are truly one of a kind. They willingly put themselves in danger of getting frost bite and even hypothermia so that they and their friends can bring excitement to their lives and experience together hair-raising thrills. Even though it can be painful and nerve-wracking at times, it's always good to be a skier!