and so life begins as a ski bum in a little cabin in Girdwood, Alaska. It hadn't really hit me until today. My alarm was the ski patrol doing avalanche control and I woke up to about 6 inches of freshies. Everyone else had already been up for a couple hours and was keeping their eyelids open in class. I made myself some bacon and walked out the door to catch first chair. After eight straight days of racing it was nice to get on my moment sierras and just have fun. The sun decided to peak over the top later in the afternoon. Twas glorious. It was one of those days that makes you love skiing, when your practically the only one on the mountain and you ride up the chair alone with your music and you start singing your lungs out and the lifties sing with you, when you are impervious to any stress or worry. Skiing used to be an escape for me. An escape from school and homework and college apps and other people, but now I have nothing to escape from. Skiing is now an inspiration and I can feel it flowing through me. Call out my cliché statements if you wish, but im so happy. After the sun went down and the lifts stopped running, I walked back home and painted. Another thing I love is finally being able to walk places versus taking a car everywhere. I've always had a love affair with Girdwood and I'm finally able to take the time and appreciate all of its subtle nuances. I would encourage everyone who loves skiing to at least take a semester or even a year off after high school and ski. Prolong the shitfest that is reality as long as possible and press pause. I used to constantly be obsessed with things that needed to be done in the world and what I wanted to do with my life, but I've realized that there's plenty of time. I am still accomplishing things just with a different definition of success. I've been learning about my skiing and my art and from the world around me and I finally have the time to appreciate other people to the extent that I've always wanted to.