I'm Ski Instructing Now

It's been fun returning to skiing over the past couple of years. Kind of hellish, actually but with persistence and determination after many, many years, I am back on the hill. And I won't ever leave skiing again!

Having a ski pass the past couple of years wasn't enough for me -- life was still lacking. I realized recently that I needed to be emerged in mountain culture and ski instructing is the route I decided to take. I found the very best hill to work at where the people I work with are fun and funny -- just how I remember.

This week...

I finished the reinstatement process of my certification. I spent one day skiing in the rain with a couple of male-appearing humans. As anticipated, they were wearing expensive, nicely coloured Arcterik waterproof jackets. I had set out a very simple goal for this long-awaited day:

I wanted to have the ugliest, oldest gear in the class -- then knock them all out with my skiing ability.

As an ex-ski racer having grown up in a ski town, I was at an advantage. Prior to heading to the lift, I slid on my rain poncho from the Dollar Store and said, "how is this, stylish enough?" ...And off we went.

Partway through the day, as I proceeded to enjoy the runs, I completed the drill-of-the-moment and then stopped in front of our course conductor (that's what they are called at that level). Watching me, his eyes lit up and when the time came he exclaimed, "you are a really good skier! You're technique is a ten out of ten! ...Your gear, on the other hand, is about a two or three out of ten."

The day was a success.