A Final Lesson

Two Sundays ago I taught what is likely my last ski day of the season, and likely the last official ski lesson I teach ever. Since my sophomore year of high school, I've been working at Gore Mountain as a ski instructor. That's eight ski seasons! It's kind of hard to wrap my head around that number because most of the kids I teach are 4-9 years old, which means many weren't even born yet when I started teaching. But for the record, I still get mistaken as a sixteen year old so I guess some of us aren't aging...

Honestly though. I  have aged. A lot. Even if others don't realize it. And even if it's hard to believe myself. When I started ski instructing I was a high schooler who hadn't even applied to college or been in a relationship or gotten a learner's permit yet and now I'm an adult who has a full-time job and a boyfriend and a full drivers license. This shit is cray. Talk about being a new person. I can hardly even.

Even if it doesn't feel like it, it's been eight great years...

Of skiing. Sometimes. But a lot of other times standing in my ski boots coaching or chasing after kids or skating up the hill with skis on to pick up kids who fall. But more skiing than anything.

Of hot cocoa breaks where I had to break the bad news that there isn't any marshmallows in Gore Mountain's hot cocoa.

Of my three first years instructing (when I was in high school) flirting with all the other high school age guy skier co-workers. I can't even pretend that didn't happen. Haha.

Of watching kids grow up. Or going on to ski black diamonds and glades. Or going on to race.  

Of weird names... Like Satchel, Pearl, Leland, and Gilad.

Of trainings that take all day.

Of a PSIA Level 1 Certification.

Of weekends and holidays spent happily working on the slopes.

Of cute kids in puffy snowsuits. And cute kids in puffy snowsuits making snow angels.

Of skiing backwards. Sometimes with hula hoops.

Of magic carpet rides and snow trains.

Of everything else that has happened in the 100+ days I've worked over the past years at Gore.

It's been eight great seasons and I've been really lucky to teach what I love for so long.