As winter winds down and spring pops up I’m reflecting on my journey of learning to ski this winter. My husband has been a snowboarder for 20+ years and has wanted to teach our kids. I did not grow up skiing or snowboarding other than a few trips here and there and the idea of learning to ski at 37 felt daunting, to say the least. But I knew there’d be many family ski adventures on the horizon and I wanted to be a part of them so,
I leaned in, said yes, and learned more than I could have imagined in my first ski season.
I thought I’d have a hard time even standing up on skis, but I was pleasantly surprised when, on our first day skiing, I could not only stand up on my skis but could make it down the bunny slope with a decent amount of ease! This initial experience propelled me forward and left me feeling excited for more. My kids and husband were also hooked, and we ended up going at least once a weekend, every weekend for the rest of the ski season. We quickly progressed from the bunny slopes to the intermediate slopes and delighted in celebrating so much progress in such little time together as a family.
The rest of the season didn’t always play out as easily as the first day…I had many, many falls (more than you can imagine) and was humbled over and over again. Being a beginner is something that we adults don’t give ourselves enough opportunity for. Being a beginner at something physical as an adult is even more humbling. Some days, I left the slopes feeling ecstatic and overjoyed - in awe that my thighs and knees could withstand six to seven hours of skiing a day every weekend.
On other days, I left feeling completely defeated. Like the time my husband and kids dragged me onto Big Acorn, a black diamond slope that I came to quickly realize I was not ready for as a gazed down onto what looked like a cliff. As I started the run, I parallel skied (yes, I already got my parallel, french fry form down this first season 🎉) across the slope, then fell, got back up, changed direction, and skiied as best I could across again before falling. I probably fell eight to ten times on just that one run.
I remember so vividly looking up at the ski lift, full of skiers and snowboarders above me, looking down at my kids and my husband at the bottom of the slope below me, and feeling at first so embarrassed (queue the Talking Heads lyrics, “And you may ask yourself, well how did I get here?”). I let the embarrassment wash over me, eventually lying sprawled out in the snow, cracking up at myself.
I still think about how grateful I am that my kids witnessed me in that experience. That they got to watch me go through all the big emotions, finally arriving to a place where I was able to laugh at myself and the moment. It’s so important for our kids to see us as real humans, going through hard things.
Humble is the beginner.
Being humbled by life is one of the greatest teachers.
I’m walking away from this first ski season with so much joy and gratitude. We’re going to Vermont over spring break to visit family and will be skiing at Jay Peak. I cannot wait! I now have a reason to love winter. A reason to travel to snowy, cold places. I now have an even deeper love and appreciation for mountains. I’m very much looking forward to next winter and our second ski season. Until then, I’ll continue jamming out to the ski playlist I made and looking back on all our ski videos and photos with gratitude, in awe of my body’s strength, and proud of my bravery and devotion to learning something new. To being a beginner.
I write to you on Saint Patrick’s Day, compost still caked under my nails from planting potatoes in our veggie garden with my kids and mother-in-law. I can’t believe spring is here; the equinox happening this week.
My last substack writing was so so many moons ago. This past October, I took a full-time job in the nonprofit sector, which I worked in for 10 years before leaving to do my healing arts work full-time. The full-time job ended up being too much to balance with my family life and business, so after 6 months I transitioned to part-time this month, and it’s been wonderful. I have much more time for creativity, ritual, movement, cooking, and gardening. Just this week my kids and I planted all our seeds in our veggie garden - sugar snap peas, lettuce, kale, spinach, beets, carrots, and radishes, yum!
The past four months I’ve also been in a deep study and mentorship with my Indigenous Mexican medicine teacher (she lives in Mexico and is training in the Mazatec lineage) and so many profound illuminations have been arising for me through this process. The mushroom and tobacco medicines are changing my life and work in ways I don’t have words for yet. More to come on this in time. Thanks to my beautiful teacher and her wisdom, and my deepening commitment to doing this work, my in-person medicine ceremonies are growing and happening regularly. I’m also now offering virtual microdosing and integration coaching and support. Visit my website for details, and feel free to reach out with inquiries or questions.
With more time and space I’m planning to write more regularly here again. I really have missed it. Writing this one felt a bit rusty, but I know with time I’ll find my flow again. Thanks for reading and being here, I’ve missed you, and am excited to connect more often again!
with love,
Waverly
1 - Seriously though, you should listen to my ski playlist. It’s called twin of myself and SO good - full of dance your ass off tracks, you’ll love it :) Give it a listen.
2 - Sonya Renee Taylor’s most recent book, The Book of Radical Answers. I have 9-year-old twins who are starting to ask some BIG questions and I know this book is going to be a resource I turn to time and time again. So grateful for it!
3 - adrienne marine brown’s newest book, Loving Corrections, is also incredible. I’m making my way through it and it’s changing how I see so many things. Can’t recommend it enough!
4 - Ok, another book, I know, I know, just so many to recommend! I’m also loving Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. It’s full of magical realism and I can’t put it down. I love to balance out my non-fiction reading with magical fiction and Sarah Addison Allen is perfect for this. I’ve also read her book, The Girl Who Chased The Moon, it’s a delight. Thanks to my dear friend, Heather, for always recommending so many incredible novels :)
5 - Speaking of Heather, she’s a talented outdoor educator and nature-based unschooling extraordinaire. She’s got some new kids classes on Outschool, like the Banned Book Breakfast Club, that you should definitely check out if you have little ones! She’s also an incredible photographer and has taken some of my favorite photos of myself.
6 - And lastly, if you’re interested in medicine ceremony and/or microdosing and integration support, let’s connect!
until next time
♡
Waverly, I loved this, how it brings me back to the fears I’ve conquered and I am a better person for it. I’m thrilled that you and your sweet family love skiing, we were practically put on skis at birth!🤣😂