ashleyd /

Conquering Fears

Phew, what an amazing day on the mountain.

023 Today I finally conquered my fears of skiing down the top of the mountain. Three years ago, I let my fear of heights scare me out of skiing down the mountain, even though the run was a green and something within my ability level. That day, my fear of falling and failure caused me to stop after about 100 feet of the run and sit in the snow, in tears. My friends who had so kindly invited me up to the top to ski down with them were far ahead and had no clue that I wasn’t behind them. After thirty minutes of crying and freezing my ass off, a snow mobile picked me up and took me down the mountain.

Today, after my final morning lesson, the group asked if I wanted to join them for a run at the top of the mountain. I surprised myself when yes came out of my mouth. I’ve focused on overcoming my fear of ice, gradual declines, and hills the past two days. Today I knew what to expect on the run and how to respond.

024 The pressure of being with the group actually helped me as I knew that I wanted to look good while they were watching and looking good means having good form. Hearing my husband scream in elation as I passed him on the slope was the best feeling in the world

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I am so happy that I pushed myself outside my comfort zone today after my lessons and spending the afternoon on the slopes, conquering greens and easy blues with Margaret, my afternoon ski partner. Skiing with Margaret was a judge free zone since we’re both at a similar ability level. We were able to give each other suggestions and tips while still laughing when we side stepped down the icy patches before finding our rhythm in the powder. 

022I’ve decided that my favorite time on the slopes is between 3-4pm when the sun is starting to set and casts a warm glow on the snow.

026I027  Thank you gang for giving me the courage to try conquering this path again, three years later!

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Vermont

Greetings from Vermont!

001Each year, Bo and I invite a number of our friend up to my family’ home in Manchester Center, Vermont. This home is my happiest place in the world. Over the years we’ve created amazing memories with our friends and family in this home. A large fireplace, inviting kitchen, space for 15 people, and a location that’s perfect in both the winter and summer.

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Last night, we left New York around 7pm after Bo got off work. The drive from New York to Vermont is a simple and beautiful 3.5 hour drive. 035We stopped for dinner about an hour into the trip and unfortunately our choices were limited to Starbucks and Roy Rogers.  I made the best of it by buying their Caesar salad and adding the sandwich’s turkey, lettuce, tomato.  Sure, my dinner was a bit expensive for a rest stop ($15) but it was filling and surprisingly delicious and filling.036 037 We arrived around midnight and within minutes we continued our tradition of opening the wine immediately.

039 By 7am the house was alive with excited skiers and the oatmeal and coffee were warm for enjoyment.

004 006I enjoyed a warm bowl of cinnamon oats, banana, granola, and peanut butter. This, paired with a cup of coffee, was the perfect skiing fuel.

008 We spent the day skiing at Stratton Mountain, which is located fifteen minutes from the house.

010 While the snow conditions weren’t ideal, we all had a blast. There were far less crowds than last year and the sun was shining down on us all day, helping raise the temperature to a balmy 22 degrees.

032 033Since I only ski once a year, I normally start with a half day of lesson. Luckily, Bo’s best friend, Scott, was willing to split the private lessons with me today which meant that I was able to enjoy a full day instead of a half day.

016 Norm and Scott were a perfect pair for a challenging day of skiing and day drinking!

019 028 023 025 031As my skiing partner know, I have the ability to ski quite well, even gracefully, until I hit a steep pitch. If it intimidates me, I free and immediately want to start crying. What can I say, I’m human. But, today, I conquered my first blue run with their assistance and clearly lived to tell the story.

038 Now it’s time to sit back and enjoy the fire.

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A Beautiful Day of Skiing at Stratton Mountain

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We were blessed with a gorgeous day on the mountain yesterday! Everyone, ranging from those who spent their day on the top of the mountain enjoying moguls to me, who enjoyed a half day lesson and then a few afternoon runs on my own.

We were all out of the house by 9am, ready to take advantage of our time on the slopes! IMG_1494IMG_1493IMG_1492IMG_1495

Within minutes we had our rental gear in tow and were ready!

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Meet Debbie, my instructor for the morning!

IMG_0226I know my ability and knew that a half day lesson would be better than trying to explore the slopes on my own and fall constantly. I’ve only skied four times in my life and therefore still do not have the form and skills necessary to enjoy a day of skiing.

Debbie was the perfect instructor! She was patient, she had some great insight on my form and skills, and she made me laugh the entire time! One of her goals is to make sure that each student has an "instructional mantra" to remember while they are out on the slopes on their own.

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Even though I was limited to the lower slopes such as Tamarack, Daniel Webster, and Webster’s Way, I had a great time and perfected my form.

My mantra, by the end of the day, was "Butt, Core, Smile"

If I make sure to keep my butt lifted, core engaged, and smiling the run is 100% better! I mean really, as she said, it’s not like there is a toilet to sit down on when you’re skiing. :) The improved which she taught me yesterday meant that I’m barely sore today. A HUGE DIFFERENCE FROM LAST YEAR!

We took a quick lunch break to toast to a wonderful day on the slopes. Nothing tastes better than a cold beer mid-day!

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I spent the rest of the afternoon tending to my favorite skier. Unfortunately, he tweaked his knee on the moguls on his last run of the morning.

But, I still had time for an hour and a half on my own. It was so much fun, especially since I didn’t fall at all which meant I was nice and dry all day!

IMG_0239IMG_1524IMG_1523  Next up, making dinner for 17 people and pleasing everyone! ;)

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