Big Sigh

I spent the entire afternoon skiing off-piste today at Treble Cone, making turns with a friend and ski client of mine. It may not sound like such a big deal, especially considering that something like 85% of our terrain is off-piste and that I am, after all, a professional instructor, but it was a pretty big relief for me. It's now ten months since I blew out my knee and nine months since I had reconstructive surgery. I've spent countless hours in the gym and on my bike and have watched as my friends and colleagues enjoyed the best season Vermont has seen in a generation. I've tried and sometimes failed to maintain my focus, tried and sometimes failed to be patient, and I have leaned on many people at numerous times for support and encouragement. I have a long way to go and a lot of work yet to do, but today I really felt in my movements on skis and generally, in a very visceral way, that I will be able to come all the way back to where I was and that I may actually have learned some things in the process. I'll post some photos of the skiing at TC shortly, perhaps even some action shots of yours truly, but it's now time for a beer, some laughs with friends and a big bag of late-night frozen vegetables for the knee.