I blame my parents for starting it. I blame myself for perpetuating it. Addiction is a family disease; it can be passed on from generation to generation and can affect the whole family. I'll admit it: I'm an addict...a ski addict. I mean, acceptance is the first step, right? But this is an addiction I refuse to give up.
My parents raised me on skis (shoutout to Belle and Raul!). Ever since I can remember, we spent weekends driving up to the mountains, my sister Rachel and I spent time in ski school (which we dreaded at the time) and we spent every spring break on a family ski vacation. I didn't know then, but this is where my addiction began.
I was put on skis at the young age of 2.5 years. Not in ski boots, just the strap-your-winter-snow-boots-on type of ski to get used to the feel of them. Then, at 3.5 years of age, I was ready for real skis and ski boots. This is where I began to master the 'ski boot walk' and started my journey with the most uncomfortable boot I would ever wear but continually shoved my foot into week after week. (seriously...why hasn't someone designed a more comfortable ski boot?!)
"A pair of skis are the ultimate transformation to freedom" - Warren Miller
I got onto the 'big girl' slopes first, as my dad held me between his legs while "pizza-ing" the whole way down making wide 'S' turns and further graduated to the 'ski harness' with more freedom. I was put in ski school which I remember thinking was the worst thing ever and cried that they made me carry my own ski (yes...a single ski since I was physically too small to carry both). I was a bit of a ski diva. My parents tell stories of them spying on me in my lessons through bushes and hiding behind trees like secret spies. I hated ski school, but it paid off....by the age of 4.5 I was skiing like a pro, lapping the POMA lift at #Okemo and trailblazing the green circles with my parents. I loved skiing down the trails as fast as lightning (or so I thought at the time..) and distinctly remember my parents threatening I would have to sit in the lodge if I didn't make big 'S' turns the whole way down. Guess I was a bit of a rebel..
Since then, I've continued to love skiing and all things related. I've learned valuable life lessons on the ski slopes (stay tuned for a separate post on this!) and made countless memories with both family and friends. It's an addiction running 25 years strong and it's one I plan on perpetuating for generations to come.
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