Rediscovering My Love For Skiing
Start writing a post
Sports

Rediscovering My Love For Skiing

27
Rediscovering My Love For Skiing
Leenda Maraldi

I started skiing when I was four. I always loved moving through the snow, fast, swift; I even loved falling down, cause I always knew I had in me to get back up and try again.

Growing up in a seaside town, I only had the chance to ski once a year, when my family and I would spend a week in the Alps, in the Dolomites, or even abroad. I was still grateful to get to experience my favorite feeling in the world, even though it was just for a short time.

I have skied in Austria, France, Italy, and, now, America. Somehow the mountains always seem to speak the same language, no matter where you go. Somehow the snow always understands me, it guides me, even though we are from two very different places.

When I fell sick with anorexia, at the age of fifteen, skiing stopped feeling good. It felt like losing a lifelong friend. Stuck in a body that was not mine, a body so weak it could barely walk, the mountains and I lost our connection.

I remember crying on top of a slope, as I saw the steep wall, because I knew I could not do it: what hurt the most was knowing that the old me would have raced through that wall without a second thought. But that was not me anymore.

I went through a slow, painful recovery, and I am still rediscovering myself. It has been four years since I started being sick, and I am a completely different person now: sometimes, I can hardly recognize myself.

I went skiing again yesterday. I was terrified, fearing I would not find my connection, fearing I would feel like a stranger in the snow, just like I felt that one time in the Dolomites.

My fear came undone as soon as I got on top of the slope, a sea of white snow facing me. I felt that rush I thought I had lost, I felt that excitement, that passion that my illness took with it. I thought I was never going to get it back, but here it is.

Skiing is still my favorite thing in the world, and I am immensely proud to say that. Moving through the snow is still my favorite feeling. Moving fast and feeling safe, knowing the snow will be there to catch me if I fall: nothing will ever match that feeling.

I am ready to go back to the snow. It gives me purpose, it makes me feel free, it understands me. Now that I live less than 30 minutes away from the mountains, there is nothing that can stop me.

All of this goes to say, go back to something you left behind you. You might find out it has a lot to offer. You might have grown, but some things will just grow with you.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

21135
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

948383
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

125257
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lots of people sat on the cinema wearing 3D glasses
Pinterest

Ever wonder what your friend meant when they started babbling about you taking their stapler? Or how whenever you ask your friend for a favor they respond with "As You Wish?" Are you looking for new and creative ways to insult your friends?

Well, look no further. Here is a list of 70 of the most quotable movies of all time. Here you will find answers to your questions along with a multitude of other things such as; new insults for your friends, interesting characters, fantastic story lines, and of course quotes to log into your mind for future use.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments