In the cool fresh February morning air, the sun rises over the surrounding mountains of Aspen, Colorado. As I prepare for a daylong of competing on Snowmass Mountain in a variety of skiing competitions, I take a breath thinking about my goal to hopefully achieve a spot in Junior Olympics. I sit back and admire the beautiful morning haze. There is no need to move, just sitting back and admiring is a trip in itself.
As it is early morning, before the mountain officially opens to the public, the world is quiet. Lights are just starting to turn on in the village, no traffic noises, no skiers, and no distractions.
Out of all the early morning sunrises I have experienced this one connected to me the most. Being in my home state and admiring the beauty is all I could ask for. A quiet minute for meditation before a chaotic day filled with stressful runs.
With my mind empty and sitting alone for a few minutes, it truly felt like a couple hours of relaxation. I credit my success from that day to that morning for connecting me to my surroundings and reminding myself why I love what I do.
As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” In this moment I understood the importance of the quote.
Sitting and watching that sunrise will always be a memory I cherish and and a place I will always think about. I’ll never be able to achieve that feeling again, but that is okay, that’s what makes it so special.
I named this story "The Place Where I Belong" because it is one of the most important places to me and with skiing being one of the greatest influences in my life, I would make no sense but to call it that.
