vacation recap

Upper Bowl at Skibowl

I am home from a most excellent mountain vacation with my husband and a few of our dearest Portland friends. I was chatting on the phone with my aunt about it today as I was out and about running errands and I told her I never thought I'd be able to afford anything I would classify as a dream vacation, but this was it. I told her how much we loved that our cabin was in the middle of the forest and had a nice kitchen so we could bring our own food and not have to leave. We loved cooking and sharing meals together, and waking up and having coffee and smoothies together in the morning. There was a hot tub on the deck and after we came home from snowshoeing and snowboarding for the day, we immediately poured wine and hopped in together and swapped stories about our adventures from that day. Last night, six of us piled on the couch to watch a movie under cozy blankets. We listened to good music. We did some yoga. We danced a little. There were no expectations. We had nowhere to be, no one to impress and it really felt like all of us were able to unwind and fully relax, something we all needed. My aunt pointed out that it sounded like my dream vacation wasn't about money at all, but more about the connectivity with close friends, the forest and the mountain. I realized that she was completely right and it made me feel grateful that I feel grateful for simple things! There were no arguments between anyone, no discussions about where to go to dinner, who should wear what, how to split the check at a restaurant, none of that. It was such a refreshing and invigorating vacation. Not to mention, it was only an hours drive from Portland so we didn't even have any travel related stress.

Lenticular cloud over Mt. Hood, February 6th, 2013

 My husband took the top photo of me at Skibowl yesterday. It was an amazing day. The snow was light and fluffy and for the first time ever, I was able to let go of some of the fear I have around linking tight turns. I had always refused to even try it because I was scared. If I ever gave myself permission to give it a shot, I wouldn't fully commit and would end up turning on my back edge at the last minute to avoid falling. But once I let go of the fear (and allowed myself to fall a few times), I did it. I wondered why I had never been able to do it before since it seemed like it was just a subtle shift of weight that allowed me to turn while still maintaining a sense of control, balance and ease. Fear is funny that way. It can be paralyzing and fill your heart with self doubt. There are so many great quotes about fear, but for now I think this one sums it up: "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy." -Dale Carnegie

Our sweet little Podunk Cabin

Keith and I at the top of the Lower Bowl chair lift.

The roads in the forest are a little different than Portland.

What I took from this relatively short but very sweet vacation was worth every penny and more that we spent on the cabin rental. I had been so tightly wound prior to this trip that I almost didn't even want to go anymore. We planned the trip before we planned to move and I was stressed. All I wanted to do was stay home and unpack boxes, but my spirit felt stuck and I didn't even realize it. As soon as I stepped out of the car on the first day and took my first breath of mountain air, I felt myself unravel a bit in the most perfect of ways. My soul felt cleansed and my spirit free. I don't need fancy things, lavish vacations or any of that stuff. What I need is what I already have.