NOLS Dispatch; Issue 3; The Telemark Affect

The Telemark Affect


I tried a new type of skiing this weekend, telemark, a free heel style that is more fluid then downhill. It was one of the toughest days mentally that I have had in a while. Nothing seemed to be working, no matter what I tried, or how much my muscles burned, it was frustrating. My second run of the day went a lot better. I'm glad I knew how to ski parallel as it allowed me to try new things but still remain in control. Right in the middle of that run, I had three turns that were perfect. The feeling was of pure bliss, it just flowed, one leg sliding in front of the other, I got so excited I fell over. By that time my legs were gone, and I could hardly stand, but the rest of the day I chased that feeling of bliss.


In the movie Treasure Planet the cyborg, when talking about his mechanical half, said, "you give up a few things, chasing a dream," and as college is coming up I start to wonder what path I want to take. Do I want to live the dream, or make enough money to live comfortably and recreationally live my dream that way. I'm in Dave Ramsey's FPU and have learned that one can live comfortably with a modest income, I don't have to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. I want to chase that feeling, not of success but of bliss.

The big issues is I don't yet know how that translates to the 'real world'. I will cross that bridge when I get there, but I am really excited to overcome this new challenge.


K