***Jessie checking in from South Boston***
Hey everyone! Whether you’re out West knee-deep in powder, building snowmen in the Midwest or out East starting to plan out your gardens, it’s springtime and for us skiers, this is a really special time to come home to family and friends after being on the road all winter, relax and recharge for the year ahead. I always look forward to April because it’s the most time I’ve gotten in months with my husband Wade, and being in our little condo in Southie is such a different experience from being on the road! I love having the chance to cook again (and bake – muffins! cookies! scones! cakes!) and being in the city where I can simply walk everywhere is definitely a change. While I’m a country girl at heart – that’s why I adore living in Stratton all summer where it’s so peaceful, gorgeous and quiet – it’s always fun to mix it up and enjoy a different lifestyle for a few weeks where I can walk to museums, dance classes and concerts.
Wade and I went to Orlando, Florida for a short but very fun four day vacation, and alternated between beach days with me *trying to* surf, and hitting up the Universal theme park for every roller coaster ride there was. Perhaps riding a roller coaster might not be everyone’s idea of a relaxing spring break, but for me, this was the exact opposite of all things ski season…being close to tons of other bodies and not worrying about getting sick, enjoying warm sun, ocean and sand, and the only thing I had to stress about was putting on enough sunscreen! We just loved it, and were extremely grateful for the chance to have this little getaway together.
One thing I’ve been excited to do with my free time is dig deeper into my work with Protect Our Winters as a board member and part of the athlete alliance. Part of this work includes staying up to date with the policy agenda, doing interviews to talk about climate change and keep it on people’s radar, and in some years (like last spring) it might include a trip to the Capital to lobby congress to put climate initiatives on their to-do list. Work like this can sometimes be intimidating, but it’s also what brings depth and a whole lot more meaning to my life as an athlete. When I race, I know that the better I can perform, the bigger the platform I can have to put these issues that I care about in front of people…and that’s a whole lot more motivating than simply racing to try to win!
Another thing I’ve been VERY excited about this spring is the growth of our team! We’re accepting new team members and summer training partners, as well as interviewing some incredible candidates for a new program director position. Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for some fun announcements coming your way!
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