When Lexi wakes up on Valentines Day morning, what do you think she will be expecting. Roses? cards? chocolates? Breakfast in bed? – who knows? What she won’t have thought about, not for a second, is one of my blog posts dedicated entirely to love.
I can hear a sharp intake of panicked breath already. “Oh no Tom, what have you done?”
(She will say a rude word or two)
Lexi has been very clear from the outset, she does not want to be involved in 4 Low 4 Adventure posts. In fact she seems to think this is some sort of mid life crisis and would prefer it all just went away. I have done my best to abide by this, fleeting glances on social media or glimpses in videos and only ever light mentions in the blog itself.
But today, the most romantic day of the whole year I feel maybe it’s time to step outside of the rules, especially as I can not be with her (Archie and I have gone away on our own mini adventure….) So here is a post dedicated to one of my greatest loves, a poem that for me captures everything:
Breath in, breath out.
Give thanks, my day starts.
These days I crave simplicity,
connection to myself, to the planet, to the sun, moon, wind, water, clouds
I want the raw.
I want my legs to burn
and my eyes to sting
and my heart to racket in my rib cage
and my body to leap and bound and fly
and breathe in heaving lung fulls of the freshest mountain air
I want to worship the crackling brevity of our time here
To me, this is skiing
It is harmony in all sounds and senses
it is the crinkling of the frost on the trees
the sharp smell of pine stinging your nostrils
the way the wind whips into every crevice when you are at full speed
it is the quiet of snow falling through the open air
a soulful silence where there is only just existence.
It is the cacophony of overcoming fear,
an unspoken symphony when you can orchestrate your freedom.
A place to be nimble through the trees and obstacles,
powerful through the open unknown,
or unsure of yourself looking down at the world and your line below.
It is a place to be human.
Skiing gives us a slate on which to experience life,
a chance to play, choking on powder on those bottomless days
when every turn seems to be in just the right spot
and time seems suspended
a chance to feel like a child again
Sharing the pink mountain tops with your friends in the last light of the day
Skiing is a place to be yourself
To do what you want
And go where you want
To tune in or tune out
It’s a place to dig into the earth of your desires
Your sadness, your frustrations, your dreams
To lay it all out on the table, on the mountain in front of yourself
To say, I want nothing and I want everything and I am not sure how to do this.
Skiing is a place where you can throw both metal fingers in the air and pretend you are a gangster.
It’s a way to realise it’s all a dance, so you may as well work on your moves
It’s a place to say, this is me.
YES, YES, YES – I am skiing!!!!
NO, NO, NO – I didn’t write that. (A legendary free skier called Angel Collison did – See it here)
Archie and I have escaped Doha for a whole week of skiing and fun in the snow. I am hoping by now that Social Media has been filled with endless pictures of sunny days and beautiful snow, but I wrote this before we left, so who knows what’s in store! It’s been a long time for me, but finally the stars have aligned and a week skiing in Georgia (in a resort called Gudari…yeah me neither) is nearing an end today for Archie and I.
In the spirit of Valentines day we left Lexi and Jack behind and have headed out for an amazing adventure with some other goons who can’t afford skiing in Europe to enjoy some of the finest skiing available in the former soviet block.
Thats it, more to come soon!
x
P.S. I really wish Lexi was here with us, it feels very odd without her. Happy Valentines day my one true love. x
Clown.
Poor Lexi. Lots of love from CH, Lex. xxx
Hoping this appeals to you, thought in particular you’d enjoy the poem
Oh dear.
Apparently Roses/ Chocolates might have gone down better!!