My ski day with my son definitely sparked joy for me. It was a great day, warm weather, blue sky, good snow - exactly how I like my ski days to be. An added bonus was all the interesting people we met on the gondola. When we had to share the gondola with other people, a little part of me was hoping not to have share so we could talk on our own. But each time we shared with other people, it was a great experience.
We met a cool young guy from Australia working at the hill. He said he was having the best year of his life. He just graduated from University in Melbourne and will be working as an accountant on his return home, but he is enjoying skiing every free moment he has this winter. I suggested to my son that might be an option for him after high school or university. I think those are the "magic years" when you have so much freedom. It is great to see people doing things they really love and might not normally get to do when they have other responsibilities.
We met another couple from England, who were taking a year to live in Canada. They lived in Vancouver for a few months and just moved to Banff for the ski season. Then they are going to travel across Canada before returning home. They are here on a working holiday visa, so they can afford to have this experience of a lifetime by working along the way. And finally, we met a lovely woman who lives in Banff and recommended the Ice Sculpting Exhibits they have there this week.
At the end of the day, I felt so fulfilled from a great time skiing and having interesting conversations with my son and all the amazing people we met throughout the day! I might not be able to go skiing every week, but I am going to continue make a conscious effort to do things, big or small, that spark joy for me! It's not that hard to do and it makes life so enjoyable!
