How I do LOVE cross country skiing!!!!!

I can't believe that at least 2 winters had gone by and I hadn't touched my x-ctry skis. When I moved to the Seattle area 20 years ago it was to start a bit fresh from the flatlands of Kansas and to be back in the place where I recalled living as a small child and developing those first memories of gray skies, water, mountains, and snow.

On Sunday I went out with a couple of my women friends and we drove out to Cabin Creek, just beyond Snoqualmie Pass, and spent a couple of hours silently skiing through the snow - okay, maybe not so silently since we were three 40-something chicks catching up on each other's lives. There was an immense amount of snow. Snow so white that when it's piled that deep you can see bright blue when there are holes or cracks in the snow piles. GORGEOUS!!!!!

It all reminded me of my mid-20's when I really got into the outdoors here and started hiking, climbing, skiing, snow shoeing and more. I love this place and to me being out in these beautiful spaces is a way to reveal the soul of why I love what it is that I do.... it's because I love living here and any chance I have to help someone come this way, whether by relocation or moving within the area, is a way for me to connect with more of the places that are here.

All I know is that I will be heading out to ski again as soon as possible - and most likely next weekend. It's a great, relatively short trip that packs a big punch of personal goodness to it: exercise, stress reducing, friend building, beautiful views of the landscape and more. Although I have to admit it probably wasn't enough skiing to offset the big burger and onion rings we stopped to get at the local XXX in Issaquah. Those burgers are enormous! Oh, and their root beer is VERY good too....

I hope you love where you are and what you do just as much!