I believe this: everyone needs a release. Life is full of stress, aggravation, and many other things that fry brain, body, and soul. I believe that everyone should have some way to deal with this. The best way is to find an escape; a place where you can forget about everything. My place is on the mountain snowboarding. When I’m standing above everything and I can see forever, my mind releases everything. It’s like the “clear history” button on a computer. When I’m hauling down the snowy mountain it’s impossible to think about anything else: school, work, girlfriend problems, drama, and everything else aren’t able to keep up with me. Winding in and out of the trees takes so much concentration that if any of those worries come into mind those trees are going to get the best of me.
When I’m going off jumps I can feel every heartbeat in my body. I’m so in sync with now, right now, my mind can’t process what happened five minutes ago or three days ago, there is only now. The falls shove snow –tingly, cold, and sharp– into my jacket; the icy edges scrape against my skin making it difficult to think of anything but getting it out.
Even when riding the lift up to the top my mind can’t escape the mountain- the absolute beauty of the trees and snow overwhelms me. With my goggles on I can stare straight into the sun, losing myself in its shine.
The best feeling by far is going off the runs and finding little jumps to try tricks off of. The possibilities are endless. I never know if I’m going to land on ice, some fresh powder, or maybe even a rock. I still can’t approach with cautions because I am here, this is the only thing I can do. No matter how hard I eat it, I’m glad to be here and away from my troubles. Last week when I only got eight hours of sleep is past me. It still doesn’t matter that in order to make this trip possible I only got two hours of sleep because I had to do homework and see my girlfriend. I haven’t eaten for the past twelve hours but I can’t feel tired or hungry right now. I have absolutely no worries here. My mind, body, and soul are free.
Everyone has their own fix; maybe the release is simply adrenalin. I don’t care; it is what gets me through the weeks of winter. The weekend getaways clear out all the nonsense that social life places on me. It’s what gets me better grades, and makes me happier day after day. This is how I live: I release my problems, stress, and all other “b.s.” on the mountain. Even though it feels so good, I almost feel bad for it when I leave my problems at the top.