Winter Extraordinaire: Christmas in Park City, UT

May all the best wine in the world flow into your cup…

A brave man took on the task of teaching my Mom and I how to ski this winter. What a sight we must have been; arriving late, fumblingly in our clunky ski boots and extremely frazzled to our ski lesson. By the time we got to the meeting place I wasn’t sure I desired to learn to ski anymore. But then we met Jon, our ski coach. A man that could be mistaken for Santa Clause minus the beard; John met our frazzled state with a much needed sense of peace and overall enjoyment of the snowy mountains surrounding us. On the whole, the Park City Ski School team did a fabulous job assuring us that everything would be just fine and ushering us up the mountain, leaving our present worries and anxieties to the wind.

As we began to spend the day learning the basic ropes of skiing with Jon, it quickly became evident that Jon was no ordinary guy. Seemingly a jack of all trades yet fantastic at everything he did, Jon taught two high-maintance gals how to ski with the upmost patience and lightheartedness. What caught me most off guard was the boisterous way he loved life, the life he had lived and was living. A forester by trade, John also had spent 3 years in submarines for the US Navy, had immense carpentry and gardening skills (with four houses built by hand and a colorful salsa garden to boast) and has been skiing for 70+ years, with much of that time being spent on ski patrol. Now finding himself spending his present time ski instructing, Jon effortlessly overflowed with incredible stories adventure and wisdom from his life.

By evening three thoughts were running through my head:

a.) how did he have so many occupations and yet so much success?

b.) Jon really, really loves life

c.) how has he come to attain such a daily excitement to be alive??

As we chatted and laughed on the ski lifts and slopes I began to learn Jon’s approach and secret to life. Love life, love people and love knowledge. What’s amazing that Jon has taught himself almost everything he knows. When I asked him if he just randomly jumped from job to job he quickly said,

“No. Most of what I did was done while I was working as a forester. I would teach myself carpentry and such and then the opportunity would come. Opportunity always comes when you apply yourself.”.

Adventure and people oriented, Jon is the perfect example of what it looks like to fearlessly pursue the things that make you want to aspire to do more than just be good at holding a coffee cup for more than 8 hours a day. Jon has realized a sad truth about the world: there is enough anger in the world to sustain it for all of time. So, "Why wake up angry and then let that anger grow through out the day? There’s nothing to be angry about.". And Jon couldn't be more spot on. Why add to the anger of the world? What will that accomplish?

While we came to Park City with the intent of learning to Ski, we instead left with a new friend, and refreshed perspective on life and inspired to pursue the adventure that life so abundantly offers. Jon parted ways with us, himself prepping to head to Alaska and ourselves en route to a new home with the blessings of "May all the best wine in the world flow into your cup.". May we all learn to embrace like Jon does and learn to genuinely wish the best for people.

(while we in Park City we stayed at the Hilton Sunrise Lodge and took our ski lessons through Park City Ski School. Five Star Recommend!)