Becoming A. Ward: Mountains

One of the many perks of living in western Canada is accessibility to the Rocky Mountains. This past weekend, Nate and I made good on a resolution to take full advantage of our location and we spent the weekend in Banff and Lake Louise. I had never been to the Rockies in winter. It lived up to every expectation. For Christmas, Nate stuffed my stocking with Lake Louise lift tickets...I laughed a little at the image of myself in the form of a giant snowball at the bottom of the mountain. I'm not the best skier. Regardless, I could hardly wait to stand on top of that mountain, breathe the freshest air, and lose that same breath to the view...so what if I would be holding onto a tree for dear life. Nate was so patient with me. On a run that would have taken a beginner level skier 15 minutes to reach bottom, took us almost an hour. Don't get me wrong, we stopped a few times to take in our surroundings, we also stopped a few times to pull me out of the trees. I wish I could have thanked the mother of the 10 year old child who gracefully stopped to see if I was okay. I left a lot on the mountain that day including a mitten, $5, and my pride. We peeled ourselves off the mountain and caught up on some much needed rest and relaxation. We indulged in wine, amazing food, and sleep. I'll share with you a few highlights from our mountain adventure. For now, I bid you adieu.