I know you’re surprised and delighted to hear from me.
In fact, you might be wondering: what is going on in your life? I could document the mundane nuts and bolts of a glamourous student life in Toronto, where I am very well and happy; but instead, I will regale you with tales of my stint in an alternate reality.
I have taken a little hiatus from reality over the last week and a bit. In a rash decision that reading week should not be spent in Toronto doing work - writing research proposals, marking student papers, running data exercises and conducting literature reviews – I hopped on a plane to visit my sister in Switzerland. She is a ski instructor in a tiny town in the Swiss Alps, Haute Nendaz, where I have been skiing, drinking, partying and playing for nearly a week now.
It is beautiful. The town is a quaint collection of chalets which at night stud lights on an otherwise dark mountain face. Nendaz is one of 4 connected valleys through which you can ski from one to another. There are tourists from all over and at least three languages spoken at any moment. In fact, I have been educated as to the meaning of a fittie, the dog’s bollocks, mingin’, and pants. (Ok, so there are a lot of Brits around.)
I have seen glaciers, avalanches, a meter of fresh powder and sheer ice… the views are breathtaking from every vantage point – little chalets are tucked into the snow in surprising places, the trees defy staggering slopes and rocky cliff faces. The sun, mist and intense blue sky inspire every moment. In fact, my sister arranged for a fabulous surprise for me so that I might see the world even better. She instructed me to come to the top of the gondola for 3.30pm as a pedestrian; I figured she wanted to have a drink and enjoy the view since that is when her day ends and I had not gone skiing that day.
However, once at the top she asked how I was getting down – the gondola - wrong… she leads me over a hill, where there is a tandem parasail waiting. IT WAS AWESOME. I got all strapped in (mostly the lead-guy strapped me in since I was too excited and distracted) and then he instructed that I run, litterally off a cliff. yikes. I was afraid that I couldn’t run fast enough, but in two or three moments we were simply lifted up up into the cold mountain air. We flew, like an eagle for nearly and hour. Doing tricks (oh my god) and catching pockets of warm(er) air which take you up even higher. Hovering over a rocky cliff, I thought to myself: “I don’t have insurance… my dad would freak… think of something else…” and it was all good. Truly peaceful and breathtaking. The view, and the feeling of flying, were simply a rush. It seemed more of a dream than reality.
The day before I was skiing with a guy from Liverpool and his cousins suggested running down the speedtrap, which measures just how fast you are going. So, in a bet on who could reach 70, we went in turn. First his cousins, then I… a few skateskis and a tight tuck, and then, with the speedtrap verifying that I was cruising at 68km/h my edge caught ice and I bailed at the bottom of the run. Yes, I lost a ski; Yes, there was an audience. I was able to walk away just fine – except for a truly broken ass – which resulted in us all laughing and the bet being forgotten.
I was a bit shook up, however, which is not inconsistent with this vacation. On my flight over, I felt ill and for the first time in my life fainted. It is a strange feeling to collapse in an airplane aisle and come to clutching a stanger’s arm only to be whisked away by four flight attendants who speak awfully fast and cover you in ice. A bit surreal in fact.
And so, between dinners at beautiful chalets, nights dancing and drinking at the bar, and days spent either high in the sky, racing down the slopes or recovering in bed, I have been in a world apart. Life seems very distant here, and in this bittersweet dream, I am selfish, irresponsible, impulsive and truly delighted. The tequila flows almost as freely as the hot wine apres ski. Oh, and the chocolate… seriously, I may be in love.
We all need to live a daydream, don’t we? At least for a fleeting moment or two. With the world both so big and small, it seems just that each of us give and take something a little different now and then. So indulge, and jump off a cliff of your own.
with love,
