Two-year skating anniversary!
My adult-skater journey is officially two years old today, and I still can't believe I finally returned to the ice 16 years after a sprained ankle had me bidding a very grateful adieu to a sport I didn’t like that much and wasn’t very good at in the first place. It has been one humbling, heartening adventure filled with seemingly insurmountable challenges and positively addicting rewards that I am so lucky to call mine.
I have learned so much about myself--including how to be a better version of me--because of this sport. I have made so many new friends because of it, both IRL and through digital communities, and the incredible, tireless support I’ve gotten from my skating sisters is only matched by the friends who’ve both uncomplainingly revised plans to accommodate the song of my people (“I caaaaan’t, because skating”) and who do things like veritably bombard me with so much love the day I passed my first test. I'm so thankful that so many amazing people want to come along for the ride, especially my poor husband, who has been just gobsmackingly, next-level supportive. I so appreciate that my nearest and dearest never once made me feel like skating is even a fraction as frivolous of a pursuit as it really is. I do sincerely appreciate that the most important people in my life understand that we all have that one particular madness to serve, especially because I want to double down this year and finally take skating as seriously as my goals need me to.
What's more: It’s making me a morning person, it’s dragging me out of my introvert shell, and it’s forcing me to live outside my comfort zone. It’s shown me that I actually can summon the diligence to ride out the plateaus and claw my way to the breakthroughs that damn near leave me a weeping mess on the ice every time they happen.
My body may be a machine on the decline but I’m gonna wring every minute of flying I can from it because I still have so much skating to do and so so SO much to learn. But, goddamn, I am awfully proud of how far I’ve come.
I have learned so much about myself--including how to be a better version of me--because of this sport. I have made so many new friends because of it, both IRL and through digital communities, and the incredible, tireless support I’ve gotten from my skating sisters is only matched by the friends who’ve both uncomplainingly revised plans to accommodate the song of my people (“I caaaaan’t, because skating”) and who do things like veritably bombard me with so much love the day I passed my first test. I'm so thankful that so many amazing people want to come along for the ride, especially my poor husband, who has been just gobsmackingly, next-level supportive. I so appreciate that my nearest and dearest never once made me feel like skating is even a fraction as frivolous of a pursuit as it really is. I do sincerely appreciate that the most important people in my life understand that we all have that one particular madness to serve, especially because I want to double down this year and finally take skating as seriously as my goals need me to.
What's more: It’s making me a morning person, it’s dragging me out of my introvert shell, and it’s forcing me to live outside my comfort zone. It’s shown me that I actually can summon the diligence to ride out the plateaus and claw my way to the breakthroughs that damn near leave me a weeping mess on the ice every time they happen.
My body may be a machine on the decline but I’m gonna wring every minute of flying I can from it because I still have so much skating to do and so so SO much to learn. But, goddamn, I am awfully proud of how far I’ve come.
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