I've been skiing at Sunday River for as long as I can remember. It's ten minutes from my house, which meant growing up, it wasn't a special trip, it was just what I did all winter. I started skiing there when I was six, and over time, the mountain stopped feeling big and unfamiliar and started feeling like mine. I knew the trails, the turns, and the spots where I could go faster than I probably should. Escapade was always my favorite. It wasn't the hardest trail on the mountain, but it was the one that was just steep enough to make me feel like I was a better skier than I was. That changed in 6th grade, when I broke my leg there. One second I was skiing like normal, and the next I was on the ground waiting for ski patrol. After that, Escapade didn't feel the same, I now saw it as a place where everything went wrong, instead of just my favorite trail. After that season, I still skied, but something shifted. I was more aware of how quickly things could change, and the mountain didn't feel as easy as it once did. Simultaneously, that experience stuck with me for a different reason as well, it was the people who showed up to help me. While I didn't think much of it then, in hind sight, I know thats what drew me back in a new way. In high school, I joined the Gould Ski Patrol Program. Instead of just skiing for myself, I started training to take care of others on the mountain. The irony of it wasn't lost on me, I had gone from being the kid who needed ski patrol to someone learning how to be a part of it. During my tenth grade year, the moment that really put everything into perspective was my first practice sled run. Coincidentally, it was actually on Escapade, the same trail where I had broken my leg. Going down it again, but this time responsible for someone else, forced me to see it differently. I wasn't thinking about my own fear anymore. I was focused of staying in control, making good decisions, and most importantly, not letting the sled run me over. That experience changed how I think about being outside. Its not just about enjoying the mountain, its about being aware, being capable, and being there for other people. Now in my senior year of high school, my training is over, and I have helped a plethora of injured skiers, including kids who remind me a lot of myself at that age. Being able to step in during those moments, when someone is hurt or scared, has meant so much more to me than anything else I've done on skis. That responsibility directly influenced the path I want to pursue. Being outdoors and skiing has shown me that i'm drawn to environments where quick thinking and caring for others intersect in meaningful ways. The skills I've begun developing, staying calm in high pressure situations, making informed decisions, and prioritizing the well being of others, are the same ones that define the medical field, and more specifically, nursing. What started as a place I simply grew up skiing, became the foundation for what I want to do in the future, where I've been challenged many times over again, and where I've had to come back from something difficult. Which is why Sunday River is my second home.