The trend this week on Instagram is to share photos from 2016. From what I can tell, it’s all about reminiscing to a time when things felt simpler (and less existentially fraught.) But I have another take on it after reflecting on what changed for me in 2016.
2016 marked the start of graduate school for me. The last 10 years has been constant growth - going back to school, becoming a physical therapist, taking my first PT jobs out of school, becoming a business owner. It’s been peeling back layers of who I thought I was to find new layers of who I am and who I’ve always been.
I’ve been thinking a lot of about snowboarding lately, so my trip down memory lane to find 2016 photos led me to photos from a decade of teaching snowboarding and living the life of a ski bum instead. Check out the photo collection from this era of my life here.
I switched to skiing full time a few years ago. I was enjoying learning in other realms, and getting better at skiing felt like a new challenge. Wow, I just recently woke up to the realization of how much I miss snowboarding though. This sport literally ushered me through life to 30.
I want to integrate two selves of mine - the self that is hustling and learning everyday and the self that chose fun everyday. The photos are just little snapshots from a life where my concerns were an $8 paycheck and how to get fries and a beer for free after work. But it was so much more than that. It was playful, fun, creative, joyful, full of friends and laughter, listening to the same songs on repeat on an iPod mini, skiing bell to bell on a powder day or getting back to the car late after bush whacking in the Middle Fork. It spanned my life from college, took me to the Tetons, to Utah, and back to Montana. I bit my lip, hit my head, and core shot my board more times than I could count.
I shared it with SO many friends.
The world wasn’t perfect. 2016 wasn’t some pivotal year that democracy started falling. Many POC, LGBTQ and immigrants have never been safe here. Climate change didn’t start then. Many Americans didn’t know a steady paycheck then. Ski towns were grappling with mental health issues and high suicide rates.
I’m not making an appeal to go back to this time or to live a life blissfully unaware of responsibility and the news cycle. I’m just looking to integrate a sense of myself from a decade where I prioritized fun. Laughter and movement dominated my life.
I see so many adults who have gotten away from the things that made them feel alive when they were younger. We blame work, being busy, family responsibilities, being tired. The list goes on. The world is heavy right now.
Despite the news, despite how busy you feel, despite how many people are relying on you, and despite how many responsibilities you have taken on, you have a responsibility to take care of yourself first. Find joy where you can. Take care of your body. Prioritize movement.
Pain feeds on fear and stress.
If you feel like you’re living a different life than you did in your 20’s (or any other decade) I want to hear about it. What would you bring back from that decade of life if you could? What would it take to do that?
Warmly,
Katy