On Wednesday afternoon, the skies opened – or rather, they clouded over and dumped an astonishing 6+ inches of snow in a matter of hours.
It’s been quite a dry winter in New Mexico and this fluffy downpour was much needed. It transformed this high desert into a winter wonderland and gave the ski mountains something we haven’t seen all year: fresh powder. So when Thursday morning dawned with still clouded skies, I decided to do something I hadn’t done in quite some time – play hooky from work and go skiing.
I grew up skiing in the Northeast which is not renowned for ideal conditions. We got plenty of snow but temperature swings often meant that it was coated in a layer of ice. One of the biggest mountains in the state is not-so-affectionately known as “Iceface” because of the slippery conditions. So when I moved out west, I couldn’t wait to hit the runs with some classic powdery conditions.
Winter had other plans, however, and the few times I’ve been out on one of the local mountains, it’s been more similar to conditions I grew up with than conditions the west coast is famous for. You can ski perfectly well on man-made snow and ice, but it’s not nearly as fun. I was itching for snow.
Hitting the slopes with the fresh snowfall was perfect. It was the best day I’ve had skiing in close to a decade – if not more. I braved runs I had been too scared to venture onto and found myself laughing and cheering as I bumped along the powdery obstacles.
It reminded me of something my yoga teacher said during our New Moon class – play is essential. Play is feminine. As someone who makes a living off creativity, play is rejuvenating. It is refreshing and so necessary for my brain.
Play is not something most adults make time for. Play is childish and often considered a waste of time. I would counter that play is necessary because it is childish.
We all need to have fun. Children are joyful as they play, uninhibited. They laugh and cheer without worry of their appearance. Laughter is literally healing for the brain and most adults do not laugh enough for brain maintenance, let alone healing.
There on the slopes hidden in the clouds, I laughed so much my teeth froze. I laughed so much I nearly lost my balance. I laughed so hard I stopped concentrating and almost fell into the deep drifts punctuating the slopes. I cheered and whooped and hollered and no one minded in the slightest.
All day on the mountain I heard people making a joyful ruckus. It’s no secret that our world is full of stress and despair and reasons to lose your smile. But for several hours yesterday, dozens of people were lost in the magic of a fresh snowfall and a mostly empty mountain and it was full of joy.
Of course, skipping work for a day means more work when I return but I didn’t mind. I basked in that post-snow joy all day and woke up this morning ready to tackle my to-do list.
That’s the benefit of play. It not only relieves stress, it actually improves brain function and boosts creativity. Play can be an activity like skiing, or it can be as simple as a romp around the yard with the dog, shooting some hoops, a paint by number, or coloring in a coloring book.
I’ve noticed out here more of a willingness to play. Adults are ready to banter and joke around in the grocery line, taking up a little extra time to connect and brighten one another’s day – a far cry from stores in the Northeast that have competitions to see which cashiers can scan groceries the fastest and get through the most customers in a shift. Perhaps it is the cultural shift, losing the New York pace of mind. Perhaps it is the small town where so many people run into friends and connections unexpectedly. Perhaps it comes down to a different set of values entirely.
I am embarking on a large creative project this year, my longest one to date. To do so requires a massive amount of concentration – and on the other side of that, more play to balance it out and give my brain time to recover. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more snowstorms that allow me to get out on the mountain and just have fun with it.
