Best Foot Forward

WOW! It's only been like two and a half weeks since I arrived in Switzerland, but everything that we've gotten done it might as well have been a month. The country even welcomed me with a nice snowfall for the fist week, which has since all but melted now...but it was there.

By now I am over the jet lag, the students have arrived, and the 10/11 school for snowboarders has begun. I am really excited for what this season has in store for me. I have taken on some different responsibilities and this time around will be overseeing the hospitality here on base.

Hey Matt, what does that mean? Hospitality stuff?

Well I'll be welcoming guests to the base, making sure that their rooms are clean and ready for them, that our speakers have the resources that they need to teach in the mornings, which could be something as simple as a cup of coffee, or perhaps it's copying some handouts. It's not something that comes naturally to me, but that just means I'm going to be putting a lot of effort into it to make sure that it's done well. Perhaps I'll let you know how good I get at it by the end, and perhaps you'll even get to experience it, but no promises.

This weekend, before most of the students arrived, I was given a chance to take some Matt time and I did just that, on top of a mountain. Of course the only adventurous way to get there is to hike up it, and who needs a trail when there's an incredibly steep slope to scale? not I. Up I went and it was stellar, complete view of the valley of Davos, snow, slippery, windy, bight blue sky, but no camera with which to take pictures so I'll try to use words...

I approached the small plateau covered in a small but dense layer of snow along a path marked out by a single set of footprints in the white frozen water, only the largest rocks were visible beneath their cold blanket. From the plateau I could finally see the summit with it's pile of stones brought up from the bottom by all those who'd conquered the mountain before me. Several times on the hike I thought I'd reached the top only to have another ridge ride up in front of me. This time however was different, the feeling of accomplishment was rising up from my feet spreading through my body. I still had to be careful, I'd not arrived yet and the uncertain and slippery footing was worthy of my attention. Despite the footprints continuing all the way to the peak I decided to strike out on my own adventure of finding my way through the snow.
Behind me stretching out into the valley sat the city of Davos quietly awaiting the winter's arrival. From this vantage point I removed my shoes for the ground belongs to God, and soaked in all that He had for me.
Alas the cold grabbed a hold of me and I donned my shoes and prepared to descend down an unknown path along the backside of the hill. Another height reached, another sight seen.

Matt Clarke
Go Big or Go Home!