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The Tamarac Lodge had been over capacity with a melting pot of tourists and seasonal staff. I parked my skis among the many slots and seeing the herd of people shoulder to shoulder inside, I opted for outdoor seating. I didn’t realize that it would be a long wait for the rest of my group to come down the slopes of South Lake Tahoe. Soon a bright-eyed man in a matching blue jacket and snow pants asked politely if the seat next to me was taken. I shook my head, no, and when he sat down next to me I noticed the Heavenly Ski Resort patch on his chest had a few seams loose. He avoided eye contact and pretended to be brushing off the snow that had firmly packed itself in the crevasses of his ski boots. After a few moments of silence, we exchanged pleasantries when I asked the most asked question among strangers on the mountain, “Visiting or resident?” “Both” He replied. I paused for a moment in confusion and stared, probably a little too long. He went on to tell me that he worked for a financial firm in New York, but flew every weekend to Reno and drove to South Lake Tahoe. Spending most of his free-time teaching others to ski. I knew if he could afford to have an apartment in both Lake Tahoe and New York the teaching gig was not for financial gain, but for a true passion of the sport. I inquired further, “What age group is your favorite?” “Around your age, people in their twenties.” Again, another answer that somehow left me with more questions seeing as he, himself, was in his early thirties. Without missing a beat he explained, “Kids are fun, but they don’t have the strength to hold themselves up for very long. Some don’t want to listen and they get frustrated. Older adult beginners are too timid to try new things or let go of control.” Pausing for a moment to look at his watch, he abruptly stood up. He thanked me for my time and I thanked him for sharing his story. It was time for the next nervous student to learn the excitement of skiing down the slopes. After he left, I came to realize you can change your circumstances and situations at any moment. You aren’t stuck in one job, one place, or even one way of living. I had never met anyone close to my age that adjusted his way to thinking and adjusted his lifestyle to really live. Live without the anxiety of impermanence or change. I looked around at the parents pulling their crying children and the hurried couples, I felt as though I was holding onto sacred information. Something about that chance encounter with a stranger had a liberating effect, it left me feeling a little lighter the rest of the trip in South Lake Tahoe. I was glad to be alone in a crowd on that sunny December day.