About a month ago, Lynsey (Dyer) called me and left me a message. “Hey C-Bear (what she always calls me), I am on the verge of something and need to know: What is your biggest jump of your life to date?” I couldn’t call her back for a few days because for the first time in a while, I was completely stumped by the same question I ask people. I was trying to think of specific moments, lost in time (or forever kept) that would be able to concretely date myself to a distinct moment when I took a leap of faith—but I never could think of one. Finally I called her back and said, “Lyns, I think that my whole life is a series of jumps, just leading up to what I believe in terms of how I want my life to be lived—full of a sense of accomplishment, knowing I never backed down.”

I will admit she did not seem satisfied with my answer. She understood where I was coming from, but pressured me further: “Come on, just one specific moment…” I can hear myself asking people that I cook for at the Wildcat Chalet the same question: “Did you have just one turn today that was just epic? One turn that just made your whole season?” Nope, still couldn’t think of one. So the conversation stopped.

Fast forward to three weeks later. I am in Chile. Correction, I am living Chile. Working as a ski guide for a company called “CASA Tours.” As I was on the plane down here, I suddenly realized, this is my jump. I have never been to Chile before (much to my client’s dismay) but am floored by the sense of direction that I suddenly see my life taking. I realize that I have put a lot of work into where I am at….that I didn’t just get here by faking it. Also, 7 years ago when I started college I realized my passion lies with language. I knew that my dream would be to find the ultimate combination of language and skiing…and so it goes. Gomez, my jefe, took a Jump with me. He hired me knowing what I have potential to do…

Everyday here is an adventure. Everyone says that when they are traveling. In fact, it is incredibly easy to use superlatives when you are traveling because everything is new. LIke my skis flying off the top of a bus at 120 km per hour and getting run over by a semi--and recovering. I thought that could be the worst thing ever...but all works out. Another jump? Skiing on 192 cm Black Diamond Zealots. But this--the essence of being in Chile and working this job--feels different to me. There are times when I am incredibly anxious, I wonder if I am screwing up—if it’s like the emperor has no clothes and everyone knows it except me. Then I realize, again in the sense of jumping, that sometimes you just have to trust that people also see what is in you that helps them.

Today I got to go cat skiing at Ski Arpa, high up in the Andes. We skied over 10,000 vertical feet of varied snow—I won’t lie, there were challenging spots of breakable crust that were…well, face-plantable. But it was all in the shadow of Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside of Asia. While I felt proud in a small way of allowing myself to manifest this experience into my destiny, I let a seed get planted in my mind: what is the next step?

Patience, young Jedi. Just as I was letting the cervezas at 10,000 feet do the thinking after our day of skiing, I heard that Anton, the son of the owner of Ski Arpa, skied Aconcagua last year. I’m so stoked when I hear this: “Just let me give you a high five. Seriously? You skied it? That is so cool!” Then he says, “Oh you would love this…” And proceeds to tell me about a woman who showed up at the basecamp of Aconcagua—solo—looking for people with whom she could summit and ski the massive volcano. “Who is this girl?”, I’m thinking….

“Kellie Okonek.” Ahh, a Jumper. All of a sudden it all goes clear. Lucid. I am flying high above the Andes seeing the lives we lead as small ribbons of color that dance around in random patterns making up a bigger oeuvre.

I get it.

To Jump, is to Live. It’s beyond that as well: it’s to let other people live and to let their lives, and their struggles and their stories bring you along in your mind and theirs.

Figure out which way the universe is spinning and surf it!