Ice skate on a frozen lake

“The surface of the lake was smooth and completely firm, which made me feel safer. Underneath the thick layer of ice, everything was black: the water. For the first hour, I skated very slowly, sweating profusely. I fell three times and once, smacked my hand and the small of my back. I’d taken the precaution of keeping my backpack on to protect my head if I fell backward. The problem was learning to get back up.”

“A fine, cotton candy–like mist began to fall over everything, but the skies remained clear, blue turning to orange. We were immersed in the silence of the forest. It was all deeply beautiful. I started to push harder and go faster, and little by little I began to lift my feet. The conversation distracted me from my body and, it seemed, my fear.”

“Despite the fact that I’ve been skating in rinks for almost as long as I can remember, there is a vast difference between Zamboni groomed ice and natural ice. Natural ice is wonky, has shallow cracks, and small chunks are sometimes missing…in short, it takes constant vigilance to spot the obstacles. I took it very slowly and felt badly for slowing the progress down for everyone else.”