I was a little bit nervous headed into this trip as the first one post-ARVC diagnosis. Partly because I wasn’t sure if skiing would trigger anything but also because I am in MUCH WORSE cardio shape than all other previous years of doing this trip (since I can’t really do any sustained high-intensity cardio anymore), and Big Sky is at altitude (mountain base is ~7500 feet). I remember feeling out of breath at times even when I was in shape so . . . how were things going to shake out with my VO2 max MUCH, MUCH lower?
(Yes, it has been depressing to watch that drop but I can’t really do much about it so I try not to dwell.)
I had initially thought maybe I would just ski half days to stress my system a bit less and decided to book a massage to give myself something to do on one of those days.
Thankfully, it has been pretty okay. If I were wearing a monitor I’m sure it would detect increased ectopic (ventricular beats) compared to my baseline but there was only one really bad moment (the first ski day where my watch picked up a 193 HR) and it self-resolved.
I wouldn’t say I’ve done super long or intense sessions, but I’ve definitely gotten in some enjoyable runs.
(This was yesterday).
Anyway, I did end up doing just a half day yesterday and greatly enjoyed my massage and time spent reading this in cozy sweats by the fireplace:
A joined me for Cozy Room Time (she watched TV) and we had lunch together while C/J kept skiing and G finished her last day of ski school.
Josh picked up these two and they spent some quality time just playing in snow:
And THEN we headed to The Cabin — we’ve eaten there every single visit, so this was #4. It’s a nice ‘finale’ dinner with a really cozy Montana atmosphere.
Today is our last ski day (and then we travel back home). Since I secured our reservation in July (and should have done it earlier . . .), I couldn’t get a room for 12/27, so we are driving back to Bozeman and staying there tonight after skiing. (And then we fly home).
So far, it has been a really great trip AND I’m also exited to return to routines and our house and Planner Setup 2026 (!). We already started strategizing for next year while at dinner . . .
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Two content ideas (or maybe just post holiday personal reflections)
1. You once referenced New Year’s Day is one of your favorite days of the year. In advance of New Year’s Day 2026, would you consider a post about how you structure the day or what you most enjoy to set yourself up for success?
2.every year,I receive a rifle paper company weekly planner that I love. I was shocked and disappointed this year when I discovered they discontinued the traditional format dramatically shrinking the usable space. As a minimalist and frugal
Gal, Im going try to make do with what it is, but if I need to pivot… what should I buy?! Emily Ley weekly and day designer weekly seem to be coming up in much of my internet research. If better for me to just comb your podcast archives, don’t worry about this dramatic post- I’m On it! 😊
ooh!!! I love your first question, I will try to answer in an upcoming post!
As for planners – I am not sure what the original Rifle layout looked like!! But aesthetically, similar to Rifle I agree are Day Designer and Emily Ley. You could also check out Appointed, Golden Coil, and Papier!! And Erin Condren is always an option for great functionality, fun aesthetics, and excellent paper!!
I can imagine you were a little wary going into this skiing vacation, not knowing how your heart would react, but I am really glad you were able to enjoy some good runs on the slopes!
Have you considered getting a chest strap for heart rate monitoring for physically activity? The Apple Watch is not super reliable. I would hate for you to be getting nervous about inaccurate data.
I would have totally ignored that blip on the watch if it didn’t correspond to a time I felt something. Agree it’s not perfect but I like I have developed a bit of a sense of when to trust it. One day I had a Zio on (patch monitor) for the cardiologist and thought I had caught a run of VT on the watch (felt the beats and did the ecg feature) and it did show up exactly that on the tracing. I agree that sometimes it’s just garbage data though!
(and in general I don’t stress about any data — in real time OR afterwards — unless I feel something funky! Otherwise you’re totally right there would be annoying false alarms.)
I just got “Here One Moment” for our trip to Palm Springs! Looking forward to checking it out–Liane Moriarty is such a fun author.
This looks SO fun, Sarah. I love that you got a mix of big adventure (Yellowstone), physical activity (all the skiing), and relaxation. Plus, good food. It really does sound like the PERFECT vacation and I can see why it is becoming a much-loved annual tradition <3