Wow, the season is over! I don’t even know where to begin?!I faced numerous challenges this year, many more than I would have hoped for. I am however, fortunate to have had the opportunity to face and overcome my challenges successfully. They have made me stronger mentally and physically, they have taught me how to ride the lows and enjoy the highs, and they have made me really grateful.I want to start off my thanking all of my family, friends, teammates and supporters! You do not know how much it means to me to have your support. Whether it is a hug, a comment on my blog, a conversation at a race, or a quick note here and there, I get so excited to hear from my family and friends, especially when I am on the road and my success is not possible with out my supporters.  This season has been pretty unique in the sense that I improved in almost every race. I started off the season at one of my lowest points as a ski racer, but quickly found myself making gains week by week as I got healthier and fit. I am not going to lie, the beginning of the season was really tough for me mentally. It is true, when you are not performing well, it is hard to fun…but it is possible if you put your mind to it! I have mentioned multiple times in my blog that is about the little things. I think that if you truly love what you are doing, you can still enjoy it when you are not performing at the level you would like to be at. I was definitely excited about my races in Europe, for they had exceeded my goals by a lot. It was truly an amazing feeling to be healthy, fit, strong, and fast…and win a wheel of cheese ;)It is easiest to explain the crazy amount of things I have learned this season in a list (no particular order… also, these may not apply to everyone, this is just for me personally!)

1. Enjoy the journey, fight through the lows and ride the highs (more to come on this in my season edit, make sure to check it out once I post it)!
2. LISTEN to your body and make the smart, hard choice.
3. More is not better. Quality over quantity ALWAYS.
4. Do you OWN thing. I haven’t talked about this yet on my blog. What I mean by this is, there is not much to gain from comparing yourself all the time and trying to imitate someone else’s plan or workout. Do what works for you because you know what is best for you.
5. Let loose. Go out and have fun every once in a while and do something for you.
6. Morning jogs are pretty awesome. Morning jogs wake me up and get me hyped for the day. Also, I discovered some cool places and views.
7. Coaches and wax techs work really hard, so always remember to thank them…and maybe give them some chocolate or gummies here and there, for those long nights in the wax cabin :)
8. Body care is gold. By body care, I mean stretching, rolling out, anything that makes your body feel better without making it a workout.
9. Set your goals high. Reach for the stars.
10. SMILE

I learned so much more than this list can even begin to capture. In the end of the day, what it came down to was, 1) am I happy 2) am enjoying what I am doing 3)am I learning 4)how can I make these three things happen.Now I am off at college, at my first term at Dartmouth! Although I do miss racing around the world, I am excited to stick my nose in books and learn. With that being said, I have decided to go on a hiatus for this spring, with the exception to one blog coming soon! I would love to hear some feedback on what you thought of my blog this past year, such as what you enjoyed reading about, what you would like to hear more about, and any other comments you have!Have a wonderful spring and keep your eye out for a blog about shenanigans on the raod (very hilarious photos included) and a season edit coming soon!-JKern