How learning to ski helped me stop feeling SAD

Catch up quick: I've struggled with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) every winter since I moved to Utah from sunny southern California when I was 11 years old.

• Despite growing up in Utah County, my working parents never had the time — or resources — to drive me up the canyon for lessons. Also, winter sports aren't popular in their native Mexico and Guatemala.
• For years, I felt isolated when my friends got excited about snowfall and rolled my eyes when they would use words like "shred" or "pow."

Yes, but: That changed this year when I decided it was time to get on board and learn a new winter sport to force me out of my apartment through Ski Utah's Discover Winter program.

State of play: My ski classes were held at Deer Valley Resort, where, at times, all I could think about was not getting crashed into after covering the Gwyneth Paltrow ski collision trial two years prior.

The big picture: With the proper clothes and gear, being surrounded by snow-capped mountains and getting my heart rate pumping helped change my perspective about Utah winters.

The bottom line: I may still fall getting out of ski lifts from time to time, but snow in the forecast no longer feels like an obstacle. It's an invitation.