The future looks different now. The Future Looks Different Now Pre-Covid, many of us suburbanites, myself included, lived in a hyper-scheduled world. We had long workdays with numbing commutes, business travel, kids that needed constant carpooling, and less time for ourselves. And then the pandemic threw schedules and the norm out the window. We’ve been forced to tighten our contacts, remain home for the most part, and learn to live with less. We have all fundamentally changed this past year as we gained a new perspective on what makes us happy and learned what we are capable of. In particular, I have watched many of my female friends and colleagues navigate some really tough times juggling no childcare, homeschooling, caring for elderly parents, and pressure from their jobs (or the loss of a job). But, as with the theme in this issue of SAM, these ladies found a silver lining. They leveraged their circumstances to gain new perspectives and tried all kinds of new things: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, night skiing, mastering an instrument, volunteering—one is even running for town selectwoman. I don’t think we, as a group, are going to jump back to living our lives as we did pre-Covid. We are hungry for new adventures with our new-found activities. Yeah, the children are our future and all that, but now may be a good time for resorts to roll out the welcome mat with some creative programming for the ladies. We are connected like never before, and we’re ready to go. Midweek first tracks with the moms is here to stay. But don’t stop with us ladies. Other groups have found their way to your door this past year by way of the pandemic, and we should be ready for them, too, going forward. Of particular note is the jump in participation from people of color. So, take a moment to reflect on the events that have changed us over the past year, and be intentional with how you move forward. We have an opportunity and obligation to introduce new people to our amazing mountain environments. How lucky are we that the outdoors has never been more important? To help you and your team think through all this, read about the upsides your colleagues have discovered this season (“Pandemic Silver Linings,” p. 44). Get professional advice on how to gather the team to reshape your future and redefine your purpose (“Unfrozen,” p. 22). Our 14-page summer section (starting with “Welcome to the Outdoors,” p. 47) can help you take full advantage of the growth in outdoor participants and welcome new demographics. It’s a new world, and we all have to adapt to it. Let’s make it a better world while we’re at it. Olivia Rowan, Publisher
