I've flown from Aspen and then to Switzerland the next day and

Hear the words of Chloe Kim, who declared: “I've flown from Aspen and then to Switzerland the next day and then off again the day after. That's the thing I love most about snowboarding, honestly—getting to travel and explore different places and meet people.” At first, these words shine with the energy of youth, the thrill of movement, the rhythm of a life that flows from mountain to mountain. Yet within them lies an ancient truth: that the joy of mastery is not only in the craft itself, but in the doors it opens to the world, and in the faces and lands encountered along the way.

The heart of her words is found in travel. For to move swiftly from Aspen to Switzerland, to carry one’s passion across borders and skies, is to live as the wandering hero once did, called not by kings but by the mountains themselves. Each new slope is a new battlefield of skill, each snowy peak a new temple of challenge. But Chloe teaches that the prize is not only victory, nor medals, nor renown—it is the chance to explore different places and to be changed by them.

The second treasure she names is the meeting of people. In this, her wisdom pierces deep. For snow may melt, and competitions may pass, but the souls one encounters remain. The philosopher Seneca once wrote that the chief benefit of travel is not the landscape but the friendships formed. Likewise, Chloe reveals that her truest love is not the solitary glide upon the snow, but the shared laughter, the stories, the warmth of human connection that arises wherever her board takes her.

History itself offers parallels. Think of Marco Polo, who traveled not only for trade but for wonder. The silks and spices he carried were less valuable than the stories of people and lands he brought back. Or consider the ancient Olympic athletes, who journeyed from city to city, not only to compete but to meet others from distant regions, forging unity in diversity. Chloe Kim’s snowboarding carries this same essence: a sport, yes, but also a bridge across worlds.

There is also a lesson in the ceaseless movement she describes: Aspen one day, Switzerland the next. This rhythm reminds us that greatness requires not comfort but continual motion. To embrace the calling of excellence is to accept a life of departure, a willingness to dwell not in one home but in many, to belong not to a single land but to the road itself. Like Odysseus, the traveler is shaped not only by triumphs but by the very act of wandering.

The meaning of her words is both personal and universal. Personally, they reflect the gift her sport has given her: a passport to the world, to experiences beyond measure. Universally, they remind us that whatever our craft may be—whether it is snowboarding, writing, teaching, or building—its highest purpose is not only what it produces, but where it carries us and whom it allows us to meet. The craft is the vessel; the world and its people are the true destination.

The lesson for us is clear: let your passion carry you outward. Do not hold it close as a private treasure, but let it be the ship that sails you into new lands, into new friendships, into new wisdom. Practically, this means saying yes to opportunities that take you beyond your circle, meeting strangers with openness, and seeing in every place not just a stage for your skill but a school for your soul.

Therefore, children of tomorrow, take counsel from Chloe Kim’s words. Love your art, your craft, your labor—but love even more the way it lets you travel, explore, and meet people. For medals and trophies gather dust, but the horizons you cross and the souls you encounter remain within you forever. Live not only to master your gift, but to let your gift masterfully carry you into the great wide world.