For all those who admittedly felt a pang of jealousy after reading Penn’s most recent post about ice climbing, Nordic skiing and playing ice hockey during lunch— I want to assure you that you’re not alone. As a member of Backbone Media’s injured employee list (which includes myself and Jonathan Georger), I have been unable to do much of anything athletic since Thanksgiving. In this post, however, I promise not mope or complain about my fractured leg, but instead will point out the advantages of being hurt. Maybe all you healthy people will even be a bit envious when you hear about all the cool things I’ve been up to.

Number 1: I’ve organized my itunes library. All you people with unlabeled tracks, missing cover art, and partially tagged music should be jealous. Although I’m sure you’ll tell me you’re too busy shredding pow and enjoying the sunshine to bother with such a lame activity, I nonetheless would like to assure you of the satisfaction I’ve gotten from a perfectly labeled and perfectly organized music collection.

Number 2: I’ve caught up with old friends and relatives. Free of the time suck of skiing all day, doing yoga, and exercising in general, I’ve been able to have lengthy conversations with my long-lost friends from college, see my grandpa, and even convince my aunt Lucy to come visit for Christmas (she came because this year I couldn’t disappear to the mountains the day after the holiday to go skiing). I’ve even reached out to my high school friends and have planned a very exciting girl’s trip to Vegas.

Number 3: I’ve learned how to swim better. As I grew up in land-locked Colorado and quit swim team after three months because I was too scrawny, I unfortunately never learned how to swim well. Now that the doctor has recommended swimming as one of the only physical endeavors I can enjoy in my current condition, I’m finally facing my deficiencies. My first visit to the pool, I’ll admit, was challenging. My one-piece was way too small (it was probably purchased in 8^th grade) and I had forgotten (and didn’t even own) goggles. I didn’t seem to go anywhere when using a kickboard, and was lapped about a million times by the guy in the lane next to me. Despite these setbacks, I was pleased to discover that I did, in fact, enjoy swimming. I felt free in a way I never had before, and my body was thankful to be doing something that didn’t bang up my bones and joints like every other sport I usually participate in.

In sum, I hope I have convinced you that being injured doesn’t totally suck. There are lots of things you can do that aren’t a waste of time. Although, I’ll admit this post is a bit biased as I haven’t included the hours I’ve spent on the couch watching TV and movies (which, I might argue, is NOT a waste of time), I hope it will inspire you to make the most out of being laid up or unable to go outside for any reason. At the very least, maybe you will think twice before doing stupid things like going to Woodward and borrowing your friend’s gear that is two sizes too big (I know I will).