A local now of fourteen years, Abby Mills traded out one mountain town for another, having grown up in Park City, Utah. After graduating college, Abby moved to Ketchum for a job at Idaho Bioscience, where she worked for five years before going back to school for medical lab science while working simultaneously as a lab assistant. After graduating, she was a medical lab scientist for three years, but found herself searching for more purposeful work. She attended a yoga teacher training in Bali—and still continues to teach yoga, at Gather—but got involved with the Flourish Foundation when she was invited to a Compassionate Leaders Program (CLP) meeting, a weekly meeting that impart skills like attention, kindness, and compassion to students.
After attending many CLP meetings and participating in environmental stewardship trips with CLP in the summers, Abby Mills was offered her current job at Flourish as Development Director and Compassionate Leaders Co-Leader. She has now been with Flourish for three years and feels so grateful to be part of a program that is describes as “such a gift to the community.” Her and her husband, Tate, and cattle dog, Ollie, live in Ketchum. In her free time, Abby loves Nordic skiing, playing hockey on B league, yoga, trail running, and mountain biking. Read on to learn more about Abby’s perfect Sun Valley January day.
How does your morning start?
Abby: I’m hoping it’s a sunny, bluebird January day and we got some snow the night before. Tate and I always take Ollie out together in the morning for a walk. Then I’d make coffee at home and get ready to go on the mountain.
Mid-morning?
Abby: I have a lovely group of lady friends I always get to ski with on powder days. We’d do at least a half day on the mountain. I love Frenchman’s when there’s powder.
What’s for lunch?
Abby: I’d leave the mountain and get soup and a sandwich from Nourish Me. I love the Louis, it’s a veggie sandwich [pesto, grilled onions/mushrooms/red bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts], no cheese and whatever delicious soup they have for the day. I’d eat it there, hopefully with the friends I skied with or meet up with another friend.
What’s your afternoon like?
Abby: I would love to go on a walk with Tate and Ollie out Trail Creek or somewhere pretty and beautiful, take a long easy walk. Then I would love to take a nap. If it’s a Sunday, Sandi [Hagel]’s Slow Flow class at Gather is one of my favorite things in the world.
Where are you heading for dinner?
Abby: Rickshaw for dinner with Tate and a big group of friends. I’m a vegetarian so I like to get the green curry with tofu, and spicy udon noodles are my favorite. Sauteed Asian greens and Balinese cucumbers are always good. Their dahl too.
Anything after dinner?
Abby: Probably grab a drink at the cellar and then dance to the jukebox at the Casino. Gotta get on the TouchTunes!
How’s your day end?
Abby: Tate and I would take Ollie out again for a night walk. Then . . . I’m a big reader. If I’ve had several cocktails, I’m probably not reading, but maybe read my book and go to bed.