Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Fear and Loathing in COS

I worried a lot when I was a teenager. About everything. It would be nigh unto impossible to catalogue all of the things my 16 year old brain could come up with to fear.

I worried that I would never kiss a boy, that I would never get to live in my own apartment, and that I had learned to ski and all my friends had learned to snowboard and therefore, I would never ever be cool.

Well, I've kissed plenty of boys-recently even (settle down internet, to call it a fling would be generous and it is already dead), I'm going on two years in an apartment of my very own that I love dearly and as it turns out, in this world there are skiers and there are snowboarders and we can all live in peace and harmony.

I have spent the last few years just tolerating snow and cold and being borderline miserable for a whole season. So I decided that this would be the "Winter of Skiing" and my 35th birthday present to myself was a season pass and all new ski gear. Colorado has this amazing pass for locals that covers three resorts plus ten days at fancy pants Vail and I think just about every one I know without kids got one this year.

So even though I have not been anywhere near a mountain in TEN YEARS, I talked this handsome devil into playing hooky from work and heading up to Breckenridge yesterday. (And again, chill out internet, this is "just a friend Adam". I'm pretty shallow and all my male friends are hot.)


I was halfway to Adam's when up when I realized my critical error in going skiing for the first time in so long with a fearless and slightly crazy male. And you know, all my fears were realized when on our fourth run of the day I followed him right to the top of a hill with a slightly confusing sign that I thought was blue and he knew was black. I wiped out once but falling in full view of the chairlift only served to remind me that falling on skis is actually not that terrible and faster is more fun. There is a reason I've been biking and climbing with boys this year and it's because they will just trick you into doing things you aren't ready for and you get better quickly. They will also laugh at you when you fall but then sometimes they hit an unexpected branch and yard sale and all is well in the universe again. 

It was a beautiful day and although I was completely exhausted by the time we left and still have some brushing up to do, I was ecstatic to be up there. More reasons Colorado and I might never break up.  Here's hoping this winter will be full of photos like this. 

3 comments:

Kat said...

Way to go! I bet you had an absolute blast. :) Way to go.

MildredRatched said...

Really? T E N years? I hate winter! HATE IT! In the Northeast we have painful cold with humidity, and too few hours of sunlight. That is why I ski and snowboard (only on the blue squares for the latter). If I am to survive here, I must get outside and participate in an activity, and I just don't get the logic around ice fishing, so that was out.
You are gonna have the best winter ever! And BTW, I was exactly your age when I strapped on my 1st snowboard. Lessons are key, but lets get you thru this season 1st.

k8 said...

I know can you believe it? But it was ten years of beach and East Coast living...this Utah girl couldn't quite bring herself to ski in Vermont (which i'm sure is great!).

I'll have to get to the point where I'm not practically in tears on the blacks before I can even THINK about snowboarding-I wish I knew someone good who could teach me ; )