This past weekend, we went skiing with several of our friends and some new ones. I have gone skiing maybe 5 times in my life, most of which were when I was a wee tot. But I'd been in high school and didn't remember them as traumatic, so I thought I was fine. But I quickly realized that I'd never really been skiing. This was my first big ski adventure and we were lucky enough to have it at Stratton in Vermont.
Skiing felt like the following emotions (in pretty much this order): exciting, scary, paralyzing, painful, exhilarating, intimidating, painful, rewarding, and...painful. However, the strongest emotions I felt at the end of the first day was gratitude and love. Cheesey, I know. But Big Spoon didn't realize I had never really been skiing. As I timidly made my way from the ski lift toward the beginner slopes, he happily pointed out that I should follow our friend Jesse. I started to move in that direction, but I became frozen with fear. I didn't know what I was doing!
My eyes started to water and I froze. What was I thinking? I don't know how to ski! So he skied over to me and showed me how to "snow plow" and we started to make our way toward the trail again. I don't know how many times I fell, took a dive because I couldn't stop or make a right-hand turn, and collided into the snow bank. I was frustrated and scared and exhausted after just 30 mins on the slope. I was so mad at myself for thinking I could ski when I really couldn't. No, it wasn't like riding a bike. But I was even more afraid how the Big Spoon would handle my brazen behavior and how I was likely testing his patience. If you don't know him, he's very competitive and good at almost everything he does. When we play boardgames, he always has to have the last word if not win. However, throughout the entire DAY, he didn't lose his patience with me once. He skied alongside me or behind me so he could watch me and make sure I was okay. He offered me his pole when I fell down and encouraged me when I was "doing it." I kept apologizing for slowing him down or keeping him from enjoying the mountain, but he only said he was happy he was able to be with me.
That day and this whole trip could have quickly devolved into an argument, ending with me in a crying fest, and him taking me home because I couldn't take the pressure. But it was pleasantly one of the best weekends we've had despite the major aches and bruises we endured, both by our bodies and our vanities.
