Year of Courage: Skiing

Sports! 

That is something that most everyone in the world like to do. I am not one of those people. Don't get me wrong I love watching baseball, St. Louis Cardinals are the best, but I can't do sports to save my life. I know how to play baseball, basketball, volleyball, basically any sport where i have to run and move. I don't like sports where you aren't in control totally of what you are doing from the get go. So, basically almost any winter sport. 

That does include skiing. I don't like the idea of it because you go really fast, down a big hill, with lots of other people in the way, and you can't just stop unless you fall. To me there is no winning. 

I wish I had the love of the sport like Eddie Edwards did. Eddie, known as Eddie the Eagle, became the first Ski Jumper, since 1928, to represent Great Britain at the 1988 Olympics. 

His is a great story about doing something you love no matter what other people think. 

So, watching the movie Eddie the Eagle was the perfect movie to watch in preparation to go skiing. 

My best friend in the whole world, Alaina, said that she help/do some of the things on my list with me. Skiing was one of them. The day before we went I asked her to come over and watch the movie with me to get pumped! 

The whole movie watching situation was so perfect! Not only was it the perfect movie to watch but during the movie it snowed in the valley of Knoxville, TN! So, or course we had to do something about that. 

We got warm stuff on and ran outside and played in the very little snow that we had! It's was fun and I think my neighbors think I am a loon now, but I don't care! We were so excited to go experience skiing for real!

We got up and went to Ober Gatlinburg, which I have lived close to for nearly 20 years and never been, and got all of out stuff rented. I was feeling really good, and slight mad at myself. Reason being I got to the point where I didn't feel that scared. Like that I had over thought how scary it really was in my head and that I was gonna do it and not be scared... 

Then we went outside.

I saw the mountain that we were supposed to go up to ski down and wanted to run away. I was about to get on a pair of plastic 2x4s that slide... WHAT AM I THINKING! 

I started to get really nervous. Alaina was really helpful she kept telling me that I could do it and that I would be alright. As we were waiting in line to do our skiing lesson we heard some screaming from the base of the mountain. Two paramedics skiers were transporting someone who got hurt off the trail and into an ambulance. Not what you really want to see when you are already scared and have never done it before. 

We went ahead and did the lesson. I fell... a lot. I could not for the life of me figure out how to turn. Correction, I figured out how to turn but could not figure out how to turn the way I wanted to go. Which left me falling, or crashing. Not just crashing but crashing into the tunnel that took you back to the top of the bunny slop. It happened only twice but it was enough for someone one to do this...

Yes, someone wrote "crash here" in the snow where I crashed into it twice...

I won't lie, Alaina and I never got off the bunny slope. Not because it was too scary, but because after the lesson we were freezing, wet, and both a little over it. I didn't mind not going down the mountain because the bunny slope was scary enough for me! Between all the kids that were skiing past us like it was nothing, and that evil tunnel that I could not avoid from crashing into, I didn't need a whole mountain to go down. The little hill was enough. However, I did get proof that I did it!

I also got proof that Alaina did it as well!

What I learned from skiing is that it looks way easier to do than actually doing it yourself. I also learned that I had more self control skiing that I originally thought. That it would take a lot of practice to get the hang of it if I wanted to do more. Sitting here thinking about my day there I feel like if I had a few more hours, and less people around, I would have gotten that hang of it. Most importantly I learned not to beat myself up about not being able to do something right away. Everything takes time.

I most likely won't be getting back on the slopes anytime soon but I would go again if given the chance. I know that Alaina and I both had an amazing time on our adventure and I am looking forward to a Year of Courage with her!