Travel 9: A Dream Come True

It was my second time tubing in Vancouver, and I loved the experience. But time was a lot more fun and it was much faster.

You had to lay on the tube stomach words and of course hold on to the handles as hard as you could. So you would have more control. My tube turned around a few times so I couldn't see a few times, and another time my hat covered my eyes completely and I didn't see at all. But the good thing about using the tube the way we had to, instead of just sitting in the hole, is that you could place your toes on the ground while going down the hill, and that would slow you down a bit.

My dad tried to be the fastest as could be, and flipped over while going down and landed on his face...now he has a bruise on his left cheek. Another time, when he was also trying to be the fastest, he was tubing down the hill and there was a soft border (or deadline) made out of the same material as those inflated jumpy castles at kid birthday parties, and he flew over that and fell kind of into a hole and almost hit himself against the fence.
Finally...after two years my skiing dream came true! I skied all day, about five hours straight. We signed up for ski school, both of us when we just got there at about 10 a.m., the lesson started at 12 p.m. and I told my dad, I wanted to practice before the lesson, and that's what we did.

We got our rentals and got started. I had difficulties putting on the ski's, at first and later on, then I learned that the shoes won't go into the ski's if there is some snow stuck under the place where you stick your heel. But everything else went smoothly.

In the beginning I fell and I fell, and I really wasn't as good as I thought I was, I wasn't having a good time failing, I slid into trees and couldn't get up (but did eventually), I would try to go down hills (small bunny hills for beginners like me) and I would end up on my butt or sideways, any position you could think of and I left one pole (the skiing sticks) thrown in one place, and the other in the opposite direction. People would come and ask if I'm okay, or if I'm a first timer. Second timer to be exact. I just got up and tried again, and took breaks. Rest if you must but do not quit. I didn't understand what I even missed about skiing any more, and wanted to quit, but I found out later. I really needed the lesson then.

Then I listened into what the instructors were telling students, stood on my own to feet and jut went. I was getting a lot better, little by little I stared to understand what it is I was supposed to do.

There was still something that I couldn't do. The rope tow. You are supposed to grab on to the rope, no, no, no, let me correct myself, the guy in charge said to let it "run through your hand slightly," and keep you feet open and in the skiing position. I tried to hold on. My poles in one hand and grabbing the rope in the other. I held on and I felt electricity going through my hand (which is impossible since it's a string...or soft very hard (ish) kind of clothing material if you know what I mean), and the rope literly shredded my glove, ripped it in some places. I was actually painful. I fell of that rope and I layed in the snow, not able to get up for quite some time before I took of the ski's and walked up the hill. A few times actually. Later on my dad let me in on the trick of how to stay on: you're supposed to grab it with both hands and then hold in under your arm. And then all was perfect.

Then I was skiing as it was the easiest thing ever, the wonderful feeling of the breeze going through me while flowing (if that's the right word for it) down the hill. I really got the hang of it then, I didn't want to leave! Ever!