Snowboarding

Before

I went snowboarding on a whim, and this is the bravest thing I’ve done in a long time, definitely this year. The day before, my friend came to chat, and he told me about his experience snowboarding, and I was fascinated by his experience so much that I decided to come with him the next day. Keep in mind, I had a midterm exam that same day too. We initially planned to do the entire day trip from 9 AM to 7 PM. So, I said I’d join him sometime after 10:15 AM when the midterm finished. Fast-forward to the day of the trip, he said it had been moved to the evening, and I was even more relieved because I would have more time to prepare before. The evening times start at 4 PM, so we planned to get there by 4 PM. I called to know when we would be leaving, and he did not particularly give me a time. I called again when it was close to 4 PM, and he did not answer. At this moment, I had to decide: Will I go by myself or not go at all? I decided to go. The old Seyitan would have said, “I’ll wait for next year’s ski season,” but I didn’t—I went! I surprised myself by doing this. I told myself this is something I want to try, so I was going no matter what. These types of moments are good for me to reinforce my sense of self and let me know that I can really do whatever I want, no matter how crazy it seems. Keep in mind, this was my first time being at any ski resort, and this was my first time ever snowboarding.

During

I called an Uber and headed off to Camp Fortune. When I got there, I was both excited and nervous. I rented gear and headed off to the mountains (the green slope). When I arrived, I attempted to put on my snowboard, but I didn’t know how, so I watched some videos and tried and tried and tried until I figured something out. I strapped in one leg and began drawing up a plan of action. The first thing I wanted to do was learn how to stop, then how to turn, then I’d be a pro, or so I thought. After a few tries learning how to stop, I wasn’t getting it. Then a young gentleman saw me struggling and watching a million videos and decided to help (so grateful). The first thing he taught me how to do was strap my snowboard on properly. Then he taught me how to stop. To stop, I had to lean on my back foot and stomp on my heels while raising my toes. When I thought I had learned how to stop, I decided to go for a ride down. My first ride down, I went very fast and fell at the end. I attempted to stop, but when I tried what I had learned, I went even faster until I got to the end and fell. I got back up, walked up the slope, and attempted again after he had told me what I did wrong. The next time I went, I was able to stop, but this time only facing backwards, though it was still very satisfying going down knowing I had learned how to control the board a little. I kept on going, and at some point, after numerous falls, I was able to control the board and stop while facing forward. Those moments when I was going down felt insanely satisfying; I think that’s the most exciting adrenaline rush I’ve had in a while.

Reflection

I will be doing this again. It was a very good experience for my personal growth.
1. It showed me I can do whatever the fuck I want.
2. It showed me how much I really like physical activities.
3. It showed me I can do things by myself and still enjoy it.