Winter is upon us and along with it comes thoughts of snow, cold air, and other wintry related themes and ideas. By the same token, it also evokes feelings of warmth: snuggling by a fireplace, sipping on hot cocoa, and bundling up with multiple layers to keep the frosty air out.
Although I’m not always a big fan of dipping temperatures, I DO enjoy the occasional remembrance of cold air. There are just some activities best left to enjoying in the low temps. Some of my favorites that I have partaken in the past were: sledding, tubing, skiing, and snowboarding. (I bet you’re a bit taken aback…you KNOW I’m adventurous, but you probably didn’t think I was THAT adventurous!)
A good while back, my friends and I decided to “invest” in simple discs made of a type of vinyl with a rigid ring. We took these discs to a local park and tested them out on the downslopes…if you haven’t gone sledding, you’re missing out on one of the most basic, most innocent and best reminder of childhood! It certainly brings you back to the simpler days of life – I look at it as one of life’s greatest stress relievers. Now that I speak of it, I must make a point to do it every so often. All the while, sledding takes you to another world and you can’t help but hear pure laughter. What a way to brighten your spirits!
TUBING is GREAT fun and I can’t stress enough how much enjoyment you can get out of this snow bunny activity!
I have to say, I pride myself in the fact that although I’ve only done each of the following activities once each and it’s been a while since I’ve done any, at the very least I can say I did them in my lifetime. I would love to try them again, one more than the other, but the older I get, the more I get busy. Perhaps one day…..
What are these activities, you say? None other than snowboarding and skiing, of course! Let me tell you a bit about each, for those who have never tried it or who are a bit curious. (Disclaimer: I do not profess to be a pro in ANY capacity – this is just my experience and what I felt when I did each activity.)
SNOWBOARDING: I tried this on one of my first trip with a bunch of friends. Most of us have never done it before, but we wanted to be adventurous! We all took the drive up to Greek Peak up in Cortland, NY. The drive was interesting but the excitement was palpable! We finally got there excited to take on the slopes, so we immediately rushed to rent our snowboards. First up – the requisite lesson. The lessons took place on the bunny slopes and we were taught the basics. I was a mixture of emotions: scared, nervous, and excited. The thought of both my feet plastered to one board had me a bit more than just nervous! The instructors came to our group and began to show us the basics of body positioning, going straight, making turns, and stopping. The rotated around to the various other groups of kids and adults. We all got to try our hand at what we just learned. Going straight was fun and it felt like I was surfing on the snow! I had that down pat! Turning and stopping were issues for me, probably because I was scared. Although they may seem basic, these maneuvers take a bit more work than merely going straight. A few runs of these and as I attempted one of my turns/stops, I saw a group of kids and I was coming at them FAST! I decided to wipe out instead of mowing them down….lesson learned! All in all a fun experience but it is definitely not for the timid of heart. I vowed to myself that I would one day do it again….still waiting for that “one day”.
SKIING: On a separate trip, my friends and I went to Binghamton, NY to visit a friend who was going to school up there. It was a four hour trek but we were all so excited and this time, we decided to go skiing. We rented our skis and we were on our way. Some people in our group have gone skiing before so they went to the more experienced slopes. Those of us who never picked up a ski took lessons on the bunny slopes. Skiing was definitely easier than snowboard but having never done it, it was quite a challenge! The BIG difference is that there is more of a feeling of control since your feet are separated and not glued to one board. I had a mishap on the lift, so in essence, I am a bit traumatized! After that ‘mishap’, I decided to trade in the skis for the tube and that’s when I went tubing. The trip to Binghamton took four hours but there was a MASSIVE Nor’easter on the way home and it took us 16 hours to get home! What an experience to be in standstill traffic packed amongst cars and trucks carrying cows…yes, cows.
These are all fun activities and given the chance and right circumstances, I would definitely try them all again. The snow we have been having has made me less than ecstatic about winter in general, but I wouldn’t mind trying something fun again. Shoveling, cleaning up slush and putting ice on the ground are not exactly how I want to enjoy the snow. I would love to have the opportunity to enjoy the snow like a kid again – making snowmen, snow forts, snowballs, and snow angels….just have to find the time.
How do YOU enjoy the winter weather?
XOXOXOXO,
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