1.30.2010

concrete jungle to... green mountains

I miss NYC a lot.
Don't get me wrong; I LOVE VT and everything it has to offer. Everything is beautiful every morning when I wake up, and looking out of the window is like looking at a painting. I'd even give the landscapes up just to have massive amounts of snow out of my door everyday, and angled ground on which to ride. However, I do really miss concrete and glass reflections, and the graffiti flying by while sitting on the N train. There is definitely a different kind of beauty in the gray city punctuated by yellow taxis. If only there was a way to blend the two. Hm.

1.20.2010

I hate to admit to this sad fact: I have only been riding a few times since being here. Why? Well, number 1: I work full time. Number 2: I've been sick. Number 3: I have really low confidence when it comes to my snowboarding ability.
I like to consider myself a risk taker, and one can probably see this from my riding style-- I take dramatic, 20 ft falls every time I go down. I'm not scared to get hurt and I'm not scared of taking speed to the limit. Unfortunately, I have no confidence when it comes to anything else. I think a lot of it has to do with my getting involved in the sport later on in life than most, along with it being primarily male-dominated. It's difficult as a female to try new things and fail, because (in my mind) people will presume that I am failing because I am a female, and "girls suck at snowboarding." At least this is what I think is making me feel this way.
Despite this fact, I really do love it. I love the feeling I get riding down the mountain, focusing solely on the physical sensation I have and how I will react to it. It's very similar to the feelings I used to get when I was a figure skater. There were very few things to think about while skating: sensation and technique, and how to bring those two together. While it can be very stressful to get frustrated over learning new things, at its core snowboarding is a very calming thing to do. I think I need to draw on that next time I'm out and stop worrying about failing and the embarrassment that comes along with it.
Get over and get on with it.

12.24.2009

This is my second week into my job up here and I am totally loving it. I love being involved with anything that has to do with what is going on at the mountain and helping people get a love of skiing/snowboarding. The only difficult part is getting around and, while manageable, the bus system isn't always the most convenient. I will hopefully be getting myself a car at some point... even if it is a beater.
I can also check my first day on the mountain off my list! I was so psyched to start up for the season and thought that maybe a lesson would be a great way to get my muscle memory back, and prevent any bad habits from starting early on in the season. The lesson was awesome and a ton of fun, and I'm thinking about taking a private lesson sometime soon. Considering the costs of skating lessons, any lesson at a resort is comparable to pocket change.
And on that note-- here is what happened to my knee during said lesson:
All in the name of fun