Sunday 17 February 2013

I'm Back! (On my board, AND on my blog)

*****Today was a really great day. Today was probably one of the best days of my life. Today, I went snowboarding.

Manning was my Everest. And I conquered it. 

Bring on the 2012/13 boarding season!



Love, 
Mar xx



Friday, December 14, 2012*****



I recently found the above blog entry that I wrote, but never published (because we have to go to a communal building to access the internet, I usually write my blog entries at home, and then just post them whenever I can get to the internet). Hard to believe it was two months ago today that I wrote that! But what a bummer I didn’t post it back then. Well, better late than never.

For those of you who don’t know, I got really badly injured (and slightly traumatized, in a strictly snowboarding sense) on my very FIRST day on the hill last January (my first season at Manning Park, and my second time ever on a snowboard), and spent most of my time here letting my knees heal, and unable to be on a snowboard. I was able to get up the hill a few times before the end of the 2011/12 season, take a few lessons, and really try it out, and I loved it! Which was a big part of the reason why I came back to Manning this year. However, I was SO incredibly nervous about getting back on the hill, back on the snowboard, and back on the lift! I’m talking NERVOUS; every time I would think about it, from the weeks leading up to my arrival at Manning until that December morning I went back up to the hill, I would get nauseous. But, since learning to snowboard was something I really wanted to do, I was determined to overcome my fear, and get back up there.

I prayed for peace and courage (it may sound dumb to be making such a big deal out of it, but falling/jumping off a chairlift that's 8-10 feet off the ground is a really terrifying experience!), and lo and behold, the morning of December 14, as I stood at the bottom of the chairlift, looking up the face of Orange Chair, waiting for my friend so we could take our first run, I suddenly realized that I was no longer nervous. I still had a few butterflies in my stomach, but I think that was mostly excitement.


See? That's not a nervous face!

And then, the elation I felt as I got to the bottom of the hill on my first run was....indescribable. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so....triumphant in my life. (Except maybe the time I bungee jumped.) So, I wrote this jubilant little message as soon as I got home, wanting to capture the feeling of the moment, in the moment. And that’s the story of my return to snowboarding.


Here's a few shots of my first ride down. So incredibly beautiful, the pictures definitely don't do it justice.






Unfortunately the snow here has been less than stellar for the last 6-8 weeks. With unseasonably warm weather, only a handful of powder days to speak of, and virtually no fresh powder in weeks and weeks, the condition on the mountain are pretty dire. Especially for a beginner. So my big dreams of becoming a master shredder have been put on hold. Haha. I’ve only been up twice this year, which is about as many times as I’d gone by this time last year. Except then I was injured. Pathetic! But I have faith that the end of February and all of March will bring us mucho powder! And I will make up for lost time. In the meantime, I am going to attempt to keep going up the hill anyway, even if it’s just a couple of times a week, for a few runs each time. I’ve got to keep my practice up so I don’t completely lose what little skill I do have. I also want to try all of the other outdoor activities I didn’t get to last year. My friend Morgan is taking me for my first nordic ski lesson tomorrow, and I am VERY excited to try it out. And I see snowshoeing and ice skating in my near future. 



Aside from that, MUCH has happened since I last wrote before Christmas. The season’s already more than half over, for goodness sake! It’s been a busy and hectic couple months, for better and for worse, and so blogging got pushed to the side. But I’m back! And I intend to get you all up to speed in the next entry, coming soon to an internet near you.



I hope this entry finds you all happy, healthy, and faring well in 2013.


Love, 

Mar xx


February 14, 2013

2 comments:

  1. Great photos, Marissa, I'm looking forward to seeing you soon!!! Hugs, MOM

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Mom! I miss you guys so much! I can't wait to come and visit again. Only a couple of months away, now. I tried calling you yesterday, but had to leave a message. I will try again tomorrow. Love you bunches!

    ReplyDelete