This week was a little bit of a doozy. Things have been running relatively smoothly, up until this week where it felt like a few hiccups turned into minor headaches. Nothing too terrible, just annoyances that I had to deal with. I started to feel overwhelmed and over it. I turned to Garrett on Wednesday afternoon and said, “I just need to get out of the city.” He joked about maybe going skiing. The next thing I know, Teddy’s dropped off at his day care place, a car is reserved, bags are packed. We went to the Vineyard Vines opening and then picked up the car, loaded everything in, and then hit the road!
(Side note: this really reinvigorated my desire for a car in NYC. It’s expensive to rent a car, and I know we’d take advantage of the car for quick and even longer adventures. I miss having a car!!!)
I’ve never skied before, but Garrett has seriously hyped it up for me. I had no idea what to expect. I was pretty nervous from just simply not knowing anything about skiing. Garrett spent a little bit of the drive explaining everything and warning me about the hard and frustrating parts. (I can attest that he covered it all perfectly… thankfully!) We pulled into Okemo, Vermont around 1am and found the only open hotel (an adventure on its own ha), slept a few hours, and then hit the slopes.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been so scared and/or frustrated before. I couldn’t figure out the whole stopping thing and freaked myself out about gaining speed. Garrett was essentially physically stopping me for a good bit on the little bunny hill where we were practicing. (No joke, I had tears in my eyes just wanting to quit and drink hot chocolate inside.)
A few more bunny-hill-runs later and I sort of had the pizza thing kind of down. (That is, I could at least marginally stop myself.)
^^ Proof that I got to the top of the mountain. I knew my family would NOT believe it without picture proof.
No bones broken, although my body was exhausted. One bad bruise on my hip from a fall, but otherwise in tact!
The drive home was beautiful. We loved driving through the little Vermont towns.
My recap….
The hardest part: Picking myself up off the ground whenever I fell– literally not figuratively. I swear my arms are so sore just from trying to stand up again. The skis were heavy and I was clumsy. Not a good combination!
The funniest part: I forgot to get off the chair lift one time. Like, legitimately forgot. I wasn’t thinking anything and the next thing I know, I’m looking at Garrett (off the lift) and I’m still on it. I jumped. JUMPED off the chair and landed on my back. I can’t think about it without laughing, even now!
The best part: The real miracle of the trip is that I actually got to the top of the mountain. At that point, the only way down was, well, down. I was very nervous, but it started snowing right at the top of the mountain. It was gorgeous. I just loved being up there with Garrett.
The part I need to work on the most: Confidence! I was really scared to put my skis straight and pick up any kind of speed. I more or less pizza’d down the whole mountain.
xoxo
Congrats on your first successful ski trip! It's such a great thing to know how to do, and such a good excuse for trips with family and friends! I remember when i learned how to ski when I was a kid, and it was so frustrating and hard, I hated it sometimes! I remember my goggles fogging up from my tears because it was so hard!
Congratulations skiing for the first time, how exciting! I've been snowboarding for years (but have never taken lessons) and I still freak myself out getting off the life and always take a few tumbles down the mountain.
Just be glad that it was not snowboarding. I have done both, and love snowboarding more, but it is even more exhausting and harder and you fall so much more! Hahaha!
The chair lifts are always freaky. Skiing is so much fun!
-Meg
http://www.smalltownsisters.blogspot.com
Glad you survived- and enjoyed it! I think everyone has a funny ski lift story or two, I know I do! Thanks for sharing your experience and the beautiful photos!!
Oh I love skiing! i can't wait to be able to go again 🙂 it's been so long since I went!
Awww sounds like so much fun, now I want to go skiing. I probably haven't been in 10 years. We used to go as a class trip in middle school and I can't tell you how many kids forgot or were too scared to get off the lift – it's definitely a thing 😉
Kristina does the Internets
Looks like fun! Pro tip for the next time you need a car to get away from the city – if you take Metro North to Westchester and rent a car out there (Mamaroneck and Mount Vernon have rentals near the stations), it's 1/2 or even 1/3 the price of getting a car in Manhattan, plus you avoid traffic getting out of the city. Makes those road trip getaways that much easier!
This is awesome advice. Good call!!
You are a brave woman! I've never going skiing before, and I'm terrified to try it! Hope you have a great weekend 🙂
XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass
I've been skiing for about 20 of my 22 years and no matter how many times I get to the top of a peak I still get the same butterflies in my stomach when looking over the edge. It's definitely an unexplainable feeling. Congratulations on picking up the sport so quickly and you can only improve from here. The best part about skiing is it's like riding a bike, you never really forget how to do it.
Xoxo Lauren
The first few times I went skiing I came back with a SUPER sore butt. The lift was definitely the scariest part for me, mostly because I was always afraid I'd be too slow, get dragged to the bottom, or accidentally stab someone behind me with my skis or something haha -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
What I love most about your blog posts, and the reason I keep coming back to read them is because you are very honest with yourself and that to me shows true confidence. You don't hide behind fabulous clothes or accessories, you are truthful and funny with your readers. My boyfriend is an avid skier and I am reallllllllly scared about going skiing with him in fear of embarrassing myself, but this post made me realize the only thing that might ever be holding me back is myself. Thanks Carly!
Great photos!
I have never skied before! So jealous!
Looks like so much fun.
https://classiccosmopolite.wordpress.com
Okemo is my home mountain! I'm so glad you got to enjoy is as much as we do. Vermont is a cool little place
I learned to ski last winter, and bought my own skis because I loved it so much! But I'll tell ya, that first day was ROUGH.
How fun! I love skiing but haven't been in a decade. Which is ironic because I live in Upstate NY (you actually drove through my city to get to VT). So glad you had a great trip!
KK
The part where you forgot to get off the chair is funny!! Glad to know you enjoyed it though 🙂
I'm always scared to ride the lift back down so I know that I have to get off the chair no matter what.
xo Ingrid of Style Prosciutto