adventure no. 1 / ski 2012

Can I tell you a little story? 

Way back in 2002 when I was 17, I went on a ski trip with my school. Every year when the forms came out for the ski trip it was a frantic race to get your permission slip & deposit in on time. Everyone wanted to go. Every year, I wanted to go, and every year, I knew I could only dream about going, because it was an incredible amount of money, and I was part of a big family. I was ok with not going, but of course I still really wanted to go skiing. 

Then. In 2001 when the much-desired ski trip letter came out, a wonderful thing happened. I was in my bedroom & there was a knock on the door. I still remember the sound of that knock on the wooden door & the squeak of the handle as my Dad came in to say that he & Mum would like to let me go on the ski trip this year. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I was just a little bit excited and I am pretty sure I experienced heart palpitations for the first time when I rushed into school the next morning with my friends, cheque & permission slip gripped tightly in our hands as we ran up the two flights of stairs to the staff room to thrust our precious money into the hands of our teachers, in the hope that our speed would secure our place on this years trip. And it happened. And I was an awful skiier. We went to Austria & I spent the first two days crashing into everything that moved, and everything that stood still. My group would be waiting for me at the bottom of the slope, then get moving as I approached so that I didn't plough into them & knock them down like dominoes again. Then we got a different instructor who spoke a little more English than the word follow, which was all our first instructor seemed to say. I also heard the word oop-a-la spoken more times than I could count as we each took our turn in falling over. Markus, our new instructor, picked me out immediately as the one in need of the most help, positioned me behind him on our runs down the slope, and told me to copy exactly how he moved his skiis. And that is how I learnt to ski.

I dabbled with skiing again in 2003 on a trip to San Francisco, spending a day in Lake Tahoe, and again in 2004 with my school friends. I have not been since. Now, I happen to have a brother in law who lives in Grenoble. For a long time I have entertained the idea of combining a visit to see him, and to hit the slopes once again. I am so very excited to say that 2012 is the year that it's going to happen. I cannot tell you how excited I am. The very thought of it makes me want to squeal Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! an awful lot.

Due to my 7 year break in skiing, I thought it'd be a good idea to refresh my skiing memory on the dry slopes. The break has brought with it a lot of rustiness. I went home feeling like I had forgotten it all & I would never be able to use poles again, let alone ski parallel.

Last night, John & I returned to the Avon ski centre to have another go. Thanks to another great instructor, it feels like it has clicked back into place. Hooray! So, on Sunday, we are off on our first big adventure of 2012. Hooray for half term holidays!