Adventurous For A Day

Yesterday was a very eventful day for me, people. 

I got to do two things that I have wanted to do my entire life!

What are those two things?

Well, I went XC Skiing and Ice Skating! But, my entire day was just so exciting and random that I thought I would start from the beginning!

First, I woke up at 6:45 and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided I would continue working on my homework. I did that until 9:30, then Emily and I worked out. {I had slept over at Emily & Joe's}

We did a work out called Ballet Beautiful, and it was pretty intense! I felt my muscles quiver! Haha that is my FAVORITE. I immediately felt it in my abs! Even putting pressure on the pedal as I drove made my abs quiver. HECK YES.

Then, people. It was my Aspen Grove Summer Staff Reunion. Can you say stoked?? I was sooooo stoked to be reunited with my AG Family!! 

For the car ride to AG, I had Karen, Kathy, Amy Tingey, and Tori Pence. To say that we were all giddy and squealing with joy almost the whole ride there would be an understatement. 

The squealing only got worse when we all walked into the dining hall, and everyone saw each other. Hahahaha all the girls were screaming, and every time a newly married couple or newly engaged couple walked in, the squealing escalated for a minute, then died down to the normal range. Hehe :)

Here are all of us that were able to make it!

We ate lunch and then we each got to go snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Karen and Kathy had both been cross country skiing at Aspen Grove, and I hadn't. I figured that it wouldn't be too hard. I mean, I've tried lots of new stuff before, and I usually do pretty well at new things! I had heard all of my friends back in Idaho talk about skiing and snowboarding, and I had never tried either of them. 

So, we opted to go cross country skiing! We went into the store and picked out our shoes, skiis, and walking stick things. Hahaha I don't even know what they are called!! I grabbed my camera so that we could document this momentous part of my life. Here we go!

Here we are just before we put on our skiis! I was so excited!

And here we have them on! I was ready to go! Or, I thought I was ready to go.... little did I know what I was getting myself into!

We got to the start of the trail, and Brian Longhurst told us to go this other way instead of the way everyone else was going. Okay, I didn't know that this trail was the super advanced one! It started off with a hill! A big hill. I didn't even know how to go across flat land. How was I suppose to go up a hill?? Hahaha no one explained to me how to even maneuver anything around. I was so clueless!

Anyways, I got about three-quarters up the icy hill before I finally biffed it for the first time. I started sliding backwards, lost my balance, and biffed it. Then, I couldn't get up. I contemplated for a moment that I may need life-alert! Hahahaha :)

I finally got up, made it a few more feet up the hill before I started slipping again. I reached down this time to catch myself before I fell all the way down the hill, but I accidentally grabbed my skiis, which of course, gave me no grip. I fell hard. On my chin and then ribs. Yeah, not a good idea. That hurt, and I definitely feel that on my ribs today!

I fell another time before making it all the way to the top of the hill! I thought I was getting the hang of it, but we were on flat ground again, and I was in a trail. Hahahaha! We made it to our cabins, and of course, all of us had to take pictures with them! 

Here is Karen at the Kitty Cabin!

And cute Kathy!

Amy Tingey and Melissa Longhurst

Then, it was my turn with my cabin! I got there, attempted to turn around, and biffed it. This photo was taken the moment I realized I was going down. Thanks for catching this, Kathy.

I finally got up and managed to get some photos with Cabin 27---my cabin!

Then, it was Kathy's turn! Cabin 26!

But then, coming down, Kathy had to take on a pretty steep little jump. "Kathy, take this like a champ!" said Karen. Obviously, she did.

And Karen thought it was pretty funny!

So, what is missing here is my attempt to take on the hill called Indiana Jones. I didn't know that was the name of it until I was finished and the other Aspen Grovers asked where we went. When I said that we went the hard way, they all asked, "You mean, you went on Indiana Jones?!?!" Yes, people. I did.

However, before attempting this hill, I handed my camera to Karen. I had fallen so many times that I knew my camera was safer in her hands. She went down first and took it like a champ. Then, it was my turn. I didn't even know what to do! So, I went for it! I got about halfway down before I biffed it and my bum so hard. Holy, I thought it was broken. Nope, just hit really hard. I also feel that today. It hurts, people. It hurts. 

The sad part about this is that Karen had recorded it on my camera! We got it on tape! But, somehow it disappeared. I think it was accidentally deleted, but that might be a good thing. It saves me a lot of embarrassment. 

The best part about the whole thing was Karen then coached me on how to go down hills---like I couldn't have known that before I went down this monster?? Hahahaha! 

Karen did manage to snap these photos right as I had gotten up. You can tell by the hair that it was quite the tumble.

Then, Kathy managed to beast it down the hill like Karen. 

The fall tallies thus far:

Karen = 0

Kathy = 1

Alice = 6

Then, Karen said something to make me laugh and decide to take a hike really quick while I gathered my courage to take the next series of hills.

Now, for another grand part. Karen finally biffed it. It was so hilarious! Hahahahaha....

So, these next two photos are some very important photos. They were almost the last two photos of me ever alive. This was the top of a series of hills. I had no idea how to steer around bends, or even how to stop.

So, when I came around the corner and there was the Alumni Cabin, I had no other choice. I couldn't turn and I couldn't stop, so the cabin stopped me. 

I have no idea how I possible landed the way that I did---one ski underneath me and one completely through the deck. What the?!?

I think I saw my life flash before me.

I managed to get up, and I didn't want to fall again, so I decided to sit back on my skiis and use them as a sled. I made it to the bottom! Yay! My hands were frozen, my bum was wet, and my muscles ached! But it was worth it!

I defrosted my hands in the sink as soon as I got my shoes off. That was excruciating, but We got my hands back to normal! Except that the tips are very sensitive even today!

But, folks, my day wasn't over yet! I still had ice skating to do!

Literally, when I was younger, I thought I was a figure skater. We even have family videos where I would pretend to be ice skating on the carpet. I was especially good at skating backwards and triple toe loops. If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself! All the talent shows that I participated in were me doing my ice skating.

I was really nervous about the ice skating because I didn't want to fall and get hurt. We got there and the place was packed full of people. I felt like there were hundreds of kids skating, and everyone was constantly cutting me off. It was so nerve-wracking! But, I made it an entire hour of skating without falling! What an accomplishment!

In fact, I almost made it the entire night without falling! Then, a little girl cut me off. I tried to swerve to miss her, which I would have done, but then she decided to cut me off a second time and stop completely. I tried my best to maneuver around her, which I did, by spreading my legs just far enough to go over the top of her. I completely lost my balance, twisted my knee, and fell. The impact wasn't too bad, but the twisting of my leg was a little too familiar of a feeling. It hurt really bad, and I just prayed nothing was torn.

That's when my ice skating time ended. I was done risking an injury for it. Haha I want to go back when there aren't as many people there! But it was still so much fun! I am glad I went and did it!

I was super adventurous for one day, and I have decided that I need to be more adventurous more often. 

Here's to the rest of my adventures this year! :)