Winterplace

I never really go anywhere or do anything exciting; Netflix is my life. Recently though, my boyfriend convinced me to go visit his parents in West Virginia. While I’ve made this trip with him numerous times, this one was different. He convinced me to go skiing for the first time. I have never done anything even remotely similar to skiing before. Saying I was terrified is an understatement. As I packed my things to leave, I imagined every little thing that could go wrong. I imagined the ski lift breaking, the car dropping from the cable, getting seriously injured, and everything in between. Thanks dad, for passing down the anxiety and constant worrying. My boyfriend picked me up from my parents’ house and helped carry my bags to his car. “Are you excited?” he asked me smiling. I smiled back and said yes, but dreading it was more honest. We began the journey to West Virginia around 9 am. As we drove down the interstate, we sang loudly to the “Summer Hits of the 2000s” playlist I had going. Not many guys will sing “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC with their girlfriend. I couldn’t help but feel special just because of it. As we got closer to West Virginia the scenery changed, as did my mood. The closer we got, the more anxious I got. I guess my boyfriend realized this because after awhile he turned down the radio and told me it was going to be okay, and that it meant a lot to him that I was willing to do this. He kissed my hand and smiled at me. He knows how hard it is for me to try new things. I’m not an average worry wort. I honestly have anxiety to an extreme degree, which makes trying anything new incredibly difficult for me. Yet somehow he was getting me to do this.

We arrived at his parents’ house around four o’clock. We got settled and talked with his parents for a while, and decided to go out for dinner. The next day we went skiing.  His whole family had been skiing numerous times and was all excited for it. Well, his mom wasn’t that excited but she was still talking about it. The more we talked, the more scared I got, and the tighter my boyfriend grasped my hand. We drove back to his parents’ house, watched a movie, planned for the day ahead of us, and went to bed.

That morning I dressed in my many layers, thinking the whole time about how terrible this day was going to be, how I wasn’t going to be any good and that I’d hold them back at the least, or worse, something terrible was going to happen. Again, my boyfriend kissed me and told me I was going to love it, that he just knew and that everything was going to be okay. I was slowly starting to believe him. If I was ever going to do anything like this, I was glad it was going to be with him. We left the house around 10 and made the half-hour drive to Winterplace Ski Resort.

My boyfriend paid for me and helped me gather all the different things I was renting. He helped me get all my equipment that I needed on and carried my skis for me outside and to the first bunny hill. He set my skis down and held my hands as I tried to get them on. I even struggled with that. At this point my hands were shaking I was so nervous. He put my skis on for me and held my arms as I grabbed my poles. It was like a parent holding their child as they climb on a two-wheeled bike for the first time. He told me what I needed to do, and said to try and that he would meet me at the bottom. So I did, and fell at the bottom of the hill. He helped me up and said “Good enough lets go.”

The ski lift was by far the part I was most nervous about. I know that was completely irrational but I’m not necessarily the most rational of people. My boyfriend rode up with me and I clung to him for dear life. As we got off the lift I smiled widely at him and he hugged me before stepping into his snowboard and told me he was proud. As we went down the first hill, he was always right behind me every time I fell to pick me up. Half way through the day, I was confident and having a blast, and even going pretty quickly down the hills without falling.

After a few hours they decided they wanted to go to the top of the mountain and go down one of those trails. Not being so scared at this point I agreed and went up the long lift to the top of the mountain. As we started down the hill all of my anxiety came slamming back at once. We were going down a mountain on a ridge and I was too afraid to get close to the edge to slow myself down. I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate and felt the tears stinging at my eyes. I freaked and threw myself into a snow bank and just stayed there to catch my breath.

Seconds later my boyfriend was at my side asking if I was okay. He picked me up off the ground and I tried to laugh it off and told me I just got scared. He said he understands and he asked if I wanted to keep going or if I wanted to walk. I told him I wanted to walk, so he took off his snowboard, grabbed my skis in one hand, his snowboard under his same arm, and my hand in his other. At this moment all of my anxiety and fear completely left me and I felt warm all over. At this moment I realized that this is the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. Cheesy, I know, but very true.

We stuck to the smaller hills for the rest of the day and after a few more hours, called it quits, and went back to his parents’ house.  We helped his mom make cheese enchiladas and watched another movie with his parents. That night when we went to bed I told him how much that moment on the mountain meant to me. While he didn’t understand why I thought it was such a big deal, he kissed me and said he loved me.

While a ski trip may not seem all that exciting to some, it will last in my head for many years to come. Not only did I concur so many fears in one day, but also something changed in my relationship that day. My relationship with my boyfriend is a huge part of who I am today and I am beyond thankful that he pushed me to challenge myself in that weekend.