Gave It A Shot

It was a brand new year and Big Bear, California had lots of snow. My relatives wanted to take me and my siblings to the icy slopes to learn how to snowboard. I actually wanted to do something easier, like snow tubing. But then I thought that snowboarding would be nice too, so I agreed to do it. It took us about an hour to get there, from Corona to Big Bear. On the way, we stopped by a shop that rented snowboarding equipment. We got our shoes and our boards; we were ready to hit the slopes. When we got to the ski resort, we started with some simple lessons in the beginner’s slope. That area didn’t have much of a slope, so I felt safe. The problem in that area was that it was crowded with many people. My relatives then decided that it would be easier to teach us higher up in the mountain, where there aren’t as much people. I looked up at the height of the slope and I was afraid. It was my first time snowboarding and I thought, “I can’t snowboard up there!” I was afraid of slipping and falling on the snow. Also, I was afraid of another thing: the ski lift. To get up to the slope, we had to ride it and it would also be my first time doing so. I thought, “I cannot get down from that lift without falling!” I wanted to learn how to snowboard first before getting on the lift to avoid falling and looking silly in front of many people. But before we rode the ski lift, we stopped for lunch. We went back to the car to eat our packed lunches and I expressed my intention to stop. I didn’t want to continue my lessons; I was too scared and I was complaining.

But after some adjustments and pep talk, I gave it another shot.

And so after lunch, I rode the ski lift with a smile on my face. It was a new me. I was no longer afraid. After that, it was time for my lessons. I was taught by my relatives how to control my board. I was taught with a simple go-stop lesson: I’d glide for 2 counts, and then stop by myself with either my cousin or cousin-in-law to hold me. After repeating this simple motion, I got a hang of gliding and stopping. I even let myself fall on the snow. It wasn’t so bad after all! I found it to be painless and something fun that I could always do when I couldn’t stay standing up on my board anymore. Later on when we were about to go home, my cousin and her husband were worried that I didn’t have fun; but I told them that I did. Now, if anyone asks if I can snowboard, I’ll gladly tell them, “Yeah, a little bit.” After all, I did have an experience! That’s why people take chances. They want to try something new and they don’t want to regret missing anything. And so when you’re on vacation and you’re asked to try something new, even if it scares you into quitting, don’t give up. Give it a shot!