Personal Narrative: A Perfect Day For Skiing

Fearless

It’s a beautiful morning, the air crisp and clean, not a cloud in sight, and the temperature cool but not cold. A perfect day for skiing. I take a deep breath in and hold it, smiling at the smells of pine, snow, and fresh air. I love fresh air. I reflect on this as we, my friends and I, move up the mountain on the (five person) chairlift. We’re at Huntington, the local ski mountain not twenty minutes away from where we live, Genoa, a neighboring town of Tahoe. Every weekend, my friends and I come here to get away from the stress of school and to relax. My friends are chattering away as I fade in and out of the conversation. Then something Lizzie says catches me.
She’s saying “I want to try a black, we haven’t done any all season.”

“We’ll make sure you don’t fall.”
Sara chimes in “and the snow is really soft today!”
Nat says “ if you still don’t want to, then I understand, but I think it is a good idea to face your fears and do it.”
I think about it. I consider all the reasons they presented me with. I consider some more. I weigh the pros and cons of doing or not doing it. I come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, that the pros outweigh the cons. I steel myself to prevent myself from changing my mind. After a long pause, I finally concede. I say sullenly, “Fine. But if I get hurt, it’s all your fault. ”
The top of the mountain rises to greet us and we get off, turning towards a black, Wolf Trail, one of the “easier ones” (according to the map.) We push our way over, me grumbling all the way. I stop at the top, terrified at what I see. A turn, and who knows what's beyond that?! It could be anything!
I ask Sara “Can you go down in front of me and I follow you?” and she generously agrees.
They all encourage me as Sara takes off slowly, per my request, and follow along behind me taking my speed. Sara slowly gains speed and so do I. I go faster, getting more comfortable, and whoosh by Sara, giving her and all my friends a thumbs up and a smile. Pretty soon we’re all flying along, with me in the lead. I am definitely feeling more confident