I'm wearing a big puffy coat and snow pants on a bus with a sea of people. I look out the window to see huge mountains of snow and little black specs flying down them. There are huge metal lifts of bright colors slowly moving up. I was finally here at Perfect North. Everybody that was going to the Ski Club got off the bus and went inside the lodge. Once we were there we all went to the bathrooms to get changed. When I put my puffy snow pants on I felt as hot as the sun. Then I put on my big gloves and my hands felt huge. Last, I put on my big red coat, grabbed my smooth snowboard and went down to the helmet rental place to meet my mom. My mom and I tried on a few medium helmets, but none would stay on my head. They kept falling off my small head. Me and my mom then went to the small helmets, but all they did was squeeze my head tight. Searching for a perfect fit was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Finally, we found one and I went to snowboard training. My little brother also wanted to snowboard, so he came right along with me. When we got there, we saw an adult with a coat blue as the ocean. We went up to him and I asked

“Are you the teacher of snowboard training?”

“Yes, I am.” He said. Me and my little brother waited for everyone else who was new and started on our adventure. 

The first thing he taught us was how to buckle in our massive snowboard boots into our long boards. He showed us that we had to take our right foot and put it in the right boot holder. Then he showed us that we had to take the buckle that looked like a snake ready to strike, and take the band across from it and feed the band into the buckle. It made a noise like dragging a stick and sliding it across something bumpy. We had to do it again for the smaller one, but it took awhile because me and my brother couldn't get it right. We were getting frustrated and just couldn't get it. I thought I would never be able to snowboard and I should just quit, until finally we got it. He told us that to get from hill to hill we would push off the ground with our left leg and ride the board like a skateboard. We kept falling and it was getting on me and my brother's nerves. We were getting really aggravated to the point where we would hit the ground in rage, but then we finally we got to the conveyor. The cold nippy air was freezing and I was shivering and vibrating. It felt like I was in icy waters in a bathing suit. We slid up to the conveyor belt that led up to the first hill I would ever do. It was called the bunny hill. It was a small slope with a lot of people. It was like a mall on Christmas all over the hill. The teacher got our attention and said, “alright now we're going to learn how to get on the conveyor belt.” 

Me and my brother watched as he ever so carefully slid upward to the belt and put the front of his board on it. At first he was jerked forward onto the belt, but then he put his left foot on the board and smoothly rode up. He came back down and told us to try. I approached it carefully and tried to get on and I felt like I was flung off and fell down. It hurt a little and I tried again. Me and my little brother kept falling and flailing off and we were getting really mad. My brother said, “this is getting too hard, I don't think I'll ever get it. I agreed in my head, but didn't want to admit it. Eventually our teacher helped us get on and showed us how. Me and my brother tried again and finally got it. We were so happy, but we were thinking about how that was supposed to be the easy part. Now getting off the ski conveyor belt was a whole new task all together. We were slowly getting off and the teacher said, “alright now to get off you have to take your left leg off your board and let it slide you off.” We were nearing the top for what felt like an eternity, until we finally got there. I was up first and went off. Then I thought “Oh no, I don't know how to turn or stop, or even stay on, how am I going to get off!” I slid off and fell down with a thud. I scooted over and most everyone else did the same. It was angering and it was just feeding my thoughts of giving up, then the teacher said, “don't worry once you can turn it will get easier.” I was skeptical, but I tried to believe, and we looked down our first hill. 

The teacher told us it was time to learn to turn. He said that using your right foot and pointing your toe you turn left. Then he said using your same foot and lifting your foot up so you're on your heel you turn right. He strapped up his snowboard and showed us how to do it. Now it was our turn to try. Fear washed over me like a wave at the beach. My brother went first and when he went he flew down. He couldn't turn or stop until he hit the ground. WHAM! He said it hurt and got mad and the teacher said it was okay and to try again. When it was my turn, I strapped in my snowboard and mentally prepared. I started down and accelerated like a race car. Just like my brother I fell and got mad. I was about to quit, but the teacher said to keep trying. Me and my brother kept trying and kept failing. We weren't making any progress and was angering us. Finally, when my brother went down. He fell and it looked like the most painful one yet. Then out of nowhere he said,“I'm done snowboarding, I hate it and I'm never doing it again!” He took off his board and stomped back to the lodge down. I thought to myself, “if he quit, what's stopping me? Why shouldn't I do it? Why am I even trying? That's it I'm going to give up!” I asked my teacher if I could leave too and he said, “just give it one more try, if you get it and decide to stay then do it. If you fail and decide to leave, I won't stop you.” I decided I would try one more time, but I didn't have faith. I went up the conveyor belt ready to conquer this hill. I slid off with ease, strapped in and I felt ready! I slid down and slowly but surely turned left and right. I had done it! I was turning and finally got to the end. I was so happy, and I thought that I shouldn't doubt myself, or give up because then I can never do the stuff I love.

After I learned how to turn I started to learn how to stop and went down a small hill. Later, I tried going up an actual ski lift, and I got on and off easily. I went down the next hill with ease and only fell a few times. On my third attempt I accidentally ran it to someone like a freight train. We both got up and were fine, but I was a little embarrassed. At about 8:00 I had to go back because my Mom was going to take me home instead of the bus. I told her about how I didn't give up and how much fun it was. I was very tired and it was a forty-five minute drive back. My brother was sad because he couldn't figure it out, but he decided to try skiing instead the next time we went. In the end I learned that to do the things you love you can never give and you always have to keep trying.