Invincible

So I went snowboarding yesterday for the first time of the season and I was beyond excited. At the end of last winter, I tried my first jump. But I only got so far. Yesterday, I figured, why not? Let's do this.

I started off with a baby jump..no big deal. I landed it each time. Pretty basic. Then I was convinced by my friends to move up to the bigger one. I started off going up the jump very slowly so I knew what I was getting myself into. I landed it twice. I figured, alright, let's go a little faster. So I tried it a few times going faster and wiped out every time, barely getting any air. Then after countless tries, I did it again, got some air, and landed. I was ecstatic. That's when I got this notion I was invincible. Not really sure why that happened, but I was like okay, I'm going to go even faster now. I got some momentum going down the hill and up the jump. That's when it happened.

I hit a groove at the tip of the jump, causing me to tumble and fly mid air onto my back. I landed on my tailbone and my head smacked back and hit the ground. The wind got knocked out of me and I gasped. My 2 friends that had been watching me yelled from down the hill, asking if I was okay. Tears filled my eyes as I tried to muster "no." I closed my eyes and soaked in the pain. My left arm tingled and for a moment I thought I was paralyzed. I immediately thought of myself in a wheelchair. It scared the crap out of me so I tried moving my legs. They moved. My arms were moving. My back ached in pain and I felt it shooting through my entire body. After about 5 minutes of laying on the ground and answering a series of questions from my friends, I managed to get up. Mind you, I was only halfway down the hill, so I was expected to snowboard down the rest of it. I thought about asking for one of those snowmobile things that the First Aid people could carry me on, but told myself just to get down the hill as soon as possible so I could go straight to the car.

I made it to the car and I sat there waiting for my other friends going over and over in my head that epic fall. And still that I couldn't wait until I go snowboarding again. It amazes me that even if you fail at something, you just want to keep going. I'm not one to give up. I usually try my hardest to get/do something until I actually get/do it. Life's about taking chances, just as snowboarding is.

I remember when I first started snowboarding. It was seriously pathetic. Junior of high school..my boyfriend at the time didn't even want to teach me because I was so horrible. It took my a few times of going to various ski resorts to actually get the hang of it. I got a high off it though; it was exhilarating going down the slopes, feeling the whipping wind hit my face and gliding on the snow like I was on a cloud. I still get that feeling each and every time I stand at the top of the slope and make my way down. It's been 4-5 winters now that I've been snowboarding, and each and every time I challenge myself.

First it was actually getting up on the board. Then it was actually getting down the hill. Then it was learning how to actually stop. Then I learned how to carve the past 2 winters. And this winter, my goal is to land as many jumps as I can. Practice makes perfect and I'm not going to let a painful fall stop me from achieving it.