Our first trips to the slopes: An agonizing and amazing experience

We have entered a new phase of our year in Korea, the winter phase!!!

We had our first snowfall just over a week ago which was great!! Snow is so magical. I know my one mates, Lauren, who is from Minnesota is not the biggest fan because of all the ice but then again she has lived with it her whole life and knows all the annoyances. I, on the other hand, can only see the magic of snow.....It reminds me of Christmas movies and romance...there is just something awesome about it!

After the first snow fall

Oliver being cute!

And with snow, comes a whole new outdoor experience! And by that I mean snowboarding, sledding, and skiing.

I love love love sledding. Yeeeeeah Ha! It is so fun and you do it with others which makes it social too. However, I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about skiing and snowboarding, that was, until yesterday.

We headed to the slopes to check out prices, etc. Hyperventilation appeared to be my only strategy for dealing with the huge costs of skiing for a season. Holy cow is a season pass expensive. It is a whopping 450, 000 Won  (which is roughly R2700 or 400USD). And that is just for the pass, then you have to pay to hire equipment, get the necessary clothing, and before you know it you have spent a fortune.

I sat agonising for a while as to whether I should just take the lunge, sacrifice the money, and get a whole new experience or be sensible and save the money. Man did I think and think and think! It was painful! In the end I took the lunge! Yikes!!!

When am I going to get the chance again to live in a country that is covered in snow and be as close as I am to a ski-slope? I don't know, so what the heck!

Rocking my gear

Oliver and his new best friend!

We made some adjustments, which means we will be living like peasants this month...but it also means we can do it from the top of a snow-covered mountain...which is a pretty sweet deal!

As for skill...hmmm...skill......ummmmm.....yeah....that is something that I need to work on. A whole bunch!

I went skiing yesterday...I have bad memories of snowboarding being bruised and frustrated so I thought I would give skiing a go. After falling, I really could not stand up....I kept sliding down the side of the mountain in absolute fits of laughter all by myself....I was a sorry sight. Eventually, I got back to my feet, only to fall again. This time in an awkward way that had my knees going in some weird direction which was bloody painful and must have been a ridiculous site! After some more sliding and the realisation that I had a lot more butt-sliding to do, a friend noticed me. Thank heavens!

Oliver (not my Oliver...another Oliver from Wales) taught me the basics...how to stand up, how to stop, how to manage my speed, and how to turn left and right. He was with me for about twenty minutes and boy did it help! For the next two hours I just kept trying and I could feel myself getting better and better. High Five!!!

While I was wading down the mountain in my slow, old lady, learning fashion. Oliver, Oliver and Eric were learning to do jumps, tricks and all sorts of crazy things. The boys were in such a happy place...pure joy!

We only ended up leaving the slopes at 23:10......CRAZY!!!

Oh, and can I just say, three hours of skiing really does make your bum and arms hurt. Ouch! I haven't been able to lift my arms above my head the whole day! I better look like a super model by the time the season is up!!! Hahaha....

So even though my pockets are dry and I cringe at the thought of how much money was spent I am super super stoked (happy) with my choice. Sometimes the reckless choice is the best one even if it means I am going to be covered in bruises for the next three months.

Post by Claudia