A winter adventure

As I step out of the airport, my jaw drops to the floor in amazement. I tug my fall jacket around me as the freezing temperatures bite my exposed skin. The sight is astonishing - it’s my first time ever seeing snow.

White crystals emerge from puffy clouds and fall gracefully towards the ground. The snow dots my hair but falls off as I tilt my head back and stick my tongue out. The cool flakes chill me from the inside out. 

After I grab a taxi, arrive at the hotel, and go to the store to get a new jacket, I set off on an adventure. I look at the list on my phone of everything I wanted to do: go sledding, skiing, skating and making snow angels. I find a park with a stand that is renting toboggans, so I pay the $5 and hop onto the wooden seat. I push off the snow-covered ground and slide down the steep hill. A smile grows on my face and I realize that the coldness is worth it if you get to have so much fun in the snow. 

Next, I arrive at the ski hill. I embark on the chairlift as it goes up, up, up. I look down and understand why people are afraid of heights. The world looks so small and far away. When I finally reach the top of the mountain and manage my way off of the lift, I gulp when looking at the course in front of me. I use the ski poles to boost me off of the top of the mountain, and I ski all the way down to the bottom - because I didn’t know how to stop. After I survived a run down the hill, I go into the chalet to drink some well earned hot chocolate which warms me up and reminds me of the warmth from back home.

Then, I rent skates in the chalet and use them at the skating rink near the base of the mountain. I lace them up and step onto the rink. I slip on my first few steps, but after a couple of minutes, I’m able to glide across the frozen lake and even spin around like a figure skater. Mom would love this, I think. I slide my way around and leave when the sun starts to set.

Lastly, I make my way back to the hotel and pass the park again. I decide to go into the park and complete the final thing on my list; making snow angels. I lie in the snow and gaze up at the now darkening sky. I then close my eyes and feel the coolness of the snow underneath me. The coldness reminds me of holidays back home, spent in the pool and ocean, not bundled up in coats. I can’t stop thinking about my life at home, and I finally figure out why. The holidays aren’t just about winter and snow, they’re about family.