Hayden laurie, grade 8

That first breath of fresh air as white perfect snowflakes begin to fall from the dark night sky. The air is so refreshing, waking me up from my autumn slumber. Each first snowfall is as if I’d never seen snow before. Like a young child, mesmerized by the way the snow lands on the sidewalk and begins to melt. Of course it’s still early in the season for the snow to stay. But for that night it is the most beautiful snow I’ve ever seen. While the rest of the world sits inside thinking about how much they miss summer, only one thought is in my mind. It’s almost ski season! Some people might call me crazy. How could you like winter? It’s dark and icy; driving is a pain and most of all it’s freezing. Perhaps I should have been more specific. I don’t like the dark, or the slippery roads or walking home in the freezing cold. However, when I think of winter, I think of all the amazing traditions I have. For some people the holidays might be the best part of winter. For me, it’s skiing. Every year I go on a ski trip with our ski team and it is incredible. The food is awful. You wake up every morning before the sun and wonder why you even came. Then, you go outside and run. Yes, run! In the freezing cold you run around like crazy people as the sun rises. Absolutely awful. Finally, you click on your skis and head towards the chair. At such high heights your toes feel so cold that at a certain point you forget they are there. Then, you look around and it is all worth it. Each tree has branches covered in snow. Icicles dangle from each branch and look so magical you’d think you were in a fairy tale. When you look down below, your heart is full of butterflies. The hills have no tracks and are calling you to go down. As you reach the top and slide off the chair, nothing else matters. You forget about the assignments you probably should get done and the fact that you forget to text your parents good morning and are left with only one thought. Which hill will you ski down? Once that’s decided the rest is easy. Skis straight, goggles down and go! The rest of the world disappears. Nobody else is there because let’s face it, it’s an ungodly hour. The only sounds are your skis carving into the fresh snow. The wind blows in your face and you should be cold, but you’re so happy you don’t feel it. Then you get down, see everyone's smiling faces and do it again. Maybe you still think I’m crazy. I like going down a hill at full speed, losing feeling in my toes and feeling the wind blow in my face. After all, it’s only October and I’m thinking about this. You might have a point.