By Dhruva Nistane

A slight breeze flowed that day. A ray of sunshine could be seen. It was chilly in a nice way. It was a perfect day for winter.

As I cautiously ascended from the cozy car, a cold gust of wind blew into my face, grasping, refusing to let go. All the warmth in my body swiftly began to abate, despite my jacket. The coolness on my skin felt surprisingly nice. I waddled towards the snow, my hands full with skis; I wouldn't succumb to my brother, who had nothing in his hands.

"Brrrrrr," I announced with my teeth chattering. My face was red from the cold. I checked in and after stretching, hopped onto the ski loft. Tick, tick. The ski lift began to fly upwards. I felt at ease. Like I ruled everything below. As I continued my flight towards the sky, the ground began to fade and until everything looked like an ant. The sheer height began to daunt me. I made sure I didn't look down again.

After what seemed like eons, I stepped off the lift. I was ready to feel the adrenaline rush. I started to panic. What if I got injured by a tree? I pushed these nudging thoughts away. I pushed of with an ostentatious leap, like I saw skiers do. I crumpled down and hit the ground like a piece of space junk. I had jumped in a 180 degree flop. My ego was surely injured. I brushed the snow off my pants and stood up. I snapped my right ski back on. I felt like an alien. In fact I wanted to be an alien to hide from all the eyes - to fly off in the sky.

I pushed off on the baby white snow, a little less "showy" this time. Unfortunately my danger lied in a bump that stood in front of me. I took a deep breath and jumped. Mistake. Thud...Boom...Crash...you can guess. My skis floated down the slope, into the horizon. I sprinted after it hoping I was invisible, though I knew I wasn't. My knees buckled and I scrutinized a deep gash as large as the Empire State Building. Just kidding - that was very pretentious. How much better my luck can get, I thought facetiously. I accumulated my courage, which did have a deep gash and bolted towards my skis, which had now gone pretty far down. I began to feel the bitter cold creep deep into my body, and it wasn't because of the cold, though I was kind of freezing!

I began to wish I was in an opulent hotel, where the heater would soothe my spazzing body. My mundane imagination is inexcusable, I know, I could have said a campfire. Wait, back to the story.

My skis were racing down the descend. People laugh. Inside I cried. I was embarrassed, though I acted very nonchalant. When I picked up my naughty skis, relief rushed through my body. I felt okay when I snapped them back on.

I was flying downhill. I felt like the king of the world. I looked up. Trees loomed above me. My mind went blank. I forgot how to turn. They came closer every second, suddenly I veered left. Phew! But that wasn't the end of my troubles, a tree forked two paths. Thud. I tasted bitter tree bark. Yuck! Despite my quite diligent effort, I was failing. I lay down until a man helped me to my feet. Winter is helping each other up and giving a hand to each other.

Then it hit me, I was a follower. I was trying to be Lyndsey Vonn.I forgetting to be me!

I was wary of the fact that nothing had been working out, but that would just make me try harder. It was really nice third time skiing. I have to be optimistic and start out slow.

"Start out slow," I whispered to myself, "let’s go." I gave a baby push and let out a deep breath. I zig zagged, leaving trail marks in the snow. I felt as though I was as good as anyone else. This one was the most venerable yet!

"Woo hoo!" I cried, not caring what people thought. I felt free. Oblivious to the others around me. I felt...me! I renovated my dignity/ego to 100%.

The snow softened as the end of the hill came. I screeched to a stop, making snow spray into the air. Boy was I hungry. I guess even professional skiers need a break. But why not try another run? Just one more. On the black diamond: The most dangerous, most vicious, most steep and narrow - most flabbergasting slope! The evanescent doubt came gushing back like a river, a wild river.

"I can do this," I chanted like a persistent mantra. I was frugal of time and without realizing what I had done, jumped on to the lift. There was no line. I glimpsed bits and pieces and nooks and crannies of the black diamond. It stared back at me. Teasing. Tantalizing. Taunting. I glared back laughing. Winter is about not giving up. About being determined and full of dignity. Inside I surly wasn't that. I looked up and abruptly the end came, my face froze in the snow. Definitely not a good start! I looked up. Two hills converged where I lay. Uh Oh! Both were black diamonds. There was no turning back now. The aberrations of my humorous feelings were pathetic. Laugh and let go ,I remembered. How

can I do this? I could survey the parking lot from the top. The slope started high and unexpectedly fell down almost vertically.

"Okay, let's go," I spoke giggling at my "spiritualitiness." How I love winter. Even hearing it gives me a nudge. I pondered on with a tactful plan: let it ride! How adolescent.

I took off without a second thought.

"Ahhhhhh!" I yelled. Of the few people that were there stared at me like I was the Joker. This was extenuating what was sure to happen. Top speed. Black diamond. I bet you can guess.

I do love winter. The coolness on my skin. Silence in the air. Drawing on the fog sitting on the window. Having a blast skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. Best of all, hoarding the fireplace with my family. Having snowball fights with friends and siblings. Winter tells you never to give up, no matter how cold, how arctic the situation may seem. To give each other a hand in the cold. I love sitting with my family when the weather gets horribly cold.

P.S. Next time you ambush your distressing sibling, make sure you hide!