Gala Yuzawa

This day really began Friday night when our friends, Nicola and Steve, asked us if we

wanted to go snowboarding. We were a bit undecided because it meant getting up at an ungodly hour (5:45) on a Sunday. We decided to suck it up and we had a great time. We took the bullet train for the first time. It was amazing! So, we're in Tokyo, it's like 40 degrees and there's no snow anywhere. We hop on a train and in an hour and a half, we're in a winter wonderland. Not only that but, we get off the train, walk up a few flights of stairs and we're in the resort. Can it get much more convenient than that?!

So, this was my first ever time getting on a mountain. You need to understand that my family just doesn't do cold. Our vacations were always wherever the sun and surf were. I used to skateboard and surf as a kid at the beach so, I was hoping that I could make the transition. According to Chris, I did well. However, it probably has a lot to do with my natural athletic abilities (and maybe something to do with the fact that Chris was my teacher). Picture me sharing the side of the bunny slope with all these little kids who are taking lessons. I was mortified but Chris was really patient. So, St. Christopher and I spent the first half of the day going over the basics. After an hour and a half or so, Chris pesuaded me to go up to the top of the bunny hill because he felt the bottom of the hill wasn't giving me enough momentum to really practice actually riding. I had never taken the lift so that was another experience. It didn't have the safety bar that comes over to keep you from falling off to your death but, I managed to stay on.

At the top of the hill I kind of felt like John Cusack in Better Off Dead. I was a little freaked. But, alas, Chris was right, it was much easier to practice when you have a hill under you. I fell a ton going down but I felt like I was getting it. We practiced a few more runs and then met up with Steve and Nic. Somehow they persuaded me to go up to a taller mountain before lunch. So, this mountain was much steeper and much more narrow. I'm not sure how I managed to get down in one piece. I was a bit ticked as I was going down because I was clearly not ready for a hill of that size. So, I fell a lot to prevent myself from careening through the flimsy, red netting that they put up as a rail. Eventually, I made it down and headed in doors for some valium.. I mean lunch.

After lunch, I did go back up to the same big hill I took before lunch, but took a different route. It was wider so, I felt a little bit better. I had a few more runs on the bunny hill, which went well. By the end of the day, I felt like I learned a lot, I wasn't falling as much and I was smiling as I was going down the hill. Can't wait to go back again!!!