Winter Break

          Across the world dread and remorse are found on the faces of workers and students, as the winter break comes to an end. An entire month of escaping the rut of our routine lives has ended, and now we all meet together again returning to our everyday lives. But in the end, we should not "cry because it’s over, [but] smile because it happened". 

           I hope all readers have enjoyed their month off, as have I. For my break, after an excruciating few weeks of unexpected closure in which I remained within the contents of my home a large portion of my time, I traveled to Vail, Colorado. Vail is a wonderful city situated between alpine forests and mountains. In the summer it is a great destination for hikers, rafters, and hunters, and by winter it is a grand ski and snowboard resort. 

         Skiing in Vail had been fun; all in all it was a worthwhile trip. There was a great ski school for newcomers, the gondola and chairlift rides were efficient, and the slopes were abundant and enjoyable. It had its downsides, however. The temperature in Vail this year was very much unpredictable. At times cold enough to give me minor frostbite, at times too hot to go out in ski clothes, it was a pain keeping up. The night of New Year’s Eve was especially dreadful. The blistering cold from the evening reached an amazing  -20* atop the mountain peak. And on the 8^th, the sun came out and showed its bright face, and combined with the major electrical issues causing chairlift delays, it made for a sweaty days. It was not only the temperature, however. The ski boots were unbelievably uncomfortable. They are literally solid plastic boots, made to fit into the ski, and walking across town in them from gondola to hotel was painful.

          Apart from sweat, frostbite, and blistered feet, however, it was an enjoyable vacation. Once one gets down from the chairlift and begins to ski, the prior mentioned inconveniences disappear. No, one does not think about the pain in the feet, the hot or cold in their face, no. One does not worry of such petty factors. One worries of going down the exciting black diamonds, not crashing into a nearby skier, falling off the mountain, seriously injuring themselves and being in bed for weeks to come.

Vail Mountain - Front Side

Vail Mountain - Back Bowls