If you aren't falling you aren't learning.

I tend to fall, a lot. I'm clutzy. I push myself to the brink of control. I take risks. For me, it's an amazing way  to live my life. With, of course, for the instances when I hit my head, then it's bad. Skiing is no exception. My friend Sara is my ski buddy, even offering to be my ski patrol for me because in typical MiKayla fashion my mum was worried I'd injure myself somehow. She carries my stuff, which to point out, is no simply task with a mono ski. The monoski itself weighs 30 lbs, add outriggers, skis, and a ski bag and you've got quite a few trips to make.

Back on track, just had to stop and appreciate my friend. We went skiing on Saturday. Up before the butt crack of dawn, hour and a half drive to the mountain for a few hours of bliss. Or well, what should have presumably been bliss. I was off my game. I have no shame in admitting I fell. Let me tell you, I fell a lot. And it hurt. I fell getting off the chair lift. I fell laying down some turns. I fell going through the line. I fell because I was more focused on laughing on Sara than skiing. When I fall, my mind instantly goes to either, what did I just do wrong or a squealing thought of damn there's snow down my back. But either way, the fall gets looked at, and I try not to make the same mistake again. Except for the instance of the chairlift. When I'm there, I'll blame it on the chair lift. But seriously, I had no idea why I couldn't get off the darn thing! I scooted, I flung my arms, I landed on my face.

I'd just like to point out that the ski is actually uphill.

I LOVE skiing, seriously, most freeing sport for me. One thing that frustrates me on the mountain though, is that everyone feels a need to acknowledge the differences. The thumbs up, the way to go, the wow that's awesome, or the dreaded 'you're such an inspiration'. Nature really is a great equalizer, especially current day with the adaptive technology, but I still feel out of place in the lift lines. When people (It seems most often to be teenage boys) ask me how hard it is, I don't think they would understand when I tell them how mental the lesson is. For now, I just smile politely, attempt to get on and off the chair lift and shred my way to sanity.