I have whiplash…

But it’s not from the car accident – or at least I wouldn’t be able to tell if it is b/c most of the damage came from the snowboarding trip I took this weekend!

Last weekend, I bought a board, bindings, and boots. It was a spontaneous purchase, which is completely out-of-character for me, but there was a BIG sale…so what could I do? I did ask for the return policy and rationalized that I had 90 days in which to return everything. I walked out convinced that I wouldn’t go again this season and would find myself carting all the equipment back to the store in a few weeks.

But midway thru the week, I was randomly invited to join a trip to Mammoth…and I said yes! Considering the criteria w/ which I bought all my gear (how well everything matched… what do I know about boards?), I got fairly lucky b/c I ended up *loving* everything… esp. my Flow bindings!

So this was my 4^th time snowboarding… and can I brag a little? I’m pretty good. =) Don’t let the black-and-blue bruises on my arms and legs fool you, nor my puffy left eye (from punching myself in the face twice while falling). Ignore the sprained ankle that I got from slipping on the ice at the chairlift; incidentally causing the lift to stop for 3 long, embarrassing minutes b/c the lady had to slam on the emergency stop button. Okay, so I’m not THAT good… but I’m excited to say that I no longer feel like I’m faking it. I went on a few black diamonds and carved a lot this weekend. Even when I was falling, falling, falling, I kept pushing myself to practice, and I (miraculously) had enough stamina to board two full days!

The biggest factor in my improvement (and how much I absolutely *love* snowboarding now) were the people who kept motivating me by sticking w/ me all day and guiding me to various lifts. If I had known where they were leading me, I might not have followed b/c I ended up at the VERY top of Mammoth, w/ 40-70 mph winds, ice chunks pelting my face, and several signs that said “NO EASY WAY DOWN!” haha… but I made it down in one piece…and kept right on going. =)

I feel such a sense of accomplishment b/c my boundaries were pushed beyond anything I imagined (c’mon, y’all know how utterly unathletic I am!). I put this into practical application today b/c w/ all the rain, I was panicking about driving the 17 miles to see the insurance adjuster about my rear-ender on Friday. Unfortunately, this new accident caused a renewed wave of fear, but I forced myself to keep driving… I plowed thru it all and ended up safe at home afterwards. The ultimate application and goal now is to trust God enough to push the limits of my feeble faith… I’m so excited to see where that might lead me… hopefully beyond anything I’ve ever imagined!