Skiing: something I used to enjoy all the time as a young child. Every year, my siblings, my cousins; and I would all go with a ski club to a small mountain called Bousquet. We had a weekly tradition of piling into minivans and head to our nightly ski lessons. After we were done, we'd look forward to the ride back, because we could get the apple pies from McDonalds! Everything was so much fun, and we always looked forward to our lessons every year until I was about seven years-old.

The last day of ski lessons is free ski! That's when they give you free range of the mountain. I was so excited to go down the "big" mountain on my own, or I should say without an instructor! My older brother was much more advanced at skiing than I was, and decided to take me down a big slope that he went down before. It was called "Sesame Lane". So up the big ski lift we went, and we made our way down the slope! The slope seemed to go quick, and was really easy to ski down. I had no issues skiing down this slope...the first time.

After I got to the bottom I was so excited I had conquered a big slope, I went and found my sister who is only a year older than me. I told her we just had to ski down the slope, and that it was going to be great! So back up the mountain we went! This time, things did not go as planned.

We get to the top, and see the signs for Sesame Lane and head over to it. I went down right in front of my sister so she could follow me. The beginning went well, until suddenly I heard Emily yell as she hit an ice patch and fell. Nothing too serious, but she sat down and started crying. Being the good sister I am, I stopped and climbed back up the mountain to meet her. Then all of a sudden, I got stuck in the ice myself. I was also little, and no one was skiing the same slope we were, so nobody came to help.

Five minutes went by, and finally we see someone coming. At this point, one of Emily's skis has fallen down the mountain and we were still stuck. When the person got close to us they didn't even slow down! They just flew on by. By this point, full panic mode set in for both of us. Emily starts crying hysterically, so I cry too! We start yelling for help, but no one came. We can clearly see the ski lift to our right, when I noticed my brother and cousins coming up! We yelled their names, but they just laugh. But finally what feels like after an hour, my brother came and got help for us so we could get off the ice. Ryan and I skied down to the bottom, while the others were still helping Emily.

Now even though nothing bad happened and we both were fine and uninjured, I was afraid to go back up the mountain. I became afraid of the ice, and afraid of falling or losing a ski.

Almost ten years went by before I finally decided to give skiing a try again. My neighbors would always go skiing, and they'd keep asking if I wanted to go with them and I finally said yes! I was excited because I remember how much I loved skiing, but for some reason there was still fear inside of me, even though I knew I'd be okay.

So I go, but this time it's to a different mountain, and also a larger mountain. I get to the ski rentals, get all my gear fixed and off I go...to the bunny hill. I had forgotten how to get off a ski lift (even though it's super easy); I had forgetting how to slow myself down (also easy); and I forgot how to turn (all the basics, go figure). After one trip down the small bunny hill I wasn't fine, it was as if everything had comeback, but I was shaking...on the bunny hill.

I did well, despite the nervousness. Onto the novice hill we go! It was a bit icy, but I forced myself to go down the hill multiple times. I did this because the next step was to get all the way up to the top. Plus, I needed to make sure I was comfortable with at least the novice hill! After an hour, up to the top I go; I was shaking and nervous, but I didn't let my fear show through to the people I was with.

A good friend once said, "the best way to overcome your fear is to take it head on." I took those words to heart and made my way down. I put a smile on my face, and braved the mountain the whole way down. I may have gone five miles an hour the entire time -- and took the widest/biggest turns, but I eventually made my way to the bottom of the mountain! I was still a little hesitant, so I did the slope over and over again! By the third time, I was no longer afraid and was starting to thoroughly enjoy the way down and gained my confidence back.

For me and I'm sure for many others, the best way to face your fears is to take them head on; and force yourself to be exposed to them until they've no longer phased you!

Even though my fear was very much do to overthinking and being nervous for no reason. I was able to overcome it. This has now helped me to overcome some of my other fears, like elevators, which is a story for another time.