Last week, I finally decided to join some friends and go skiing for the very first time. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever experienced, but I am definitely not very good at it. This wasn't a surprise to me. However, I did learn much more than I thought I would in those couple of hours on the mountain.

Here are the lessons I learned in no particular order:

Sometimes, being out of control is the best way to be in control. Falling and struggling down Bunny Hill and being told to, "just go with it!" Is always frustrating but it is what we sometimes need to hear in life.

The older we get, the more painfully aware we are of time passing. Every minute I spent sort of skiing felt longer than the last. The little kids zipping past and complaining about how they hadn't been there for long enough in the lodge made me even more aware of my age.

The best way to learn how to do something is to do it and fail. When my boyfriend told me to throw myself down into the snow, without poles at first, I laughed. Then, I did it because how else was I going to learn how to stand back up?

And the most important lesson of all: Not having any idea what you're doing and falling down a mountain, metaphorically and literally, can be the funnest part of your day. I'm a firm believer in fate. Eventually, you have to let go and give in to what the mountain, or life in general, has planned for you.

Skiing is something I only needed to do once, though I wouldn't be opposed to going a second time. I might even learn a couple of new lessons.