It is the season for formals. Many lovely gentlemen are treating ladies to fun trips here, there and everywhere. 

I was lucky enough to be invited on a fraternity's formal by a very handsome gentleman to which I happily accepted. The formal was a weekend of skiing in the mountains of North Carolina. I write this article for two reasons. 

One, skiing is actually very hard and I have to wonder why everyone had convinced me it would be such a walk in the park. Two, I know a couple of fraternities had similar formals and I truly wanted to see if I was the only chick feeling handicapped on the bunny slopes. 

For starters I would like to say that I'm not a complete beginner. It wasn't my first time seeing snow, I haven't lived in a cave my whole life. I've been snowboarding in Colorado twice, both a few years back. I never remember being as terrified and as physically challenged as I did skiing. 

For those who have been skiing before, please know that "pizza" and "french fries" is probably the worst analogy you could give to a new skier. I go out on the slopes for my first gnarly run just trying to shred, ya know? But I was thinking that making a pizza slice with my two skis was going to significantly slow me down. It didn't. I start flying at what must have been 15 miles per hour, and felt like there was no easy way to slow myself down.

It got to the point where I felt the only way to truly slow myself down was to throw myself to the ground. Which I would also say is difficult. When snowboarding you can just plop down on your bottom, feet out front. I was perplexed at the right way to fall down with skis with two long poles that could knock someone out, and two long flipper feet that just fly array. Seems potentially damaging. 

So anyway, I get up the courage to ride the lift (don't get me started on the dynamics of the elevated death bench) up to a "Blue". For those who don't know, the blue slopes are one level harder than "green", which are the baby slopes. 

I'm not gonna say I cried... But. Wow, I am making myself sound like such a wuss. But I have snowboarded, and I wasn't this bad. I was so care-free riding down the blue slopes on a snowboard. It was just something about the pizza and french fries that seriously terrified me. 

My poor date and I were going a solid 2 miles per hour down the greens by the end of the day, and then I let him go with his friends. Talking to a few girls on the trip, I know I wasn't completely alone. So holla at the girls who tried real hard to ski on a formal and didn't quite succeed, and to the girls who shred the gnarliest slopes (laughing at my lingo), let us in on your secrets. 

A few secrets I learned: 

- pizza does not stop you. It may slow you down if done effectively, but stopping is done... another way that I couldn't inform you of because I couldn't do it myself. 

- Looking cute is key. If you fall in your pink ear muffs, colorful ski jacket and mittens, you're still doing something right. 

- I'd advise against drinking (frat water) before hand. Injuries really do happen and you can and will drink at the banquets and parties at night. 

- Don't hesitate getting off the ski lift. It will continue moving and take you with it. It has happened to me, and once it starts going back up you have to make a leap of faith. 

- Hang out with other couples. The girls can then be scared and stick together while the guys barrel down ahead of you, so you are never left behind. 

I would like to conclude that I had an awesome time this weekend. It was one of my best memories this year. Most of the time, I was dying laughing as I fell and I would do it all again next weekend if I could. But if I could be lucky enough to do it all again next weekend, I might snowboard... or tube... or make snow angels.