Sunday, January 20, 2013

That Time I Tried to Snowboard

I'm not athletic. Shocker. I never did sports long term growing up even though I tried handfuls of them. Instead, I stuck to less physically dangerous and socially humiliating activities. But even though I'm not the best at sports, I love to be outside and active. I love kayaking, scuba diving and running (sometimes). With that being said, there are just some things are not for me and my athletically challenged body. Take for instance, snowboarding. Hubs loves it, and really wants me to love it too so we can go together. And just for that cuteness factor I have tried it out once before and told him that I would continue to try until I spent more time riding than falling. So, this last weekend we headed up to the near mountain of Muju to enjoy a weekend with friends and for me to attempt to board again. Even though the last time I tried boarding didn't go so great (maybe bruises and pain are just a given?) I was determined to try again. Try again I did but I didn't quite make it to the succeed part. Almost to the end of the hill on my first run, I fell so hard on my lower back that I had all the symptoms of a concussion (headache, blurry vision, nausea, dizziness) not to mention not being able to walk upright which pretty much made it look like I had to pee really bad. So I was officially out for the next two days. I'm honestly really bummed that I couldn't be up there on the slopes with hubs but at the same time I'm glad that he was able to go a lot without me holding him back. Because let's face it, I'm a slow learner. Obviously. But I'm also thankful that I literally had to push him out the door in order to go back and snowboard without me. He's a keeper.
snowboarding
The group minus me because I was back at the room resting my bum
Rental gear. Don't like the color? Choose another from the HUNDREDS of options!
Our friend found us a pretty great place to stay at too. Tucked on the side of one of the many mountains is Ecoville. A series of wooden loft condos complete with kitchens, balconies, and great views of the the surrounding mountaintops. We crammed seven people into this one bed getaway but thankfully there were plenty of extra floor mats (got to love Korean style) and blankets to go around. If you're planning a trip up to Muju, I would highly recommend this place which even includes a cozy great room with a large fireplace to de-thaw after a day on the slopes. The manager there is also quite possibly one of the nicest managers I have ever met in Korea. His English is excellent and he loves to strike up a conversation with anyone who walks through the door. It's a great place to stay whether you're wanting to be action packed for the weekend or prefer a romantic getaway.

Oh and even though I got banged up pretty bad (this is my opinion since I'm a woos when it comes to injuries) I really want to go try again. Maybe I'll always have the eight year olds passing me on the slopes and I'll always walk away with bruises and ego scars but for the minute or so that I actually know what I'm doing, it's pretty fun.

Linking up with Molly and Brooke