Skiing in Garmisch

This past weekend I went with a group to Garmisch to go skiing. Well, I was the only skier. Everyone else was learning to snowboard. Julie and I got up at 2am on Saturday to be at Nate & Michele's by 2:30. Emily met us there and the 5 of us were packed and on the road by 3am. We packed the 5 of us and our snowgear in one car. It was a tight fit, but worth saving the gas. I was alseep with my fuzzy travel pillow for most of the ride. When I woke up we were climbing in the mountains, there was snow on the ground, and there were little villages spotting the valleys. It was very beautiful.

When we got to the base of the mountain, we got the new snowboarders signed up for their lessons, and Nate and I decided to get full day lift tickets and go up for the morning and meet the others for lunch after their lesson. The weather was the perfect mix of cold and comfortable. It started snowing after the first run. My skiing experience being as minimal as it is, was very rusty at first. Then, I got ambitious and decided to follow a run that the lady at outdoor rec suggested. Nate and I got separated, and thought we could meet up a little further down the mountain. In the end, I ended up on a run that was full of ice, very steep and narrow in spots, and it just kept going... and going... and going... and going... I finally get down on the OTHER SIDE of the mountain. I had to go up a lift that took me past the point I wanted to be at. So here I go again... venturing on back to my comfort zone through a not so comfortable zone. By the time I got half-way, it was snowing hard and visibility was less than stellar. The snowboarders were on the bunny hill brusing their butts and knees. It was a good day.

The next day, we got up and had a great big breakfast before we packed up the car and drove to Neuschwanstein. It was another breathtaking drive. When we got there, it was very cold. It was also very foggy so sadly, the castle was difficult to get clear pictures of. However, the crowds were minimal, so we got out tickets for a tour, took a carriage ride up, and got to see the beautiful castle. Neuschwanstein is the castle that Walt Disney used as his inspiration for Cinderella's Castle. The castle isn't a terribly old castle, but it's very beautiful. It's full of amazing
paintings and ornate woodwork. The castle was actually never finished because King Ludwig died mysteriously and all construction on it stopped.

We had a 4.5 hour drive back that night and I crashed in the car and I crashed when I got back. It made today a very long day of briefing after briefing. It reminded me of OBC... only far worse. It made me remember the long briefings of OBC but without all the warm feelings of who was behind me, the friends next to me, and where I would be after class was dismissed for the day...