Skiing in Telluride

91. Go skiing or snowboarding.

I've wanted to try skiing for quite awhile.  I never took advantage of the lifts in Flagstaff when I attended NAU and never seemed to have the time to travel anywhere else during the winter months.

When my boyfriend mentioned a trip to Telluride, it sounded like the perfect opportunity to learn how to ski.

Signing up for a group ski lesson was a good decision.  I spent four hours learning how to stop, turn, and put on my skis.  After several falls (it took me quite awhile to learn how to stop), I felt like I was finally getting the hang of things.

The next day, after stretching my sore calf muscles, I put my skis back on and made three trips down a double green run.  My boyfriend was very patient with me and would wait nearby while I slowly made my way down the run.  There were a few times when I would have been really frustrated (and, to be honest, scared) without him by my side.

For the record, I never fell off the ski lift!  Lining up to get on the lift proved to be the trickier part for me. 

My third day of skiing was spent traveling down an entire double green run.  Our little group traveled higher up the mountain than the previous two days and made our way down to the bottom together.  I brought up the rear, but I made it down the entire run without falling!  Sure, I had to throw my arms out a few times, but I managed to remain upright.  I'm pretty proud of that.

Did I mention that the ski village in Telluride is beautiful?  You could ski right up to the hotel, which was pretty awesome.

Enjoying wine on a balcony after a long day on the slopes.

I can't wait to go back next year.  :)

Items completed: 52

Fire in the Fireplace

74. Have a fire in my fireplace.

I've lived in my apartment for almost five years.  In all that time, I have never used my fireplace.  I've stared at it longingly during the winter months but never took the time to put it to good use.

My boyfriend gave me the push to finally check this item off of my list.  He brought over some pieces of wood and created this beautiful fire.

The only downside? We picked the warmest night in January to have it.  We actually had to open the window to cool down the apartment.  It's definitely an Arizona problem.

 My cat didn't know what to think of the fire.  She ran away whenever the fire crackled.

Items completed: 51