Yes, we finally made it home. I have never been so happy to set foot on familiar soil. Of course, the Memphis Airport greeted our 10:40 p.m. flight by taking over an hour to get our luggage off the plane. Sweet, sweet, people--they really know how to serve.
Do you ever take vacations only to get home and feel like you need a vacation after your vacation? That's how we felt. We were tired, our clothes were dirty, and our house was filthy. It was not a fun way to kick off the week. I can't complain too much, though. We had a great time, and I've held off from posting pictures because my brother was supposed to be sending me all of the pictures that he took. He hasn't. (That's right, Blake--I'm calling you out.) My camera is a huge Canon Rebel, (which I love) but its size isn't conducive to taking pictures while skiing. Or attempting to ski. Or falling down--a lot.
Our first day in Aspen, we were pretty tired since Sam had kept us up the night before with his illness. We also got slapped in the face with some serious altitude. An elevation of 7,890 feet takes some serious adjustment. Walking up 6 steps makes you feel like your heart will jump out of your chest. Anyway, we did take a gondola to the top of Aspen Mountain and have some drinks, so that was a beautiful and yummy way to kick off our trip.
The lifts to Aspen Mountain.
Top of the mountain.
On our second day, we ate a delicious breakfast of oatmeal pancakes--yummers. The rest of the day we took advantage of Aspen's awesome, clean, FREE public transit, and tooled around town.
I honestly don't remember where this is, but it's pretty, isn't it?
My brother and me. I know, I know...why is he so tall and I'm so short? I've asked myself that question many, many times.
Blake and Anthony
The Frozen Marshmallow and Anthony
And on the third day, God said, "Let the land produce vegetation." Kidding--wrong third day.
On our third day, I "learned" how to ski. This consisted of falling down--over and over and over again. My brother is primarily a snowboarder, so he helped the best he could, but I was on my rear the majority of the day. I managed to get off the ski lift properly the first time but immediately fell down. Here's what people don't tell you about learning to ski---it's really, really, hard to get up once you fall. At least it was for me. And the snow on the bunny slopes was pretty darn packed, so I have a couple of really nice bruises. I thought my entire backside was going to be 9 shades of purple, but it wasn't as bad as I had predicted.
I did have a small panic attack getting off the lift the 4th go round because my ski got tangled in Anthony's. I did what any sensible person would do...when Anthony got off, I just stayed on. They had to stop the lift to get me off. At that point, I just didn't care that I looked like a complete idiot. I laughed at myself a lot that day--a whole lot.
By my last few runs down the bunny slopes, I had gotten the hang of it enough to stay upright. Given, I made myself go as slowly as possible. I wasn't bending my knees and flying down hills; I was just trying to remain on my feet. It was a victory in my book.
We stayed at a great condo in Snowmass Friday night, and skied there on Saturday. Luckily, Blake's girlfriend is a fabulous skier, and she was there to coach me through that day. Bless her heart--she's used to going much, much, faster on much harder slopes, but she stuck by me throughout the day. I don't think I thanked her enough for her patience with me.
I had a lot of fun on Saturday. Mind you, I still fell down on the ski path, off the ski path, in trees, you name it. My crew convinced me I was ready for a "green," and I decided to go for it. I made it okay except for one hill where I got a little out of control and couldn't stop. Everybody was waiting for me, and I just kept going--I truly ate it in a major way. Head first, snow in my mouth, you name it.
We hung out at the bar at the bottom of the mountain to watch the Dawgs beat Vandy, and it was a great way to cap off a fun day. All in all, it was super fun, and I would definitely like to go again.
But I don't think I'll fly into Aspen Airport. Unless it's summer.
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