Spring Vacations During High School, Really Fond Memories

by Della Rayner
(San Diego Valley)

One of the fondest memories I had was spring vacations during high school.

Living in Hawaii, there is very limited opportunity to be exposure to snow. My freshman year, the family decided that this was unacceptable, and we jumped on a plane and went to Tahoe and an adventure of a lifetime.

We were going skiing! That first year was fun, although I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to learn how to ski. I probably spent half of the time either laying in snow, or worse, eating it.

However, by the time the week was done, I could get off a ski lift effortlessly, without causing a pileup at the chair exit point.

Fast forward three years, to my senior year in high school. Now, not only was it my family’s tradition, but also the tradition of my three best friends.

Imagine having four families of Hawaiians shredding the slopes in Tahoe. Us kids would mock the parents and literally ski backwards passing them on the slopes.

We’d have races during the day, and losers had to buy pizza at night. It was a blast. One moment from these trips is burnt in to my memory, and every time I think about it, it always brings a smile to my face.

The moment was from year one, when we learning how to ski. We took the beginner lessons and we learning how to snowplow to stop. Well, my brother always thought he was better than me, and he was going to show me how to stop a fancier way.

Unfortunately for him, he was unable to do so and, instead of stopping, proceeded to ski straight towards a large tree that wasn’t going anywhere. That, however, was not the funny part.

The funny part was seeing my mother, who has ZERO athleticism in her body, trying to go after my brother. Mind you, she has no knowledge of skiing, and how to stop either. Let’s just say, by the time they both stopped, they were stacked on each other, stuck in a ditch right in front of the tree.

Snow covered their goggles and pants! It was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in my life!!! And there I was, standing, watching, and laughing myself to tears.