Skiing Solo in the Alps

Sunset in Rome

bither_traveler — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:53:00 GMT

I was able to go on an amazing trip to Italy in December 2009. I traveled with three friends, and we journeyed quickly through Venice, Florence, and Rome. Stopping in countless churches, historical landmarks, festive shops, and beautiful parks, we had a number of incredible experiences I treasure. But if I could only pick out one memory, it would be the night we watched the sunset in Rome.

During our first full day in Rome, we walked throughout the whole city, taking in many of the popular destinations. Our route was designed geographically only; we didn't research where we should go at different times of the day. So when we arrived at the Spanish Steps, it just coincidentally happened as the sun began to set. We climbed to the very top and perched ourselves on a comfortable ledge to watch the show.

The Spanish Steps are situated perfectly for the sunset. They face west, with multiple churches in view including St. Peter's Basilica. The sky continually changed colors, transitioning from pale blue to light pink to dark red to vibrant orange. At each stage of the sunset, I thought we had reached the peak of beauty, but I was surprised to see it surpassed within five or ten minutes. I had to control my urge to constantly take pictures so I could sit back and enjoy.

Finally, as twilight emerged, we heard a piano start playing at the bottom of the steps. We had noticed the area roped off as it was being set up for something, but we didn't think much of it. Yet as we peered down the steps, we saw that people had prepared a small concert for the people. After a few minutes of piano introduction, a man and woman broke out in a breath-taking opera duet of La Traviata. We moved closer down to the staging area and soaked in this completely unexpected free concert. After such an amazing sunset, the Italian music created a magical atmosphere we could never have imagined.

Photos: Italian Journey

bither_traveler — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:15:00 GMT

Venice, Florence, Rome

My Travel Writing Scholarship 2011 entry - My Big Adventure

bither_traveler — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:44:03 GMT

Flanked by snow-covered mountains, I realized that my dream was about to come true. I had always wanted to do it, I had worked hard to prepare for it, and now I had traveled quite a distance to reach it; I was going to ski in the Alps. I was 21 years old, enjoying Spring Break during my term at Oxford University, and I was by myself in a tiny town in southern Germany. Up to this moment, I had allowed my doubts about the ski trip to outshine my excitement. Yet once I was settled on the ski bus taking me from the train station to the mountain, I was able to release my worries and let the dream wash over me.

Although I was only a couple hours from Munich, I felt like I had been transplanted to a distant mountain village of fairytale quality. In Munich, the focus of the town was the city itself, with just a light dusting of snow and an occasional hill as the only indication of altitude. Yet here in Schliersee, the snow thickly covered all of the houses and trees, coating the town with frosted beauty. Snow continued to fall throughout the day, adding to the winter loveliness without distracting from it. Creating a magnificent backdrop, the Alpine mountains really stole the show, roaring and bursting around the town at every angle.

The view was so spectacular that I might have been satisfied with the whole outing if all I had done was ride the ski lift. When I reached the top, I randomly selected a path and started making my way down the mountain. It took about thirty seconds for me to realize that I was skiing in the most incredible amount of powdered snow I’d ever encountered. I looked down at my feet and discovered that I couldn’t see below my knees! I was floating deep in the fluffy snow until I had sunk so far in that I stopped moving forward. This happened repeatedly as I adjusted to the course, and I continually had to dig myself out of the snow bank and start over. Yet each time, I experience no frustration or impatience. In fact, sometimes I used the opportunity to just sit in the snow and stare at the scene around me. I had a 360 degree view of mountains! I was skiing in the Alps!

My day in the Alps was one of the best days of my life. It had its ups and downs – quite literally – but that only added to its magnificence. I experienced some painful challenges and unbridled exhilarations. At times, I was stunted by the language barrier, but I also encountered a significant amount of universal kindness. I spent the day by myself, and yet I never for a moment felt alone. I grew in ways both physically and mentally that I never anticipated, and I will always cherish my adventure in the snow.