Tamsin's First Run: Similes and Metaphors on the Slope

Tamsin's First Run

1On the morning of my first snowboarding lesson, the mountain was a giant birthday cake covered in white frosting. I had never stood on a snowboard before, and my stomach was full of nerves. My snowboard felt as heavy as a refrigerator as I dragged it to the beginner hill. Uncle Bao waved to me from the lodge window and gave me a thumbs-up.

2Our instructor, Ms. Lindqvist, was as calm as a sleeping cat. "Bend your knees and look where you want to go," she said in a soft voice. I tried, but my legs were as stiff as icicles.

3On my first try, I wobbled like a baby deer and sat down hard in the snow. Snow slid down my collar, as cold as ice cubes from the freezer. All around me, other riders seemed to glide like swans across the hill.

4By my tenth fall, I was a grumpy storm cloud. "Snowboarding is impossible," I muttered, brushing snow off my pants. Ms. Lindqvist only smiled. "Every rider is a turtle before she is a rabbit," she said. "Go slowly, and the speed will come."

5After lunch, something changed. I bent my knees, looked down the hill, and let the board slide. The wind was a cool hand on my cheeks. I zigzagged down the slope like a leaf drifting in the breeze, and I did not fall once.

6At the bottom, Uncle Bao clapped his mittens together. "You were a rocket out there!" he cheered. I knew I had really been more like a careful snail, but my smile was as wide as the mountain. "Can we come back next weekend?" I asked.