I have been snowboarding for almost ten years now, but I've always wanted to learn to ski. January happens to be national "Learn A Snow Sport Month," and while I typically try not to be a follower, I figured this was as good excuse as any.

This past weekend three friends and I headed to Mt. Spokane and enrolled in ski lessons. I have to be honest, the idea of lessons at a ski mountain as a twenty-something didn't really sound like a good time. Surely...I'm too old for that! Thankfully we got hooked up with a sweet instructor, Ron.

Once we had all our gear we started out in the small, roped-off area at the base of the bunny-hill. Yes, the area that looks like an elementary school playground. Ron ran through the basics; the pie-stop, bent-knee stance, and the art of holding your arms out like you're "hugging your grandma."We got it all down and quickly graduated to learning turns from the top of the bunny hill after only thirty minutes. That was a proud moment.

Ron was so good at showing us how to ski and watching for small adjustments we might make to be better skiers. These lessons were not at all what I was expecting. We had a lot of freedom to try things and ski at our own speed. An hour in and we were already making big kid runs. Well...still easy runs but on big kid lifts.

If I would have known that one lesson would make me a legit skier, I would have taken lessons years ago. I was incredibly impressed with Mt. Spokane's ski school. I only felt like an idiot once, when I ate it coming off the chair lift. Ron told us "getting on the chairlift is optional, getting off is mandatory." I was only following directions.

We all pooped-out around 3pm that day. I guess our thighs weren't quite prepared for the workout. We left feeling exhausted but also very proud of our new skiing ability. I am so glad I finally decided to learn to ski and even more glad, and humbled, that I took a lesson. It's well worth it! I can officially check skiing off my bucket list. Maybe I'll take up snowmobiling next January.