Think of a place in your mind that could be as calm as if no one was around, and exhilarating at the same time. It is a place where you can relax and have fun with no worries. This would be hard to imagine unless you have been to a place where the same characteristics apply.

I live in a small town called Mexia, Texas where the winters are hot and the rest of the holidays are even hotter. After living in Texas your whole life, the hot and snowless winters become very boring. Most people in Texas will take some kind of vacation to another state, country, or continent just to have a “White Christmas”. This past December my family and I decided that it was our turn to take our winter vacation. A place where no Texan would dare to go, Alaska!

After hearing about the trip that we were going to take to Alaska, I couldn’t wait till Christmas. When school started back up I was telling all of my friends about it. A lot of them would ask if they could go with me. Well, fall flew by and winter was here. The night of the last day of the semester, we took off to Houston. The next morning I would experience something new to me, flying on an airplane. Now I thought that flying on an airplane would be fun, until I found out that the trip was over eight hours long. My sister told me that I would just fall asleep. Well that never happened. I was awake for the whole trip. Anyways, when we arrived in Alaska, my Aunt Patty was waiting for us in the airport. This part of the trip had to be my favorite part out of the whole entire time there, walking out into the cold. You would think that it would be much colder than it really is. There was only one main factor, the wind.

The rest of that night was a time of rest. The plan was to spend the first three days in the ski resort close by. This would also be another first for me, because I have never been skiing before either. We did not want to waist anytime, so we decide to try out this new thing they have there called night skiing. My first thought was if this was a good idea for someone who has never been skiing before. My sister, Joanna, said that on my first try getting off the ski lift, I would fall. Sure enough I did. Following right behind me was my brother-in-law, Mike. Also being his first time he copied me, but worse. His first time to ever ski was probably his last, because he fell and broke three of his ribs. All I could think was how I could get the courage to get back on my skis. Well I did, and as the days and nights went on, I could beat my sister down the mountain.

The last day that we were there, my brothers and sister and I decided to sled down this massive hill at the ski resort. All I can say about that is world’s funniest home videos. Even though my sister hit her head on a rock and we had to take her to the emergency room, we had so much fun for something the locals probably think is stupid. After the ski resort we headed back to my aunt and uncle’s house. That very next morning my uncle, dad, two brothers, and I went snowmobiling on the lake close by. Their snowmobiles are like four-wheelers. There are only two things different about each other. The snowmobile rides on the snow and can reach speeds up to 100 mph. I told my dad that if he were to ever move somewhere it snows, he had to get one.

After the snowmobiling, life was a little more relaxed there, and soon we had to pack up and leave. I don’t know about you, but I think that the hardest part on every trip is to say good-bye. After staying there that long, it feels like home. When you are in the mountains skiing, if you ever stop to just listen, you will not hear a thing. For there being so many people there, it sounds like you are in the middle of the desert. So if you ever have the time to just stop and listen, because if you do so, you will be amazed.