Fun Daily Winter Activities

It was Week 2, Saturday. After sitting in the Libe for three hours, I picked up my phone and started texting my roommate: Do you have any plans for the weekend? Like skating? I’m just soooo bored.

Without the need to check my winter term schedules, I was pretty sure that this weekend would be the last weekend without exams, group work, or presentations to prepare for. Therefore, I genuinely hoped that I could receive a positive reply from her. Five minutes later, her message popped up: Yes! Maybe later today or tomorrow? I was so glad that I immediately walked out of the Libe and checked the ice-skating rinks on the Bald Spot. Everything looked perfect, and we decided to try ice skating the next day.

Ice-skating

It was a warm and sunny day on Sunday. After having brunch at LDC, we went directly to the Bald Spot. Every year in winter, Carleton sets up two rinks on the Bald Spot. The rinks are used by PE classes, intramural broomball teams, or students simply wanting to try ice skating. A small house is also built near the rinks to store ice skates and hockey equipment, which are all free for students to use.

It was not my first time skating. Back at home, we often have ice-skating rinks in some big shopping malls. The rinks there are flat and well-maintained, and I didn’t find skating hard at all. But I’ve never skated on a natural rink before, so I was a bit nervous. In fact, the challenge started as early as I tried to walk toward the rink. Since the ice was rugged and very slippery, I almost fell down 10 times.

Fortunately, I had my Minnesotan roommate as my coach. Under her instructions, I improved rapidly. Within ten minutes, I learned to skate forwards and turn around. After thirty minutes, I could easily follow her path while chatting with her. I also discovered some tricks. For example, the area that looks darker is usually more dangerous, as the ice skates may carve into the ice and stuck there so that you’ll fall down. In general, the one hour of ice skating was a fantastic experience for me. There were only two other people skating in the early afternoon, so the rinks felt free and spacious. Moreover, the outside and natural setting of the rinks made the skating experience more enjoyable. It’s also a great workout in winter, so I joyfully decided to set ice skating as my new winter routine.

Sledding

Since my roommate had some work to do, we canceled our extra sledding plan on Sunday. It was 9 pm, and I was about to go for a shower. After hanging up her phone, my roommate suddenly asked me, “Do you still wanna go sledding?” “Sure!” We quickly put on our jackets and gloves and went downstairs to the Bell Field, the famous sledding spot on campus.

It was not my first time skating, but it was indeed my first time sledding. Since I was wearing my normal sports shoes, which did not have enough friction, I couldn’t prevent myself from sledding down the hill even without the sled. I was literally crawling all the time. Seeing my awkward movements, my roommate decided to show me an example first. Without much hesitation, she sledded down quickly and went very far away. Right beside us, there were also some little kids and their parents sliding down the hill. They all seemed to be enjoying the event.

However, when it was my turn, I couldn’t stop asking my roommate, “What if I flip over? What if I hit something? I don’t want to use my health insurance today…” My roommate, standing beside me like a mom, kept ensuring nothing would happen. She chose a path without bumpy hills for me and encouraged me to go while recording a video. Right after I loosened my hands, the sled went down rapidly. In fact, the only scary part was when the sled changed its direction and I sled downward facing the hill. Other than that, I wasn’t thinking of anything at that moment, but it was so much fun!

However, the pain came again after the joy. I had to crawl up the hill again, which took me so long. After that, my roommate and I each sledded one more time. When we were about to try for the third time, a man standing on the side voluntarily approached us and asked if we’d like to try his big fancy sled. Compared to our 5-dollar Target sled, that sled felt so comfy. That’s when I really felt that Minnesota nice is a thing. In the end, we thanked him and went back to our dorm. And I announced to my roommate that sledding has replaced skating as my new(er) winter routine!

What surprise awaits me in the future?

Sherry is a sophomore from Hangzhou, China, and holds a real passion for travel and food. She is thinking about majoring in Mathematics, but would also like to explore more in Economics, English, and French. Things she likes to do in her free time include hanging out with friends, taking photos, writing random stuff, and finding the funny in everyday life. She also got started with alpine skiing and is always ready for the trip to Welch Village every Friday! Meet the other bloggers!