Tag: Aspen

Break

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

You know that feeling when you’ve been going strong, getting everything done in time, and doing a bang-up job of it, and then all of a sudden, BAM, you’re sick, exhausted, run down, and ready for a break?

Yeah, well that happened to me about two days ago.

I’ve been doing pretty well in school, and I’ve actually been ahead of my work for once, which never happens. But all of a sudden I got really run down, and now I can not wait for break. Thankfully, there’s only one more day.

And even more exciting, I’m not going home to Aspen, Colorado, but to Santa Monica, which let me tell you, is a heck of a lot warmer right now. My plans for break aren’t anything crazy, but my dad is driving out with my dog, who is a total sweetheart and who I can’t wait to see.

I can’t wait to see my dad either of course.

I plan on relaxing as much as I can, and eating a ton of food. And then the week after break, I’m going on the Honors Ski Trip. The ski trip is led by the headmaster, and we spend a week in Yosemite cross-country skiing and hiking. It’s a blast, and turns my one week vacation into two. By the time I’m back in school, I’ll be ready to kick my schoolwork’s butt for the next five weeks, before I break down again right before spring break.

Rinse and repeat.

Spring is in The Air

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Spring is my favorite time of year. Why? Because back home in Colorado, it’s when the snow starts the melt. The grass begins to turn green, and the flowers start to bloom. Here at school in Ojai, the weather goes from foggy and cold to sunny, and almost unbearably hot.

In Colorado, spring means the end of a cold winter, which a couple months in, everyone is already sick of. Flowers start to peek out, and it’s when they have just bloomed that they are the prettiest. The grass is green, and the rivers rush with all the snow melt-off. It’s perfection.

Spring also means that the school year is coming to an end. Classes start turning their attention from the everyday lessons to the upcoming finals. Senioritis kicks in as the seniors prepare to throw their cap in the air.

The sun finally peeks it’s head out from behind clouds, flowers decide it’s warm enough to come out of their shell. The world seems awake again. That’s why Spring is my favorite season.

Snow

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Let me start by saying that it is April 22nd. Yesterday I returned to school from spring break. Most people associate spring break with the beach, swimming, and warmth.

Not for me.

I went home two Friday’s ago to a giant snowstorm. The entire week I was home, it snowed almost the entire time. In April, Aspen has received about three feet of snow. It’s cold, and wet, and time for the snow to melt and go away.

On our way home from Denver, we were driving in a snowstorm. Around Vail Pass, two semi’s crashed, causing the road to close for about two hours. There was a very long line of cars behind us.

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My point is that in April, it should not be snowing. The snow should be melting. I am very happy to be back in warm and sunny Ojai.

Winter X Games

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

The Winter X Games have been held in Aspen for the past ten years, and since I can remember my family has made a habit of sitting around the TV and watching them. When we moved to Aspen, this was made a lot easier, and I finally began to understand the excitement.

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The X Games begin on Thursday, and carry on until late Sunday night. Over the weekend, Aspen is packed. Tons of people fly in for the event, and none are disappointed. Especially the students in the Aspen School system.

It used to be a school holiday, and it might as well should be because of the amount of students that actually turn up. When we heard the contract for Aspen had been renewed, it was all anyone could talk about for days. Some of the classes make a field trip of walking over to the base of Buttermilk, where it is held, and watching. At night, you can see the lights, and hear the music, announcers, and roar of the crowd from the other side of town. It’s mayhem, but the locals love it.

When I first came to school here last year, my dad called me and told me the X Games were gonna be in town. I immediately went to my computer to see if there was a way for me to watch them live, but I couldn’t figure it out. I resigned myself to the TV in the girls’ lounge. I pretty much camped out there all weekend, and my classmates thought I was crazy.

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To me though, it was perfectly normal. I mean come on, it’s the Winter X Games. In Aspen.

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The Beauty of Independence

Daphne Psaledakis5 Comments

About three weeks ago, on my way to the Ojai Valley School for the beginning of the school year, I was dragged out of bed at six in the morning and loaded into my dad’s truck along with my luggage and two little brothers.

We were on our way to the airport in Denver, Colorado, and set off from my hometown Aspen so early in the morning because of the four hour drive ahead of us. Although the drive might sound long, it is not as tedious as one would expect.

My dad starts the truck with just a little bit of trouble, enough to make me look over at him and raise my eyebrows in a sleepy haze. He’ll blame it on the cold of the morning, but I think he was just as tired as the rest of us. He did manage to successfully back out of the driveway (without hitting any mailboxes or trash cans), and we were en route. Knowing these were my final hours with my family before not seeing them for three months, I settled in for the drive up Independence Pass.Read More »