Overcoming My Fear of Snowboarding with Toyota
* This post is in partnership with Toyota USA *
It’s 2020 ya’ll which means it’s the mark of a NEW decade.
There is something so exciting about New Year…let alone a new decade.
It’s as if you almost get a “restart” button on life. Like you have the opportunity to do something you wouldn’t normally do, or be refine a quality or characteristic you’ve always admired.
I like many, set some new goals and intentions towards the end of 2019. There were some fears, doubts and insecurities that were holding me back, that I told myself I had to conquer in 2020.
[Insert me hyperventilating at the thought of some of them…something I’m still working on it, hahah]
Well, I am happy to report that we are at the end of January, and I have successfully conquered one of them already… SNOWBOARDING!
I previously had a decade-long fear of snowboarding, because at the age of 19, I was in a horrible accident, so bad that I swore I would never get on a board again.
Special thanks to Toyota, I just recently got back from an experience that I will treasure forever of me conquering my this decade long fear!
First, we were fortunate enough to get up to the mountains safely and get to test drive the brand new 2020 RAV4 XSE Hybrid.
The 2020 RAV4 XSE Hybrid is honestly what dreams are made of! From the leather seats, panoramic glass roof, multiple drive modes, versatile and thoughtful interior – oh and did I mention it comes with self-parking?! Here are some of my favorite highlights of this car:
Leather Seats: When I sat in the car, the leather was really nice, and its back support hugged me which made me not want to get out and the best part is the heated seats. It was so toasty that makes me want to curl up, have a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the views that the Rocky mountains has to offer.
Panoramic Glass Roof: When my hubby, Joshua was driving through Idaho Springs, I was genuinely curious to see if I am able to see the mountains out of the glass roof. With a quick pull, it rolls back revealing all of the gorgeous cliff with snow caps…it was gorgeous! I then pushed the button to open it, a fresh, breezy air came – it was ah-mazing!
Multiple Drive Modes: Joshua and I loved this feature! Every time we got onto a ramp into the interstate, we turned on the “sport mode” and oh boy, the RAV4 was so quick! We were also able to adjust the drive modes back and forth between eco (to improve fuel efficiency), trail mode (giving us the extra traction we needed), and normal (my favorite – a balance of both worlds!).
Versatile & Thoughtful Interior: This is probably my most favorite feature of the entire vehicle as it takes as twice as much space compared to the other car I drive. When we folded down the rear seats to put more bags in, we were very impressed.
Gas Mileage: This car has been engineered to use a variety of future-forward tech to help make every journey as efficient as possible and it has an estimated of 41 mpg city / 38 mpg highway with fuel!
Did I mention that it came with so many other amazing features like dual zone automatic climate? It was PERFECT so Joshua and I didn’t have to fight over this anymore because he likes it cool like 65 while I love to stay warm and cozy at 73, lol!
There are so many more features I could go into detail like the backup camera, automatic headlights with on/off high beams (which was SO helpful for the late night drive up the mountain to our bed and breakfast) and so many other features I haven’t even mentioned, but Joshua and I were LOVING the ride!
The day started 50 miles up north to meet the Never Summer Team and get a private Factory Tour. The 45 minute tour was so incredible to see first-hand the workmanship that goes into the making of every single snowboard! If you haven’t checked out that company and you’re in the market for a new snowboard, check them out here.
Once that was over, we 2 snowboards that they loaned us for the weekend and headed up west to Loveland Ski Area where it was time to finally face my fear of the mountain!
[Insert: sweaty palms and heavy breathing - bless my husband, he is literally the best having to deal with me freaking out on the car-ride up!]
Once we got there we were surprised with an incredible Never Summer x Toyota edition snowboard, which I am obsessed with!
After a few practices at the bottom of the mountain, I decided it was time to face my fear and actually get on slope to see if I still had it in me! Thankfully Joshua was so patient with me, and told me “we have all the time in the world, just take your time!”
As soon as I was about to get off the ski lift [ insert MASSIVE anxiety inducer for a newbie like me..lol] I told myself I would use a visualization technique to get myself down the mountain. I have to say, I am so grateful I have practiced that technique enough times throughout my life that it was the ONLY reason I successfully got down that mountain safely!
We ended up getting a good half day worth of snowboarding in, which was so fun! Loveland Ski Area is such a great place because its only 53 miles west of Denver but still has over 1,800 acres of amazing terrain and it is super friendly for beginners with innovative ski lessons for any skill level!
I would highly suggest it for anyone looking for a relatively smaller mountain to get some runs on! Joshua and I had an absolute BLAST!
As we were leaving the mountain, I couldn’t tell you how both alleviated and proud i was for accomplishing my goal! It felt amazing to literally face my fear head on and conquer it!
To round out the amazing day, we were invited to a candle lit dinner and one night stay at The Silver Lodge in Idaho Springs. It is the highest Bed and Breakfast in the entire world!
Like I said earlier, I am so thankful for the RAV4 XSE Hybird helping us to get up the mountain in the snowy dark weather. We put on the “trail mode” and it made the rocky, steep, ice roads look like nothing!
We arrived and were immediately greeted by the owners of The Silver Lodge, Margaret where she showed us to our beautiful room, and around the 7,000+ sq. foot house.
Later, we enjoyed a full course home-cooked candle-lit dinner that was the best food we had tasted in our life! No but seriously it was THE BEST. The next morning, we woke up to this view right outside our balcony (directly looking at St. Mary’s Glacier), it was absolutely breathtaking!
Then we went downstairs to enjoy a freshly made breakfast that was the seriously most delicious food I’ve ever tasted! Every meal that we had was thoughtfully prepared, making this experience unforgettable! and THIS VIEW was what we were looking at all morning, we were so close we felt like we could TOUCH the mountain!
If you are looking for a romantic getaway that is , I highly suggest checking out The Silver Lodge in Idaho Springs, it’s rated #1 Rated Bed and Breakfast by World Journal, and if you mention or use promo code: JULIE at checkout you will receive 10% off by booking your stay here!
All in all, this experience was literally the most memorable way to ring in a new year and new DECADE!
* Special Thanks to Toyota USA for making this trip possible! *