I remember what I went through when I was heart-broken years ago. At that time, it left me feeling completely empty. Extremely painful- emotionally and it felt physical as well. I couldn’t help but replay every clue and memory to figure out why it ultimately didn’t work out. You know the image and feeling of a deep hollow pit and at the very bottom was a little rock. I felt like that rock.

This pain was deep and I never wanted to relive it ever again.

For the New Years weekend, I spent it in North Lake Tahoe with a gorgeous view of the snowy mountains and Kings Beach. We got into the Tahoe Park, where we went sledding among the kiddies dressed in colorful snow gear. With my plastic bright purple sled that I rented for $5, I hiked up 35 slippery wooden stairs to get to the top of the snow hill. Prepared in my Nepalian hat, water-proof gloves and layered snow pants- I pulled myself to the edge of the hill and DOWN I went! I had moments of being scared, then moments of exhilaration. With fast speed, I zipped down the hill as snow bits splattered on my face. My sled took a curve to the right, towards the bottom of the hill. I slid right off my sled and skidded 10 feet on my ass without the sled. I got up and dust myself off. Then hiked straight up the hill to do it all over again. A couple of days later, my ass is still bruised from it, but it was worth it!

You know, growing through life and falling in love is a lot like sledding:
* There’s no guarantee you’ll go in a straight path.
* You’ll hit bumps along the way.
* You’ll have unexpected turns and not know where you’ll end up.
* You’re not in control all of the time. It’s impossible.
* You might collect some bruises and have pain along the way, but it’s all worth it.
* You sense that feeling of exhilaration.

That’s how you feel when you fully let yourself go and experience. You feel young. You feel alive.

Had I given into the fear of getting hurt, I wouldn’t have experienced the highs of sledding or loving someone. Because trust me, I know how easy it is to be scared and put up the thickest and highest walls after a breakup. Thinking that you’re preventing yourself from getting hurt, but you end up shutting out ALL OF IT: the opportunities, great people and the human-emotion of LOVE.

Vanae’s tip of the dae: “Let down those walls, embrace your fear and live into it.”

I won’t lie, since the big heartbreak that I went through, I’ve felt minor heart pains since then but not as devastating. Just like with sledding, I dusted myself off and got right back up. Learning something new each time. Now. I know that a potential MAJOR heartbreak is lurking around the corner and no matter how wise or prepared I think I am, I will never be able to avoid being hurt or bruised. Nor can I prevent myself from absolutely doing that to someone else. Pain is inevitable. Yes, it is. So might as well, LIVE and LOVE! And go SLEDDING!

V’stars, what do you think?