Rolam Y'all

Rolam: Slovene for "I skate"

While in Lithuania I never found a good hobby that gets me out and encourages exercise too.  So before we came to SLO I wanted to get a long board so could get around town, burn some calories, and not get cabin fever (which I am fairly prone to contracting).

Weather permitting I skate thorough the center of town each weekday on my way to my Slovene classes.  Its always fun for me dodging people, cars, and sometimes buses as I bob and weave through the city.  It gives me time to pray so I thank God frequently that Ljubljana has bike paths around much of the city.

Since longboards aren't common I often get funny glares from the old ladies and envious glances from the 8 year old boys.  Today however, was a good day for boarding.  Now you need to know that I have had some wonderfully humiliating times riding around town.  I have had some good crashes, some sweet spills, and one wicked slide that put me face down spread out in the middle of a crosswalk in one of the busiest intersections in the country; right in front of a bus of spectators.  Ugh.  There have been some highlights too.  Like hanging on to the back of a moped as some dude pulled me through some crazy city streets doing 25mph, even across cobblestone.  It got the adrenaline pumpin.  Another time Gašper and I grabbed onto the back of a big utility truck and got towed around Old Town. But today, was the first time to be hit by a car!  I knew this day would come and luckily it was very minor.  I and my board rolled away unscathed with only minor pride damages.  I was shooting a crosswalk when a lady in a Yugo came cruising and was only looking at traffic to her left and NOT me to her right.  She saw me at the last second and slammed on the breaks.  I barely rolled up on her hood.  Close is for horseshoes and hand grenades right?

Then later today I was pushin across town and on my way back went into our neighborhood market. There I was stoked to meet another longboarder in the check out line.  Mind you this is the 3rd other longboard I've seen in SLO and he lives 1 block from me.  We started chattin and exchanged numbers so we can go ride sometime.  I've been praying for someone outside the church to build a friendship with and practice Slovene.  We'll see what God's up to.

A good day for boarding indeed!

I realized I don't have any photos of me on my board so here is something even better.  It is a clip of Barbara and Maja on my boards thrashin around Lake Bled.