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When I was in junior high school, my church's youth group planned a ski trip to the mountains of North Carolina. I was unable to go.

Life went on, and though I love playing in the snow, I never found my way to the slopes to experience the world of skiing.

Back in November, for my birthday, my husband and kids gave me We Ski, a Wii game that simulates skiing from the warmth, privacy and comfort of your own home.

As I popped the game disk in for the first time, I was ushered into the virtual world of skiing. My in-game character, or Mii, put on her ski gear, braided her hair and selected a pair of skis.

I probably should have taken time to go to the game's ski school before doing anything else. Instead, I forged ahead, getting on a random ski lift in the ski village of the Happy Ski Resort where the game takes place.

The snow-covered mountains, the snow on the pine trees, the moving ski lifts that your Mii can ride to the top of the slopes temporarily made me forget I was in my warm living room.

Sometimes within the game it is sunny at the ski resort; other times I have been caught up in a virtual blizzard. I love the option of choosing whether to ski at night or in the daytime. Night skiing is illuminated with lots of lights and flame torches that line the paths of the slopes.

Upon arriving at the top of my first hill, I found the beginner's slope, appropriately named Rabbit Road. I began my descent without much trouble. I got back onto the ski lift and found my way to a more advanced slope, Bear Claw. Even that one, though tricky, seemed simple.

Quickly I learned that within the game, other skiers were among the obstacles I would face as I attempted a perfect run down the slopes. Other in-game characters dart in front of you quickly, often running into you as they try to keep from falling.

The sounds seemed so realistic as I made my way across the snow and ice. Looking at the snow, I noticed the graphic showed the path my skis cut in the snow. The characters make appropriate noise depending on if they are just talking or falling into one another.

In the days that followed my first virtual skiing experience, I made my way around the 13 known slopes of the game and the one hidden track. The slopes had cute names such as Camel Hump, Shark Skin, Wolf Hill and Eagle Sight.

Each time I made it to the bottom of a slope, I was graded based on how many tricks I worked into my run as well as the number of turns I made. I also was graded based on whether I fell a lot.

If you click on the grade, you see what you could do to improve your grade.

Eventually, I made my way to the Happy Ski Resort Ski School within the game to refine some basic skills I had picked up just playing around with the game.

Later, as I walked through the lessons, I learned more advanced ski jump tricks I would need to improve the grade I got each time I tried a certain slope.

Games within the virtual ski resort helped familiarize me with the layout of the mountain. In an orienteering game, I had to find ski resort employees around the slope. Some were hidden, while others were in plain view.

I also enjoyed the numerous food-delivery challenges that required me to deliver food a particular way within the time limit without falling. If you fall, the food is ruined, and you have to begin the challenge again.

Race, jumping and mogul challenges are spread throughout the game for an added challenge. There is one little guy who likes to ask you questions and another who loves animals and gives you clues to how to find and have your photo taken with them.

Photographers dot the landscape around the virtual ski village, including a white-haired man named "Silver Flash." At first, he acts too busy and important to take your photo until he notices your "charming features" and changes his mind.

As I accomplished various challenges throughout the game, I earned points, slowly unlocking more ski gear, stocks and skis I could choose from for my Mii character to use in the game.

Fun, fast-paced music filled the air as I skied, including the song "You're My Jelly Bean," which my husband and I now sing to one another in fun.

The quirky characters with the animated conversations add to the game's enjoyment.

We Ski is a fun taste of the skiing experience from the warmth of my own home. I can ski knowing that if I take a bad fall on this ski slope, I do so without breaking every bone in my body as I lose my pride in the tumble.

That alone was worth the money my family spent to give me a skiing experience for my birthday.

Linda Vestal is a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend living in Gibsonville. Contact her with comments or story ideas at lindavestal@triad.rr.com.