This is the Moth Radio Hour.
I'm Sarah Austin Janess.
We've produced lots of women's episodes over the years, but this hour is all about girlhood.
In 2011, the United Nations created the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls' rights
and to focus the world's attention on the unique challenges girls face.
Today, we have stories from Nepal, Uganda, India, London, and the U.S.
That dive into the hearts and minds of little girls and some lessons
and traditions that some little girls have grown up with.
These stories are all told by women about events that happened
when they were young, some joyous, some harrowing, all memorable and life-changing.
We begin this episode with a 10-year-old Londoner on her first ever trip to the U.S.,
perched on a ski slope in Colorado, just where I would not have wanted to be, but that's just me.
I liked to swim when I was little, and I'll tell you a little bit more about that later.
Briony Chappell told this story with us at a Grand Slam in London.
Here's Briony.
When I was growing up, I went skiing every year with my dad.
And when I was 10, we went to America, which is obviously very exciting for a 10-year-old.
I'd seen it on TV.
I knew they had great snacks.
Extremely important when you're that age.