Real life rambles of a mama, wife and addicted wanderer
CHAPTER 2 - Snow life
You will soon see that these ramblings have no set plan, no sequence of events, just thought as they tumble out of my head and onto my laptop.
I am currently packing for my first Snowga retreat, which feels strange as I'm gathering thermals and ski socks while the sun is shining, and just a few days ago, I was swimming at our local beach in the warm afternoon. The wonders of modern travel, right? My love for snow started early, as I was fortunate enough as a child to go on ski holidays with my mum and little brother. We began as skiers and then followed the cool crowd into snowboarding in the early '90s. It also helped that my first snowboarding instructor was the most handsome guy I had ever seen (young and impressionable teen girl!), and I still think he was Brad from Neighbours. Since then, I've seized every chance to be on the mountains and in the snow. There's something incredibly peaceful about snowfall and being in the cool, crisp mountain air. You may question why we now live in a country with the smallest ski resort in the world and very little snow.....so do we!
A few years after university, I traveled to New Zealand and fell in love with "the land of the long white cloud," particularly because you could spend the day in the snow and return home for a swim in the lake before dinner. I completed my snowboard instructor course at Treble Cone and soon after obtained my ski qualification as well. During my training, I was given the chance to help organize the Adaptive Winter Olympics, which remains one of my most humbling experiences. I spent days with a wonderful blind girl, guiding her down the mountain as she snowboarded solely by following my voice. Sharing the joy of the snow with such a determined and courageous group of people was an honor.
Teaching led me to Colorado, USA, for a winter where I enjoyed a fantastic few months playing in the snow, followed by another winter in New Zealand and also Italy. My snowboarding job also took me to somewhat less glamorous locations, but my passion for the sport remained as strong as ever. I spent several years managing the Snow Sports School at the indoor snow dome in Manchester. This job brought me together with my husband, who is also an instructor in all things snow-related. That story, involving how we met and the influence of the book 'He's Just Not That Into You,' is another tale altogether—I really made him work to get my phone number.
Ok, now I have rambled, I really should get back to packing my bags and get ready for Snowga Retreat - see you on the first lift up.
Stay tuned for the next wandering of my weird and brilliant mind.
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