Family Matters
Those that ski together, stay together
It has often been said that families who ski together, stay together; and in my experience that is definitely true!
I’ve been on skiing trips with either or both of my parents since I turned 4- and they are some of the best and happiest memories of my life! I’ve thought a lot about why these holidays bring people together the way they do and I have some thoughts!
On a skiing holiday you would usually stay quite close to your companions for large portions of time. Whether skiing, sitting on the ski lift, stopping in at a mountain hut for lunch, waiting for slower skiers on the slope’s edge, meeting for Apres ski, eating dinner at the local restaurant and spending snowy days indoors- there is still a bit of down time on a ski holiday! All that time together will bring families closer together than ever before- and the teenagers can’t be on their phone for most of it!
Spending a weekend or a couple of weeks high up in snow capped mountains is an utterly unique experience. You have the chance to see and do things you wouldn’t be able to see and do anywhere else! The thrills, the views, the snow, the off-slope activities- you wont forget your holiday anytime soon!
Having these experiences with your family creates a bond and fond feeling for years to come- and makes for great stories or material for reminiscing too!
My dad and I both share a great love of skiing- and we often reminisce about the funny things that we’ve seen or done.
Once, he lost me in a German mountain hut and found me with the kind restarant owner in a private room off the bar. There I was, 6 years old, with my ski boots off and my feet propped up in front of her hearth- a mug of hot chocolate in hand.
Another time, we went to Bulgaria and I spent time every day with a sweet street vendor who sold CDs (named George), and listened to “Barbie Girl” by Aqua over and over and over again until eventually George gifted me my very first CD.
Another time, as a stupid teenager, I took my now-husband and a friend on what was meant to be an easy blue slope down into a small village- and we ended up on a perilous black slope that my friend flew down like a bullet because she couldn’t stop. (We cry real tears when we retell this story to one another, and as I write this I am laughing because I have this hilarious image of my friend flying down the slope, her black hair blowing in the wind, as she crashes into a pile of fresh snow.)
If you go skiing with your family you will spend many a night cry-laughing at the day’s antics, sights and thrills!
Speaking of thrills, research indicates that adreneline facilitates bonding- and skiing will definitely get that blood pumping! Families who do activities that produce adreneline (such as rollercoasters, excercise and, yes, skiing) report feeling closer and more bonded to each other. Academic research also indicates that couples benefit from these activities too- and findings suggest that adreneline impacts levels of warm feelings towards one another, physical affection and sexual attraction.
A ski holiday is just tons of fun for everyone! Young or old- it’s really hard to be unhappy when you’re frolicking in the snow. From skiing down pristine slopes and making snow angels in freshly fallen snow, to wandering around town meeting locals and having snowball fights when things get quiet- it’s quite literally a dream holiday!
