Notes from the North, part third

Journaled at 2:34pm, Friday afternoon

For the first time our White Face trip has felt like a Vacation instead of an Expedition to the North Pole. It still feels like the North Pole, but it is so much more relaxing. When Christine asked me what made the difference, I nailed it down to 3 things….

How to keep a ski trip from feeling like a North Pole expedition:

1) Helping Hands
If you are a mother of young children, arrange to have along as traveling companions a few young woman who like kids, specifically your kids. This ensures smoother transfer of children and their belongings from carseat to highchair to bath to bed all along your journey. Christine and Elise and even Uncle Micah have been such sports, helping with the kids and tolerating their presence and all that it entails on this trip.

2) Luxury Accommodations
We drove further from the mountain, and are sacrificing a bit of privacy as a couple to enjoy our best accommodations yet. No frozen water pipes, polyester hotel blankets, ancient kitchenettes, and over crowded hotel spaces. There is room for the children to play and nap, a fully equipped kitchen, and the place is immaculate (and scented with the lovely smell of eucalyptus – did I mention that? It’s much more bearable today).

3) More Time.
Adding just 18 hours to both ends of our trip means we actually have time to sit and relax here and there instead of spending the whole time hauling gear from place to place. Sitting in the recliners watching the Olympics while knitting, I thought “This is livin’!” 😉