Last year, my friend Rachael and I skied a lot. We met up with some other friends for lunch a few times, and by the middle of June, we were already looking forward to our next ski trip. The problem was that Rachael’s car was getting pretty sick on the highway, and she was starting to get nervous every time she picked up her baby girl (yes, she is a mommy-to-be). We had to delay our plans once again. As the summer went on, Rachael’s anxiety levels went down, and we managed to fix up our dates. However, by that time, we already missed the best season, and a lot of great equipment was sold. To make matters worse, a lot of the slopes were closed because of lack of snow. What we needed was a snow-free season, and lots of sunshine!
The summer of 2019 was a scorcher! We had a lot of rain and warm temperatures. Fortunately, thanks to the internet and research, we were able to make the most of it, and enjoy all the activities that the warmer months have to offer. We went on a cruise, visited museums and galleries, and even took some time off work to travel somewhere! We had a ball, and I’m sure that you will be able to relate to some of our adventures. Let’s take a look at how we were able to have fun in the summer of 2019, despite the unexpected warm weather:
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Skiing Still At Its Core
Even though we were unable to make it to the slopes for the majority of the summer, we managed to keep our connection to the sport alive. One of the best things about our friendship is that we’re always up for trying something new, especially when it comes to spending time with our families. One day, as Rachael was changing her baby’s diaper, she mentioned how much she missed going skiing. The idea of getting back into shape, learning how to ski, and finally being able to enjoy the sport again appealed to me.
Skiing is undoubtedly one of the most exhilarating activities that you can do. It can bring out the best in anyone, and it’s such a simple sport to learn. Plus, who doesn’t love a fresh mountain breeze and a majestic view of the peaks? If you’ve never tried it, then the summer of 2019 is the perfect time to give it a go. Don’t expect to be able to master it in a day – it will take some time. But with a little bit of patience and some of that old ski spirit, you’ll be able to enjoy the experience once again, even if it’s not at the top of the mountain.
A Winter Weather Retreat
For those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, the winter season is something to look forward to. The snowfall, the ice-skating, and the snowboarders are some of the things that we look forward to every year. Naturally, we also want to be outside as much as possible, which is why we’re always so happy when winter comes. It brings us something new to play with, and let’s be honest – who doesn’t like a bit of excitement in their life?
This year was no different, and when one of our friends announced that they were going to Sweden to ski, we were ecstatic! What a great way to spend the winter – it’ll be like a whole other world. We already booked our flights, and once the summer season was over, we began making our way there. It was going to be a beautiful journey. We were going to be able to finally fulfill one of our best winter sports fantasies. Unfortunately, as we were about to discover, not everything is as it seems.
Skiing Will Be Groomed
When we arrived in Sweden, we were absolutely amazed by how much work had gone into transforming the country into a winter wonderland. The snow-covered landscape that met our eyes was something to behold, and it took us a while to realize that we weren’t looking at a real mountain – it was all a cold-weather illusion!
Even though we were traveling during the off-season, there were still lots of people around. In fact, the village was bustling, and it didn’t take long for us to realize that something was up. When we went to book our accommodation, we were informed by the desk clerk that the only available rooms had been taken by some Groomers from Norway. We were a bit miffed, to be honest, considering that we had flown all that way from Australia to have some fun in the snow. But we didn’t question it, and we checked in anyway. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that we had stayed in a room that didn’t belong to us.
Skiing is an incredibly popular winter sport in Norway, and it’s not unusual for hostels to be fully booked months in advance. Even though we had arrived in Sweden during the off-season, there were still lots of people who wanted to go skiing. What we soon found out was that the season in Sweden started early, and it went on for a really long time. In fact, it was another four months before we were able to have some decent snow. By that time, we were totally bored of skiing, and we longed for our next Australian summer!
An Opportunity To Travel
If we had known that the season in Sweden was going to be so long, we might not have made the same decision to travel there in the first place. In Australia, we get to enjoy the wonders of the Northern Lights during the summer season. We also get to dive with some of the world’s best marine animals, and in the winter, we get to ski! It’s pretty cool when you think about it. Plus, we can go anywhere that we want, whenever we want, because it’s not like there’s any season where we can’t travel.
It’s not that the Swedish adventure robbed us of the joys of summer, it’s just that we had to wait until the winter season was over before we could do anything. We were in Sweden for almost an entire month before we were able to finally ski. Even though it was a beautiful place to be, we were ready to get back to our beloved Australia. We had seen enough of the white stuff for a while, and it had ruined our chances of having some fun on the water in the summer. We missed it. Even though Sweden is a pretty cool place to visit during the winter, we were ready to head home. After all, we were born and raised in Australia, and it’s still our favorite place to visit and spend time during the summer.
Retro Reflections
It’s not easy being in a new place, especially when you don’t speak the language, and you have so much on your mind. It takes a while before you can start forming memories, and in the meantime, you live in the present – whatever is happening around you, you’re aware of and you’re observing it. As we were driving to our hotel, we passed by a bar called Odeon, and we saw a familiar face there – it was Andreas, an ex-pat Austrailian who now lives in Sweden. Andreas waved at us, and we remembered where we had seen him before – it was at the bar in the hostel. We waved back, and that was how we remembered the name of the bar and the face of the man who had started it back in 1972. When we got to the hotel, we Googled Odeon, and to our delight, we discovered that it was a hotel that had been around since the 1800s. It was like a sign from above! The owners had clearly kept all the original details, and had modernized it a bit, but the charm of the place was still there.
It’s amazing how much you can discover about a place when you’re traveling, and how much you can retain in your memory. It’s not just about what you see, but also the little surprises that you encounter along the way. We had fun that day, and it was great to catch up with Andreas again, even though it was a brief reunion. It’s funny how things like that still make an impression on you years later, and how much it still means when you meet someone who was there at the time – it was still special.