The Glow of Snow

If you’ve never seen snow before, as I hadn’t until my school ski trip six months ago to Perisher NSW, you’d probably expect it to feel like a cold blanket of marshmallows or a light flurry of fairy floss. I’m not going to crush your fantasies- sometimes it really did reflect that definition perfectly and my friends and I could make snow angels or, you know, shove it down each other’s shirts. But when I first jumped into the expanse of white in a pair of clunky ski boots, clutching a couple of skis in one hand and two long poles in the other, I realised a little too late that the seemingly fluffy snow was harder than the ski helmet keeping my head warm. I’ll let you complete the picture.
Down below I’ve made a list of my favourite moments from the week that was full of happiness, numb fingers, countless stacks and way too many hot chocolates. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Stepping off the bus into freezing air and watching our breath evaporate in clouds of fog
• Spending the first night lying on the concrete pavement stargazing, and spotting six shooting stars and a couple of satellites
• Pressing my face against the window of the bus to catch my first glimpse of snow, which was scattered over the mountains
• Riding Perisher’s ski-tube up to the slopes at Blue Cow
• Arriving before the slopes opened and being the first people to mark the snow
• Struggling to climb up the slope, as my ski boots sunk into the freshly fallen snow
• Skiing for the very first time!
• Being blown away by the breathtaking view from the windows of the mountain café
• Exploring the snowy rocks as it snowed in our hair
• Building my first mini snowman, who we christened Pudding
• Drinking warm & delicious kitkat hot chocolate while watching boarders gracefully breeze down the slopes
• Tobogganing over massive bumps and being flipped off of the board
• Winning a Perisher mug during our daily ‘stack report’ for my tobogganing failure
• Having an intense snowball fight which didn’t end until snow was melting in every part of my clothing and was tangled in my hair
• Burying my friend in snow until only her face was showing
• Watching fireworks exploding over Mt Perisher

• Our school captain’s horrified reaction when our ski instructor handed his phone back after saying his photo memory was full, “probably because of the amount of porn saved on it.”
• Being forced to attempt the blue course and literally having to get off half way and slide down because I sucked so bad
• That time when a couple of (very friendly) strangers lifted me up because I was so stuck I couldn’t even get stand by myself
• Another time when I skied right into a bush
• When the group photo turned into a mass snowball fight
• Making snow angels in the mountains of fresh snow
• Basically just drinking three hot chocolates a day
• Riding the chairlift with my instructor, who described warm places and hot beaches to distract me from my freezing fingers and blue lips
• That victorious moment when I conquered the blue slope I’d needed to slide down only days earlier
• Hopping on the bus at 5am and seeing snowflakes gripping onto the windows
• Getting caught in a snowstorm on the bus and watching the snow twirling riotously
• Missing the chairlift twice in a row because I’m an incapable idiot
• Waving goodbye to the slopes I’d come to know and love
  

  

I want nothing more than to relive this week, but I’ll have to make do with photos, written words and vibrant memories. I love the snow!

Snow you later!