Aspen

Ask me about my favorite vacations over the years and the list will definitely include a lot of ski trips.  Over the years, I have been to some pretty amazing resorts and I’m always looking to discover new places.  For our 2013 ski trip, I was excited when my friends suggested Aspen because it is known for amazing snow, dining, and nightlife. 

Traveling with my friends from New York is always hilarious and this trip was no different, when the first conversation in the suite involved bidding for a permanent bed, rather than the rollaway cot that one of us would be stuck with!  In the end, the bed went for an extra $55 and 2 drinks.  

The first day, we decided to ski at Aspen Highlands, which is known for having some of the most intense terrain in the state.  We started the day with a guide, who was hilarious and brutally honest – perfect for a bunch of guys from New York and Boston. 

Unfortunately, the fun ended quickly, when Leo and Ryan collided and rolled down the mountain at a pretty ridiculous speed.  From the corner of my eyes, it almost looked like those cartoon fights, where all you see is a cloud and random arms and legs.  I kept going because it didn’t actually register in my mind that this could be serious. 

Two of us (and the guide) were waiting for an unusually long amount of time, so we decided to call one of the others and all I could hear through the phone was screaming.  We raced down the mountain and took the next lift up, to meet up with the rest of the group.  The first thing I saw was a group of ski patrol guys trying to get Leo onto a stretcher.  By this point, it was clear that things were definitely bad. 

Leo was rushed to the emergency room while Chad and Ryan (who also had a bad migraine from the collision) went for support.  The rest of us wanted to be there but realized that there really wasn’t any benefit to just sitting in a hospital waiting room all day.  In the end, we decided it would be best to try and salvage the rest of the ski day. 

The next few runs were very cautious, as we stayed clear of all other skiers like they had the plague.  Every lift ride gave us another opportunity to reflect more on the events from the morning.  As expert skiers, I think it is easy for us to forget that skiing is an incredibly dangerous sport.  Part of the excitement is hovering around the edge of being in-control and out-of-control.  I pull back whenever I feel like I’m getting out of control, but it is not always easy when the trail is almost vertical.  In a way, our group has been lucky to avoid any major injuries in a decade of skiing together.   

Keith shows off his skills...far away from any people! 

That evening, we visited Leo in the hospital and tried to keep the mood as lighthearted as possible.  Leo joked that Keith still owed him 2 drinks for the use of the bed, while the rest of us just wished that we could press rewind on the morning so that we could all be enjoying après-ski drinks at that very moment.  Unfortunately, the only full-group picture we could get for the 2013 edition of our ski trip was in the hospital. 

The only group shot from our 2013 ski trip

The next day, Chad joined us on the slopes at Ajax and the skiing conditions were absolutely perfect.  Every 14-minute gondola ride was like sitting in a lounge, as we plugged our music into the speakers and enjoyed the amazing views around us.  Honestly, this is what skiing is all about for me: escaping the city with friends to stay active during the day and enjoy some good meals and drinks at night.   

The group of skiers dwindled to four, but how amazing are the views? 

Here's a view from the front of the mountain, overlooking Aspen village

The village of Aspen only adds to the experience since it attracts the elite: serious skiers with serious money!  It’s fun to look around the restaurants to see if anyone famous may be there and to check out all the latest fashions on the slopes. 

I hope stuffed flamingos and mullet hats won't become a trend in 2014!

Even though this trip was tainted by two unfortunate injuries, I was still happy to see my friends and to do a sport that I absolutely love.  Aspen 2013 won’t make the list of favorite ski vacations, but it will definitely be on the list for most memorable!

As I drove back to Denver, I thought back to some of my prior ski trips and the good memories flooded my mind:

Growing up, I have countless memories skiing with family and friends in New England over school vacations and random weekend trips.  My Freshman year of college, the tradition continued with a spring break on the slopes. I think I started perfecting the art of beer pong on this trip:
  

Most people go to the beach for spring break...I go skiing (2000)

During my year abroad in London, one of my friends thought it would be fun to fly to Norway for a long-weekend of skiing at a former Olympic resort.  The mountain is small and the sun starts setting at 2 in the afternoon, but I had an awesome time on my first international ski trip:

Skiing above the tree line in Lillehammer, Norway (2001)

Ross and I tried repeating our success in Norway with a trip to the Italian Alps just two months later.  We drove from Torino to Sauze D'Oulx but this time, we didn't get so lucky with available hotels and ended up having to sleep in the car the first night!  The mountain had received almost 2 feet of snow the day before, which actually made for some of the toughest skiing ever.  Basically, we would just plant ourselves at the back of our skis and head straight down the mountain.  Turning wasn't an option!

Avoiding Avalanches in Sauze D'Oulx, Italy (2002)

It's not often that I find time to ski during Christmas, but my brother and I decided to take a trip up to New Hampshire one year.  It had been so long since I skied with him but we had an awesome time on the slopes:

A rare family ski day with my brother at Bretton Woods, NH

The winter after graduating college, my former housemate and I decided to start a tradition of skiing out west.  The Ritz wasn't too tough to handle either - especially the ski concierge and amazing spa:
  

The first of several trips to Beaver Creek with Ryan (2003)

In 2007, one of my friends spent a week working in Wyoming, which seemed like a good enough reason to book a ski trip to Jackson Hole.  I'll never forget the "Jackson Hole Inversion", which makes the base of the mountain colder than the summit.  One night, we decided to watch a local hockey game because skiing all day isn't cold enough!
  

Coldest trip ever: Jackson Hole, WY (2007)

In January of 2008, Jason and I booked a trip to Germany so we could experience the German Alps at Garmisch. The city had absolutely no snow, but the glaciers at the Zugspitze made for some pretty awesome conditions. 

One of the more unusual chair lifts I have seen - Garmisch, Germany (2008)

Overlooking the city of Garmisch, Germany (2008)

For the first time ever, I skied in August with a trip to South America.  The vacation started in Buenos Aires, followed by Santiago.  When I discovered that a ski resort was so close to the city, I couldn't pass it up.  Little did I know, the mountain is above the tree line and foggy conditions made for complete white-out conditions.  Honestly, there were times when I couldn't tell if I was skiing down or up the mountain.  Valle Nevado will join the list of most memorable but not the list of most enjoyable ski days.  

Never experienced vertigo quite like this day (Valle Nevado, Chile - 2008)

These signs were the only things I could see in Valle Nevado, Chile (2008)

In 2008, our trip out west took us to Salt Lake City.  Even though the drinks contain no more than 1 ounce of liquor, it's pretty awesome to drive to the ski resorts within an hour of arriving at the airport.  Glade skiing at The Canyons was the best I ever experienced and we even saw a Moose on the slopes one morning. 

Chad shows off his skills at the best glades I've ever seen (The Canyons, 2008)

Our group before one of the best "skiing" days I can remember (Park City, 2008) 

In my last winter before heading abroad to Business School, we decided to return to the Ritz in Bachelor Gulch for another luxury vacation.  Toasting marshmallows by the fire at night, drinking beer in the hot tub, and relaxing in the grotto after a day of skiing make this resort my all-time favorite.  

Enjoying my favorite ski hotel in the world: Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (2009)

During my year in Barcelona, I was lucky enough to take two trips to Andorra.  The first one was with a smaller group that happened to be in the city at the end of Christmas break.  It was on this trip that I learned how to install tire chains to make it up a snowy mountain and also about the true art of the apres-ski!  The second trip was with the entire class but the experience was just as fun.  I have lots of amazing memories from my year in Barcelona, but these two weekends were among the best: 

This is how ESADE MBA students finish a ski day (Andorra, 2010)

Breakfast of champions after a long night at the bars!

Winter Break MBA ski trip (Andorra, 2010)

Stopping for lunch during ESADE Ski Daze (2010) 

New Orleans...or not

Anyone who has been to Chicago in the winter knows how miserable the weather can be.  So, when the temps started getting cold in December, I did what any jetsetter would do: planned some trips to warm weather destinations.  I figured the January marathon in Phoenix and a February half-marathon in New Orleans would keep me somewhat thawed.  Had I known I would also be sent to Mexico for 6 weeks to work, I may have saved the personal vacations for another time but you can never get enough escape from the Chicago winter, right?    

  

Apparently, you CAN get enough escape – especially after so many back-to-back trips.  By the time my flight arrived from Villahermosa, I literally had just enough time to go home, throw some clothes in a weekend bag, and get about 6 hours of sleep before heading back to the airport.  That night, I had a hard time sleeping because I kept wondering if I could even finish a half-marathon, considering that I could barely even walk a few miles without pain.  The thought had crossed my mind to just cancel the trip, but I am too stubborn to let airfare and a race entry fee go down the drain just because I'm tired of traveling and unable to run. 

The next morning, I arrived at the airport and looked at the departure board.  Basically every flight was on time…except mine.  Normally, a delay would be fine except that I had booked my flight on cheapo Spirit Airlines and this delay meant that I would miss my connection and not make it to New Orleans until after the race. 

I interpreted this flight fiasco as a sign that I should not be attempting a half-marathon with a broken toe.  As I waited to speak with a customer service agent, my mind was spinning with different things I could say to request my money back.  To my surprise, Spirit offered me a refund before I even asked.  This was too easy.  

Riding back to my apartment, I barely noticed the cold weather.  It was just nice to be at home for a few days.  

Villahermosa, Mexico

People who know me can attest that I am obsessed with running.  One lesser-known piece of information is that I’ve been battling a chronic issue with my right ankle that has bothered me since October, 2011.  Just as I was about to leave my hotel in Merida, I was stretching my ankle by leaning on the table next to the bed.  As I stood back up, I kicked a mysterious post in the middle of the bed frame.  After yelling profanities for 5 minutes, I noticed that my smallest toe had swollen to twice its normal size and was clearly broken.  This was not good news for my upcoming schedule, which included 2 half-marathons, a full marathon, and a ski trip within the next 2 months.

I finally pulled myself together enough to check out of the hotel and hobble through the airport for my third and final destination in Mexico.  One quick shuttle flight later, I was in the land of Tabasco.  Villahermosa is basically the opposite of everywhere else I have visited in Mexico.  No beach resorts, no touristy restaurants, and no real historic sites to see.  Basically, the entire city just seems to exist for the purpose of oil companies and business travelers. 

On my first day of the project, I was barely able to squeeze into my shoes but flip flops don’t exactly work with a suit so I decided to suck it up.  It’s amazing how much pain can come from such a small injury.  Obviously the Finance Director decided that it would be a lot of fun to start the project by giving me a full tour of the property.  Maybe he thought I just like to walk funny.

I never realized how much time I spend working out because the first week in Villahermosa felt like I had absolutely nothing to do.  By the weekend, I was ready to do something, so I limped my way through La Venta park, which was adjacent to my hotel. This strange zoo/archaeological site was filled with monumental “heads”, interspersed among some live animals.  There were guards everywhere to ensure that no one touched the heads but none of them seemed to know anything about their historic significance.  So, that’s all I’ve got…heads and animals, co-existing in nature.

Representing the random assortment of animals at La Venta

Representing the random assortment of heads at La Venta

After a successful limp on Saturday, I decided to go even further the next morning - this time to church.  To my surprise, it was literally overflowing with people for the mass.  They even set up a tent and chairs outside the front door!  Also, in true Mexican fashion, there were several street vendors in front selling snacks, trinkets, and balloons. 

This tent was soon to be filled with people during the mass

My eating routine in Villahermosa involved completely stuffing myself at breakfast and surviving until dinner since there was no way I would go near the food they were serving in the employee cafeteria.  On Thursday, my plan was turned upside-down when the Director of Finance offered to take me out to lunch with the entire team as a thank-you.  

The restaurant was more like someone’s back yard and involved a bunch of picnic tables and a grill.  Within a minute of sitting down, we were each given a massive grilled fish – complete with scales, eyes, and fins.  As I cut into it, I discovered that the fish had two sets of bones: one in the middle like a normal fish and another along the top.  I thought to myself: “How on earth can I de-bone this thing?”  Within a few minutes, I realized that the local approach is to just bite carefully and pull the bones out of your mouth when they poke you in the gums.

The people of Villahermosa love their VW Beetles

By the end of my six weeks in Mexico, I was ready to go home.  Professionally, the experience was highly rewarding. Socially, I found my colleagues to be extremely gracious hosts.  My biggest challenge was just stretching beyond my comfort zone to do business in another language for so long.  I couldn’t help but think about all my friends who are living (and thriving) in countries that don’t communicate in their native languages.  After this experience, I have even greater respect for them all.

PS: I’m still wondering why my bed frame in Merida had six legs. 

Mexico, Part Dos

On the last day of the Cancun project, the staff invited me to an authentic Mexican restaurant in the downtown area, which was beyond exciting after 2 weeks with tourists. As we walked in, I saw the mariachi band, gigantic margaritas, colorful sarapes, and tortilla chips on every table.  This is authentic? Really?  Honestly, the only different between this place and every Mexican restaurant in America is the Spanish menu (although who really needs an English menu to order Mexican food anyhow?)

This is what "authentic" Mexican restaurants look like

After a couple margaritas that were the size of my face, I barely noticed the mariachi band behind me.

This is how "authentic" Mexicans dress for dinner.

The next morning, some staff offered to take me out again – this time to a Playa Del Carmen.  It was such a different vibe than Cancun (in a good way) and we had a lot of fun walking along the beach and through the town.  My biggest laugh of the night was when one girl suggested a restaurant that “all Americans love” and proceeded to lead us to a Brazilian steak house.  I really appreciated the thoughtful gesture, even though I ate more meat in that one meal than I usually consume in an entire week. The day in Playa Del Carmen was the perfect end to a fun project.

Walking along the beach in Playa Del Carmen

My next project was in Merida, which is a small city with lots of Mayan influence.  The lifestyle was so relaxed and simple that I truly felt like I had gone back in time.  People were strolling through the parks, streets were closed for for bicycling, and cafes along the road were filled with people just sitting around, eating ice cream and, I assume, wondering how many more years they could get out of their VW Beetles.  No joke – these cars are everywhere in Mexico.

People don't like to drive in Merida...

...unless they're in one of these beauties! 

The downtown area is anchored around the oldest cathedral in North America and actually reminded me a lot of Morelia, which I visited in 2009.  The biggest difference is that the cathedral in Morelia has a weekly sound and light show, which seems to attract every resident of the town (even though the show is exactly the same every week).

Here's the Cathedral in Merida, lit up at night

Memories from the 2009 trip to Morelia!

On my first Friday night in Merida, I went out with some of the staff and learned that lots of locals actually still speak Mayan as a primary language. No wonder why I couldn’t understand half of what people were saying!  By this point in the trip, I was actually getting tired of speaking only Spanish so I booked myself on a full-day tour (in English) to Chichen Itza, just to let my brain relax!

I was really excited to see this Wonder of the World and it totally lived up to expectations.  The main pyramid that you see in all the pictures is overly restored, but one side is maintained in its original condition and the rest of the site also remains largely untouched.  These Mayans were incredibly advanced for their time and it was amazing to hear the stories about how life may have been for them. 

The observatory was my favorite part of the Mayan ruins

For my second weekend, I found out that I couldn’t have picked a better time to visit Merida because they host a killer parade for Carnival.  Normally, I only watch parades when drum corps are involved, but I eagerly made an exception in this case.  The dancing, floats, lights, and overall atmosphere was a fun way to spend my last nights in Merida.  I was also amazed at how well-controlled the viewing areas were.  Just when I thought Americans were masters at making money, the Mexicans proved superior by fencing off literally the entire sidewalk and requiring all spectators to pay a minimum of 30 pesos for a chair.  Best $3 I have ever spent!    

Here's the queen and her little munchkins

I almost felt like I was in Rio

They serve lots of healthy food at Carnival

I just can't get enough of these Mexican ladies dancing to Gangnam Style!  They were probably the highlight of the entire parade for me: