MIA in Montana

Last week my husband and I traded in our flip-flops for snow boots. My husband was attending a conference in Montana, and as his airfare/lodging/food were paid for, I decided to accompany him.

Logic would argue that leaving a sick kid and a half potty-trained toddler to go on vacation would be an easy thing to do. It was surprisingly tear jerking. But, I knew I was leaving them in good hands, and a bajillion thank-yous to my parents who were willing to meet the task and allow us to go MIA for a bit.

We reversed our bad vacation karma... or at least we made it work in our favor. It snowed every day we were there. When my husband wasn't in class, we were enjoying surroundings such as this:

Or skiing and playing in the snow:

One night, we took a moonlight trip on top of a snow cat to dine in a yurt packed in snow. It felt a little bit like a scene out of Star Wars:

Trips into unfamiliar territory always expand our horizons, so here is a list of things I learned while in Montana:

• Cold weather requires a minimum of 5 layers of clothing (underwear, long underwear, base clothes, sweater, jacket/boots/hats/mittens). Allow 5-10 minutes to get dressed or undressed.
• While living a "Downton" life is enjoyable from the housekeeping point of view, multiple clothing changes a day are overrated (breakfast clothes, ski clothes, dinner clothes...).
• I am not as awesome looking while skiing as I had imagined myself, thanks to a photographer who took "action" shots of me.
• There are more people who resort-hop and ski all winter long than you might think. My experience is that they are either retired or transient. In either case, alone.
• It is very possible to find oneself on top of a snow cat, in the snowy forest, on a cold winter's night, with a bunch of drunk people. Kind of surreal.
• Drunk people laugh at anything. This can be to your advantage if you are sober.
• Hot chocolate at breakfast is a requirement when it is snowing outside.
• There is a meatloaf in existence that combines beef, bison, and elk meat and is then wrapped in bacon. As the waiter put it, that's 4 animals in one bite!
• I used to think that not having cable in our home was a sacrifice. I have learned that cable only gives you more options of nothing to watch.
• Cindy Crawford's skincare line uses a secret anti-aging ingredient only found in melons grown in southern France.
• For a limited time only this $170 skin care line is available for $39.95!

Lessons that were reinforced:

• Your hair dries faster and gets awesomely straight in the West.
• I hate hotel tubs that back up.
• Having time to discover the world as a couple is priceless.
• I love my husband and children dearly.