Perhaps I am not your typical Greek. I enjoy cold weather, look forward to snow and dare say, might choose the mountains over the beach. Although the endpoint is quite different, the part of our soul that seeks solace and relaxation must be rather similar. You might say we go to these places for the same reasons.

Mountains drenched in snow provide awe-inspiring beauty. The same feeling that emerges when you stand atop the caldera of Santorini, also emerges from the summit of any lone peak. The vantage point of looking out over the expansive world below provides a sense of perspective, beauty and humility. The emotions that are evoked provide a much needed sense of relief and distance from everyday life often full of work and stress. These emotions help to nourish our souls.

People are meant to begin skiing as children. I am thankful that my parents put my on skis at the age of three years old. Kids are resilient- their muscles and bones do not ache after a hard day of learning how to ski. Plus, they are much closer to the ground in case they fall. Most of all, they are more capable of remembering the good feelings they derive from skiing, as opposed to keeping memories of hardships that adults retain. This skill is like learning a language…it is much easier to do as a child and it can be enjoyed for the rest of one’s life. Most importantly, it is an activity where the bonds of relationships strengthen. Skiing provides family and friends a great opportunity to spend exciting times together. After an exhilarating run through fresh powder or a mundane run down the bunny hill, the chairlift is a new forum for discussion, like a ‘kafeneio’. When sitting together slightly out of breath, suspended in air by a cable, conversations roll off the tongue. These moments are times to discuss whatever is on your mind. Besides, where else do you have a guaranteed audience that isn’t going anywhere?

It is difficult deciding what I like most about skiing. Part of me anxiously awaits winter just so I can spend more time with friends. Living in Utah makes skiing a part of life during the winter and something to talk about during the summer. Part of me awaits winter to see the mountains covered with snow, providing another clean, fresh beginning. Aside from these worthy reasons to enjoy skiing, I would be remiss if I did not write about how exiting, exhilarating, challenging and rewarding skiing can be. Sometimes it’s going fast, feeling the rush of wind past your face. Sometimes it is conquering the run that was previously too difficult- connecting that perfect string of turns to deliver you down the mountain. And sometimes, when all of the stars line up and you are blessed with that perfect blanket of snow- you can experience powder. Skiing through powder is like floating across a never-ending satin pillow, yet describing it in words will not provide justice. That would be like trying to describe your mother’s ‘galactobureko’ to an American friend without ever allowing them a taste. But, once that feeling is experienced, it is never forgotten.

I realize living in the Rocky Mountains makes skiing much more accessible for me than most people. However, sharing a trip to the mountains with friends and family and getting a few breaths of fresh mountain air make the trip seem more worthwhile. Eventually, once you experience that moment when the stresses of work melt away, a skiing pilgrimage might seem like more of a necessity than a superfluous treat. Trust me, you soul will thank you.

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