On an ordinary February morning, while my country may be getting ready to enjoy a warm summer day, I find myself in a tiny spot in North America looking through my window and praying to find tons of snow outside. Fortunately, there is enough snow to start my day in an invigorating, original and, if I may say, privileged way.

Stuck in my cultured ways, I refuse to have bacon, eggs and potatoes for breakfast and puzzle every American who sees me have milk and cookies in the morning. Outside, the temperature steadies around –15º C or –20º C. Such cold weather demands wearing at least three layers of clothing and double layer for your feet and hands. After bundling up I am ready to arrive at the mountain early enough to go snowboarding and prepare for work.
Standing by the road, waiting for the town shuttle, hoping that a car would pull over and give me a ride first. Luckily for those with no car, hitchhiking is legal in Vermont. In my experience, offering and accepting rides is some-what a social occasion. It is a great opportunity to meet people, engage in small talk and even make friends.
When, at the mountain, I ride on the lift with locals who dare to call a –10 C weather warm weather, but after a while I cannot but agree with them. Freezing temperatures cease to be a nuisance as time goes by. I have gotten frostbite on my face and fingers more than once and, I have to admit, the pain it causes seems unbearable at times. Regardless, I cannot express the satisfaction I feel after every good run I take. I cannot put it into words as I am writing, neither demonstrate the feeling at the end of each run because my face is too cold to do so.
One of my favorite treats about working at the mountain is being able to surf the snow to responsibility. I take a last run and I shred my way towards the door of the restaurant. I walk in, greet my co-workers, and comment on the conditions of the trails and the rest of the mountain finally getting to work. There is a well-known motivational technique around the resort called “flip the  switch”. This is integrated around the mountain to encourage employees to arrive at work every day with a positive attitude, regardless of any personal issues they might  have. Riding in the morning is by far the best way to flip the switch.
Days up here are short, and so, by 3.30pm we are greeting our guests with “Good evening”. After the mountain closes at 4 pm, skiers and snowboarders swarm into bars and pubs to enjoy themselves before another day on the mountain. That makes party time in Vermont extremely early for South American standards. On the other hand, partying at 6pm is a sensible and practical way of having a good time and still being able to get up early to work the next morning. Dinnertime is also surprisingly early; so many Vermonters go out for dinner. A healthy dinner is not part of an American diet, so the most common dishes are fried chicken wings dipped in blue cheese and pizza accompanied by large amounts of beer.

       Pool and video games played at the rhythm of blues, jazz or a jukebox favorite would put an end to an evening in Stowe, a tiny spot on the opposite hemisphere of the globe. Snow, skiing and riding, social occasions, good people and great times have made my freezing summer good enough to choose to come back again.!
 

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