“Those who ride together stay together”

We all dream of finding our number 1, the person you want to travel the world with, ski every mountain together, eat wacky foods and discover crazy wild places. That person to come home to after a cold day in the snow, to snuggle up to with a cup of cocoa and a movie you don’t really watch. If only it were as easy as that!

Having a love life while being a seasonaire is a bit of a tricky one. Seasonaires go to bars, they get laid, they go on dates, but the majority of us move countries every 5/6 months. How are we supposed to find a stable relationship and commit to someone if our plans change all the time?

Well before this season it seemed completely impossible. I was destined to be a slutty singleton forever. Then I realised that ski instructors date other ski instructors or mountain workers and that was the start of “Those who ride together, stay together.”.

I've heard many a beautiful love story from my colleagues and it isn’t always the instructors that fall in love with each other, but also the lifty's, the bartenders, the ski shop rental guys, the list goes on. We’re all living in the resort for 6 months, sometimes under the same tiny roof, knowing far more about each other than we ever really asked for. If you can put up with someone for so long in such small quarters and still manage to keep the spark alive, you’ve got something good, now don't screw it up!

How do you go about keeping a relationship once you've found your person then?

well it's not easy. Trust is a huge one to gain and maintain when you're living 5/6 months at a time in a town where everyone is getting wasted and hooking up. Communication is key. What about time? We all want to have fun with our friends too right? Do your best to find that tricky balance between friends time, 'us' time and the oh so important 'me time'. Don't forget yourself in all of this, you need time to reflect, and be away from it all to realise just how great or not so great things really are.

How do you keep the spark alive long distance? The beauty of social media and online communication. They may be on the other side of the world but don't forget they're only a video call away. It can be super awkward and absolutely hilarious at first, but you soon find out what work for you as a couple. Don't forget the romance, keep it spicy! Just because you're apart doesn't mean you cant enjoy a dinner together (on video chat), share your day and shower your loved one with compliments when they're all dressed up on their way out with friends. My boyfriend and I have loved introducing each other to new friends and the silly antics of our days and we always make time for more private chats just us.

Others take complete advantage of only knowing the people around them for 5 months and have season romances or friends, with benefits etc and live freely. The only fairly major catch with this one is living arrangements have your sex drive locked in a cage unless you and your roommate is willing for them to get in on the action (note to self- add earplugs to the essentials to pack list). shocked at the thought? Don't be, privacy norms go out the window for most people on season so make sure to have that chat with those you share a room with. So you can't go back to either room, hostels are completely out of the question, its snowing and freezing cold outside, where do you go? My friends that is all par and part of doing a ski season single. My advice? Take advantage of the roomie shower and just makes sure you're not the one walking home through town at 5am in time to get showered and dressed and to work on time after that spontaneous hook-up.

So you've just met someone who seems right up your street, the full package if you were. Chances are, you met yesterday at acres, or perhaps later at the bar. Everyone was there, managers and all. You've woken up this morning thinking, oh God I did that last night, Oh shit who was there? Who saw me? Love life in a ski resort can be compared to living a real-life soap opera. Everyone works, lives and socializes together. Actually, it’s not so much like living in a goldfish bowl: more an aquarium packed with a wider cross-section of people – including some pretty odd fish and the occasional shark – than you’ve encountered before.

Don’t do anything you don’t want the whole resort finding out about. When you meet a fellow seasonaire for the first time expect him or her to know your name, where you’re from, and who you’ve been sleeping with. Gossip, scandal, secrets and rumor's you name it, we've lived it. This is probably why there aren't so many loving monogamous couples working a season. Don't let this put you off pursuing something with someone great! Couples who stand the test of a season will breeze through the tribulations of ordinary life, if they ever get to that, that is.

So we know seasonaire love is possible, but how does it all start?

Perhaps you'll be on the chairlift over the park about to hoon an intricate tree run and you lock eyes with the person who just threw a cork 180, they lift their goggles, take down their buff, and you realize (as a girl yourself), that it is in fact girl.

The start of the season is mostly a write off. Its the time to let loose and have fun. Then comes the stage to scope out peoples background; how old are they? Are they single? What did hey do in their real life? Fancy someone? snap'em up quick before someone else does or you'll find yourself single, talking to him at the end of the season totally regretting not saying hi properly the first time.

In the same way it's just as important to make sure that people know you want to be their friend! Season life means its important to be everyone's' friend, but make sure those you really care about know. A home from home family is a special season experience.

My home from home family in Austria

At the end of the day it really comes down to doing the thing you love most, with people who also love it and want similar things out of life, take life less seriously, and live for the morning POW. When I think about it that way, I’m surprised I don’t see more couples on the hill. Do a ski season! Go get loved up! What do you have to loose?!

The Ski Nomad