Snow Angels and Demons
In January of this year, 14 women from across the country traveled to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. They rented a luxurious house in the hills above Fairbanks, relaxed, drank wine, played board games, explored the sites and indigenous culture, and generally basked in the beauty of the scenery and their friendships.
We call ourselves the Snow Angels and, for the last decade, we have traveled the globe in pursuit of fun, relaxation, and new experiences! Our annual Snow Angel Getaway has taken us to winter resorts in Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Canada; and to beaches and deserts in Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Haiti, California, and Arizona.
There are 16 Angels in total, and we are a diverse group! We live in different parts of the country; our ages span 2 decades; our professional backgrounds and personal interests vary greatly; we have introverts and extroverts; our romantic lives span the spectrum from decisively single to married for decades; some eschew children, and some are parents; and our relationships within the group vary from siblings to “see you next year, girlfriend”!
With so much to navigate, how have we managed to sustain the Snow Angel Getaway for ten years? I think the secret to our success can be summed up in one word: flexibility! The nature of the trip has morphed in many ways since we launched, and I expect it will continue to evolve!
I started the group as a way to pressure…er…encourage friends to take up skiing as a hobby and initially had the responsibility of coordinating the trip each year. Now, ten years later, we alternate between warm and cold weather destinations and rotate coordination responsibility!
We have also allowed ourselves to add and subtract traditions based on consensus. In the early years, we’d lean heavily into the Snow Angel theme by wearing costume store halos around the rental house. When it became clear that no one enjoyed the tradition, except for me, we let it go! We have also added fun things to the trip, like arts and crafts and a community service component.
We also build flexibility into the itinerary of each trip – participants can opt-in or out of all activities and can also engage in solo activities if they prefer. And, while there are 16 Snow Angels, we average about 8-10 participants for each trip.
I truly love this group and will reflect on our successes and failures in future Free Time Aficionado content! At some point, when I have worked through the trauma, I will share about why we no longer play the card game spades EVER! :)
More to come!
For tips, ideas, and inspiration related to planning and enjoying group travel, be sure to check out the links below!
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