Q&A with Donna Ciccia Parent and Nutritionist

What made you chose a skiing vacation for your family? We wanted to have a family “White Christmas” experience. Coming from Australia, we only get hot summer Christmas’. My mother wished to experience a traditional White Christmas, and we decided to include skiing with this experience.

How did you prepare your son for the trip?

We didn’t do all that much for preparation. We pointed out what snow looked like, described to him that it would be cold and showed him movies of skiing and showed him pictures of places we would be visiting. He was looking forward to going to the Intrepid & F.A.O Schwartz in New York after skiing.

Did you buy your son anything in particular for the trip?

We purchased a lot of warm clothes & ski goggles & tried everything on to get the feel of it.

How did your son react to climate change?

He was not used to the cold but adapted very well. The school helper ‘Nanna Barbara‘ knitted all the kids beanies (hat) as a Christmas present and it worked well for us as he was excited to wear it.  

Did you ask for any food accommodations?

No, as he will try most things and has no allergies. We were traveling with a lot of kids, so we knew we would be eating to accommodate them all.

How did your son adapt to the clothing and equipment needed for skiing?

We were lucky that he adapted well with all of the changes in clothing & climate. He was excited to get his ski’s & helmet etc.

Did any other family members/friends join you and help out?

We had all my family with us. My parents,  brothers,  sister and their families. So all sixteen of us traveled together.

How do you find any time for yourself during vacation?

We had this as a family vacation although we did split up into groups on numerous occasions. We all traveled from Sydney to Beijing (transfer only) and then onto Vancouver. We spent a week in Vancouver and then all traveled together in a privately hired bus to Kelowna & Big White Ski Resort for ten days. Some family members returned to Australia; others went to Seattle, and some stayed at Big White for another month. We then traveled with my parents to New York and met up with some other family members there. We spent another six days in New York and two nights in Beijing on the way home.

How did your son enjoy the experience?

He loved every minute of it!

What do you think he got out of the experience?

Every time we travel he matures and is curious about different places and is always asking “Can we go there next?”

Would you consider doing this again and why?

This vacation was a once in a lifetime trip- we traveled for one month which was fabulous but may be a hard thing to pull off again anytime soon.

Best moment on the trip?

Too many to just name one.

Worst moment on the trip?

Hurting my knee skiing so I could ski with the rest of the family.  

If you had the chance for a do-over; what would it be?

Stay longer on the East coast of the US so we could explore more places. Maybe that’s the next trip.   [mappress mapid=”32″]]]>