Sitting in a bierstube (yep, sitting here while typing this) with bad German pop songs makes me realize one thing: skiing is not for everyone. Leon went skiing since he was little and he still loves it. Even if it’s in Winterberg and even when he has to deal with me skiing like a sloth.

But me? Not so much. I don’t feel in control, I’m cold and I really appreciate a little bit of good food and music. Really, just a sniff would’ve been enough, Justin Bieber instead of Jürgen with immer gut gelaunt to name something. My working hypothesis now is that if I don’t like skiing here, I’m not really that into it. Maybe that skiing in the Alpes and the great views would make up for the lack of love I’m feeling right now, but I’m not sure. I think I would much rather book a plain ticket to Bali and just be done with it.

But I’m certainly happy I gave it a try (sort of). This whole ‘visit-another-country-every-month’ thing is working like a charm. Even when it’s just a three hour drive it forces you to get out of your comfort zone and go to unexpected places. They say that limitations can work liberating and that is certainly the case this time. For this month and the following month I’ve set a limited budget so that we are forced to go to places we normally wouldn’t visit. And experiencing something else besides our normal city trip routine is pretty awesome. Strange how breaking routine can open up your mind. As if more ideas are flowing through your mind, ready to be plucked from the air. And I magically have time to think! Since I don’t like skiing as much as I hoped to, I’m taking a break. Okay, this bierstube isn’t the best place to clear your mind BUT I don’t have any internet connection. How amazing is that! Being online 24/7 makes it so much harder to stop working. There’s always another deadline, another email or another phone call to make. It never stops. But sitting here, in the middle of a snowy mountain? Yep, it doesn’t get any better than that. Even though I promised two more hours of skiing…

Talking about promises: no internet and breaking routine for at least one day a month? We’ll be able to pull that one off won’t we!

P.S. After a few more hours, I got the hang of skiing and, dare I say, actually started to like it. Mmm, maybe Bali should wait.

And for you guys wondering if Winterberg is a good skiing destination? It certainly is for beginners! We went during a weekday and it was not that crowded, especially after 2 pm. Sometimes there wasn’t even another skier to be seen. Park you car at parking spot nr. 2, rent some skies and practice on trail nr. 10. This trail has a decent length in comparison to the others, is wide (perfect for making lots of turns) and is pretty flat. When you feel more comfortable move on to trail nr. 11 and 9. For me, as an absolute beginner, it was perfect. When you’re an advanced skier, Winterberg would probably be too easy with its short trails. On the other hand: it’s super close to the Netherlands with an advanced system of chair lifts, restaurants and ski rentals. So if you’re in the mood for skiing: why the hell not!