Our First Winter in Breckenridge, CO

Being a native Floridian, I always assumed that winter translated to seasonal sales and consumer pandemonium at Aventura Mall, an influx of French Canadians and Northeasterners to my sunny state, and bikinis on Fort Lauderdale Beach during Christmas. Instead of snow days, schoolchildren hope for a late hurricane warning to get a break from classes.

After three months freezing like a Popsicle in Breckenridge, CO (and fighting sub-zero temperatures in various locales since November), I feel justified to make a neon shirt saying "I survived winter in the Rockies...and I'm from Florida." A tank top, obviously.

With a snowboard season-ending Achilles injury for Spencer and countless bruises and scrapes for me, it was a struggle for both of us to make it to warmer weather. In many ways it was the winter that wouldn't end; in fact, we rushed to pack up our RV at the end of April to avoid the late snowstorm that blew in over a foot of powder on May 1.

But what we'll remember most isn't the frozen water lines (who needs daily showers?), frigid temperatures, or attempting to generate warmth with five+ heaters and propane. We'll remember making new friends, feeling apart of a neighborhood in our friendly RV park, snowboarding for an entire season, adopting our pup and being stationed somewhere long enough to truly call ourselves locals.

Some Most RVers thought we were crazy to spend the winter in Breckenridge. They were right. But we would be crazy not to try it once, right?

We may not have experienced the heat (or the sun-kissed tan) that I'm familiar with in the winter months, but we sure felt the warmth in our hearts for our adopted ski town. See you on the slopes next season, Breck?