I am flying down the mountain at speeds that thrill. Snow shooting from under my skis sprays everything I pass. I am trying to catch the last lift up to the top of the slopes. When I’m almost there I wipe out, sending objects and people flying.

This is what my trip to Colorado during the week of spring break was like. It was my third ski trip, but only the second time I’ve been skiing – I was a baby on the first trip. There were 12 of us who went on the trip March 17-22.

The first morning in Breckenridge, Colo., it took us a lot of time to get ready to ski. At first it took all of our power and patience to get the little kids – my 6-year-old sister, Caroline, and my cousins from Colorado Springs, Cameron, 3, and Jake Lowe, 6 months – ready to go. After arriving at the mountain, we discovered that Cameron was not going to be able to ski after all because of his fear of goggles. When the rest of us were ready to ski and in the lift line, we realized in dismay that Caroline was missing her lift ticket. After the missing ticket was found at the condo and delivered to us, we were finally off. The younger kids stayed either in the nursery or at the condo with their mom or grandma.

During the trip I met many people from different places. All of them had fascinating stories. I met a man from Tulsa, Okla., while riding up the ski lift. He remembered when Bill Self coached Tulsa. We exchanged facts about college basketball all the way up, and after the ride was over we said goodbye and went on our way, never to see each other again.

We met people from England who were big rugby fans. Because my dad was a rugby star in college, he had a great time talking with them. We even saw friends from Lawrence – twins Sam and Thomas Boatright, who are sixth-graders at Langston Hughes School, and Barry and Tammy Frank and their kids, Langston Hughes School fifth-grader Garrett and West Junior High School eighth-grader Nolan – and had a lot of fun skiing with them.

Whenever we wrecked, which was quite often, there was always someone there to help return our ski equipment to us. Sometimes someone would wreck so badly – usually me! – we would call it a “Yard Sale” because ski gear was scattered all over the slope. It often took up to five people to clean up the mess. This is a great example of the bonding that occurs on the mountain.

After hitting the slopes, everyone would peel the essential ski apparel off to sit and have drinks and listen to Jimmy Buffett music. Later, we would return to the condo and get into our swimsuits to jump into the steaming hot tub. It was there that we would decide who would earn the MVP (Most Valuable Player) and MVK (Most Valuable Kid) awards. I was nominated for MVK once and tied with my sister Ellie. The award was given out every day after skiing. Criteria such as someone delivering a ski ticket or helping another down the mountain, being a real trooper or making big improvements in skiing were used to determine the awards. After chatting about the day, we would watch the sun set over the mountain.

Leaving was a sad experience. No more speeding down the mountain. No more moms yelling to children to slow down. After all the buildup and packing, the trip was over. I will always remember our family ski trips. If you are in need of a quality family vacation, I highly recommend it.