Let’s go places!

I have the travel bug and I’m not afraid to admit it. From Utah to New York to Lake Tahoe to Milan to Paris I have spent more time away from home than at home over the past couple of weeks. My desire to travel is GRAND and the types of trips I am taking have really changed. This year I have done almost as many ski trips as fashion weeks – What’s going on here?

Yes, the skiing is new over here! At the beginning of this year, I decided that this was the year that I got back into skiing. After doing some very PAINFUL math I realized that it has been OVER ten years since I skied. Lucky for me my new family tradition is to spend New Years in Sundance, Utah and it just so happens to be one of the best places to learn or relearn how to ski. After almost ten days of skiing with my AMAZING ski instructor, Nans I got back into the swing of things on the slopes and managed to not fall down the mountain and actually come down the mountain with a little bit of control.

Now, the skiing at Sundance was to get me back on the slopes, but it was also to prepare me for my upcoming trip to Lake Tahoe. I am no stranger to Lake Tahoe, but I know the bars and casinos much more than I know the slopes – so needless to say I was a slightly intimidated to ski with a crew of seasoned skiers.

But before I could even worry about skiing I had to get my booty to Lake Tahoe and I knew that my Mini Cooper was not gonna get me there. Lucky for me the team over at Toyota hooked us up with a Land Cruiser – easily the largest and fanciest SUV I’ve ever driven! I will be the first to admit that I was a little intimidated by the size of the vehicle but was quickly surprised by just how easy it was to drive (even on narrow roads and bridges). The drive there was a breeze – but I still had to tackle the slopes…

The skiing was good (not great). I didn’t fall however I did have a couple of issues:

The Chairlift: I could not figure out how to get off the chairlift without pushing the people next to me down back into their seats, especially if they were a snowboarder. No idea why, but my friend Blake quickly put an end to this behavior and taught me how to exit the chairlift without attacking my neighbors.

Control: Yes, I didn’t fall however this didn’t mean that I was gliding down the slopes like a pro. Instead of the slow controlled parallel skiing, I learned in Utah I was flying down the hill like a wild woman trying to catch up to my friends. Slowly but surely I slowed down, but parallel skiing is still a goal for my next trip.

My Outfit: Yes, I loved my outfit as a fashion blogger (insert this cute Topshop ski suit), but I didn’t have on the right jacket and my ski boots were too tight. I guess my North Face jacket from high school is ready to retire lol.

Regardless of my skiing issues I had a blast on the slopes and am hopeful that I will be catching up with the rest of my crew shortly.

Last but not least we have to discuss the drive home. The drive home was LONG and challenging due to the snow and one giant traffic jam. The majority of my friends that I drove up with left before me and I was left to drive home with Benji and one of my girlfriends. This would not have been an issue if either of us had ever driven in the snow or even knew what four-wheel drive was! Lucky for us the Toyota Land Cruiser was a dream to drive and with a quick google search, we learned just WHAT four-wheel drive was and how to use it in the Land Cruiser. The drive was long (8hrs vs 4hrs) but oh-so-comfortable, easy and left me wanting more road trips (in the Land Cruiser of course).

Now, are you with me? Let’s go places!

What I Wore:

Jacket: The Arrivals, Rainier LMTD – Leather Moto Jacket

Vest: Patagonia, Los Gatos Fleece Vest

Top: Sweaty Betty (c/o), Drift Long Sleeve Ski Base Layer

Pants: Sweaty Betty (c/o), Drift Ski Base Layer Leggings

Shoes: The Greats (c/o), The Royale

ALSO STYLED HERE

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban, Aviator Gold-Tone Sunglasses

Hat: Uniqlo, Wool Wide Brim Fedora Hat

A special thank you to Toyota for providing us with the sweet ride to Lake Tahoe – Let’s Go Places