There are exceptional people who remember most of their childhood vividly, and while I’m not one of them, one of the experiences I remember to detail is seeing snow for the first time. Though it was only when I was 11, it was one of those joyful moments I will never forget.

Knowing the happiness I felt, and still feel whenever this memory comes to mind, I don’t intend to make Matthew wait as long as I had to, so now when everyone is preparing for the summer holiday, we’re preparing for our winter adventure.

For the time being Europe is expensive, but we have our own Alps at least, so for now we have our eyes set on the powder capital of Australia: Mount Hotham. As the word goes, there are great discounts when booking in advance, meaning we might as well do the booking this week.

Other than saving up money for the powder trip, we started acquiring the necessary equipment piece by piece, first by choosing the adequate skiing boots. Since feeling cold starts from the feet and hands, I consider the boots and mittens the basics, especially for Matthew.

Buying before the season for a boy growing up quickly, we had to make sure the boots are adjustable, neither too tight nor too loose, comfortable on and off-piste, with orthofit insoles, and paired them with wool socks so he would stay really warm.

My husband and I also got our pair of skiing boots, focusing on anti-shock footboard, flex dynamics, and adjustability for those extra pairs of socks; I’m a person who feels cold to the bone, and instead of letting cold feet ruin my long-awaited family snow trip, all I have to do is be equipped with plenty of warmth.

I know many prefer renting, but we plan on going on more than one snow adventure so it’s a better investment thinking long-term. The next items on the list were the skis and the poles, opting for properties like lightweight construction, with dynamic tip and tail for the skis, and padded straps for the poles, along with quick release system as a safety feature.

Given that my boy still hasn’t skied yet, we don’t intend to get him the poles for the time being, just show him some of the moves, and knowing how flexible he is, I am certain he’ll catch up fast. Of course, there’s also the professional help we can count on in case we fail to teach him ourselves.

All that’s left for me is to wrap up the shopping with waterproof clothing, lots and lots of layers (thermal sweaters, shirts, tights), moisture-wicking bamboo underwear, face masks, neck warmers, scarves, and to protect us from the damaging sunrays, specialised sunglasses, and sunscreen.

Now you see why in the middle of warmth, I can’t wait for winter!