The air becomes chillier; student’s breath becomes ghostly wisps as they walk outside. As snow blankets the town, students take two drastically different routes.

Some students hurry to pull on their gloves and trudge through flurries of snow, all the while heaving skis by their side. However, every moment of struggle is rewarded as they hop off the ski lift and soar over snow-blazed trails.

Skiers live for this thrill and use every possible moment of winter to escape the stress of school and take a well-deserved ski-cation.

Dylan Diamond ’17 is one of these ski-enthusiasts and, for most of the winter season, packs up his skis and drives up to his house in Stratton, Vermont.

“Skiing is just a really fun and exciting sport,” Diamond said.

In fact, Diamond would rather be speeding down snowy mountains than tanning on the sand, describing the beach as “boring.”

As well as the adrenaline rush, skiers value the ephemeral quality of their sport, knowing that, as soon as the spring arrives, their adventures dwindle to an end.

Since skiing is a seasonal sport, Shmaruk, along with the rest of the ski team, eagerly hurries to places like Okemo and Mount Snow to get in as much ski time as possible.

“You can go to the beach anytime, but you can only ski during the winter,” Ben Shmaruk ’17, a member of the Staples ski team, said.

However, some students prefer to flee the cold as quickly as possible, jumping on a plane and touching down in paradise. There the sun melts ice from their skin as they lounge on silky sands.

“When I’m at the beach I feel like I’m in paradise because I have escaped from the cold temperatures,” Christina Dear ’17 said. “When I’m skiing, I just feel rushed.”

While skiers may find themselves racing through blizzard flurries, elsewhere students are wading through turquoise waters.

“There is nothing better than warm weather and swimming. It’s more exotic and something to look forward to,” Lexy Iannacone ’15 said.

Though Iannacone would rather be on a beach, she sees the value in cozying up by the fire after a long day in the snow.

“I also enjoy ski trips because of the weather and just hanging out on the slopes, but also sitting next to a nice warm fire in the lodge,” Iannacone added.

Zoe Mezoff ’17 enjoys both, describing the beach as “super relaxing” and skiing as “really fun.”

Regardless of whether students prefer sandy shores or snowy skies, both vacations provide a much needed reprieve from school.