Private school parent small talk in December: EVERYONE bragging about upcoming ritzy trips

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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We have a place in Vail and we spend the entire winter there. When people ask what we're doing, I say we might travel out of town, but we're not sure. I'm European, so this might be cultural, but for us, anything that might look like bragging is very faux pas. My FIL is American and likes to brag about his homes, vacations, cars, career etc. For him, it's the pride for being successful.
___________

Obviously, your opinion doesn't count here because you are not tied to the school schedule if you spend "all winter" there. You obviously don't have kids in a fancy private school. I do and am tied to the school schedule. BTW I have 2 condos in Vail and spend loads of time there. It's actually a cheap vacation for us. We own our own gear, buy the Vail local Epic pass in April, eat at home, and stay in our own place. We rent the condos when we don't use them. To us, this is not a "ritzy" vacation and nothing I feel I should hide from anyone. When people ask and they know me they usually say "are you skiing?" And I say "yeah, any travel plans?". We ski spring break and MLK weekend too. Only for family emergencies have we deviated from this pattern.

I am here for this Vail cage match! Can we get someone with 3 Vail properties? Or Aspen? Aspen would trump, since it's not right on I-70.

Ha! I like you already. Aspen would trump, as would an actual home rather than condos - theres the whole STR zoning though. I also think Telluride is better too. It's actually my pre-retitement project, which is why it's not really fancy for me. I'm the one post-ski still in my thermals playing chess with the kids in the lounge - occasionally with a glass of wine I brought down from the condo. I'm too cheap to buy it at the bar.

Telluride is not on the level of Vail and Vail is not Aspen. Aspen trumps all! I don't think I would ever be in a social circle of someone with an Aspen home but I've known several at the others.
Vail homes now are 2-3million for a duplex half that is only available to you on certain weeks, who goes for those plans?!

Disagree! Telluride is awesome skiing. That where the real skiing is. True not as fancy as Aspen. I struggle to think of any other resort that is. Even Jackson falls short in ritziness.

The real rich ski at Yellowstone Club.

Ah, yes, I forgot about that one!

Fascinating. I guess it depends on where you’re sitting?

Telluride is where all the real West Coast money goes. There and obv Montana.

Vail is for the middle class and Aspen is for East Coast posers with a lot of really bad filler and Botox.

Yellowstone Club is owners only, $3 million minimum for a condo, $400 thousand club fee, and $40 thousand annual dues.

Yawn. Same boring people same boring alcoholic drinking scene. No substance. How sad that these kids have zero exposure to anything else except hopping from one club to the next. No not envious - could easily afford all of these things but choose to raise kind well educated kids that associate with all sorts of people.

Do you know any members? This seems like a wildly inaccurate portrayal.

The people I know who belong are two types: die hard skiers who belong because they value the lack of lift lines and crowds skiing off the good snow. Or rich and famous people who value their privacy during family vacation time. Believe me these families are very well educated and have exposure to many experiences and people in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a place in Vail and we spend the entire winter there. When people ask what we're doing, I say we might travel out of town, but we're not sure. I'm European, so this might be cultural, but for us, anything that might look like bragging is very faux pas. My FIL is American and likes to brag about his homes, vacations, cars, career etc. For him, it's the pride for being successful.
___________

Obviously, your opinion doesn't count here because you are not tied to the school schedule if you spend "all winter" there. You obviously don't have kids in a fancy private school. I do and am tied to the school schedule. BTW I have 2 condos in Vail and spend loads of time there. It's actually a cheap vacation for us. We own our own gear, buy the Vail local Epic pass in April, eat at home, and stay in our own place. We rent the condos when we don't use them. To us, this is not a "ritzy" vacation and nothing I feel I should hide from anyone. When people ask and they know me they usually say "are you skiing?" And I say "yeah, any travel plans?". We ski spring break and MLK weekend too. Only for family emergencies have we deviated from this pattern.

I am here for this Vail cage match! Can we get someone with 3 Vail properties? Or Aspen? Aspen would trump, since it's not right on I-70.

Ha! I like you already. Aspen would trump, as would an actual home rather than condos - theres the whole STR zoning though. I also think Telluride is better too. It's actually my pre-retitement project, which is why it's not really fancy for me. I'm the one post-ski still in my thermals playing chess with the kids in the lounge - occasionally with a glass of wine I brought down from the condo. I'm too cheap to buy it at the bar.

Telluride is not on the level of Vail and Vail is not Aspen. Aspen trumps all! I don't think I would ever be in a social circle of someone with an Aspen home but I've known several at the others.
Vail homes now are 2-3million for a duplex half that is only available to you on certain weeks, who goes for those plans?!

Lol as a native Coloradan this made me cry-laugh. I feel so sorry for you

If you think I have the affordability of these places backwards, I don't know what you've been smoking! This is not a commentary on fun skiing or the place to be most at ease. This is a judgment of most expensive.

First of all, none of these places are "affordable" but especially not over Christmas. But I'm laughing at the idea that anyone would aspire to own a home in Aspen specifically because it's more expensive than the other two. Telluride has the best skiing and vibes of all three (and can still be insanely expensive and attracts lots of celebs and billionaires), so what is the point of spending more on Aspen in order to be around people who can afford Aspen? Like this is the dumbest possible metric for choosing a vacation destination.

You're hopeless. The topic wasn't picking the best place to visit or own a home for your budget or personal style. It was "ritzy" ski home owner show offs vying for supremacy. This isn't the travel board, it's private school hypothetical Vail cage match.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The preoccupation with expensive, international vacations has always been an UMC thing that feels very trashy.

I feel like it's gotten way worse in recent years. Maybe fueled by viral shows like White Lotus? And certainly social media plays a part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The preoccupation with expensive, international vacations has always been an UMC thing that feels very trashy.

I feel like it's gotten way worse in recent years. Maybe fueled by viral shows like White Lotus? And certainly social media plays a part.

I definitely think social media is driving a lot of the expensive vacationing. Doing it for the gram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you thinking it's bragging--

If you ask me "what are you guys doing over break?" and I'm a friend of yours and I say "oh nothing really, staying around here" and then you find out 2 weeks later than I actually went to Dublin or Paris with my 3 kids, wouldn't you find it odd or pretty much dishonest that I gave one answer but then went on a trip that was obviously not planned the last minute?

DP, but most of the time, it’s the people taking the ritzy trips who are the ones doing the asking — because when the person politely asks them in return, as is customary in polite conversation, it gives them a chance to respond “well, ACTUALLY, we’re going to Blah Blah Blah.”

Bingo.

[Anonymous]

I think many of these people are well beyond needing to brag or show off. They may be tone deaf but it’s not bragging. You may need thicker skin or continue to be bothered by stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's just small talk. "Seen any good movies?" "Going anywhere for the break?" "Crazy weather, huh?"

Yup.

“Yachting to St. Tropez during the break?”

Just normal small talk.

lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think many of these people are well beyond needing to brag or show off. They may be tone deaf but it’s not bragging. You may need thicker skin or continue to be bothered by stuff

You'd be wrong. Some of the richest people I know flex their status and wealth constantly. Of course they don't consider it bragging, just normal small talk.

[Anonymous]

OP, you could choose to believe: they think you are just as likely to go on similar trips, if that is what you wanted to do.

[Anonymous]

What else are rich people going to talk about?
Dodging taxes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a place in Vail and we spend the entire winter there. When people ask what we're doing, I say we might travel out of town, but we're not sure. I'm European, so this might be cultural, but for us, anything that might look like bragging is very faux pas. My FIL is American and likes to brag about his homes, vacations, cars, career etc. For him, it's the pride for being successful.
___________

Obviously, your opinion doesn't count here because you are not tied to the school schedule if you spend "all winter" there. You obviously don't have kids in a fancy private school. I do and am tied to the school schedule. BTW I have 2 condos in Vail and spend loads of time there. It's actually a cheap vacation for us. We own our own gear, buy the Vail local Epic pass in April, eat at home, and stay in our own place. We rent the condos when we don't use them. To us, this is not a "ritzy" vacation and nothing I feel I should hide from anyone. When people ask and they know me they usually say "are you skiing?" And I say "yeah, any travel plans?". We ski spring break and MLK weekend too. Only for family emergencies have we deviated from this pattern.

I am here for this Vail cage match! Can we get someone with 3 Vail properties? Or Aspen? Aspen would trump, since it's not right on I-70.

Ha! I like you already. Aspen would trump, as would an actual home rather than condos - theres the whole STR zoning though. I also think Telluride is better too. It's actually my pre-retitement project, which is why it's not really fancy for me. I'm the one post-ski still in my thermals playing chess with the kids in the lounge - occasionally with a glass of wine I brought down from the condo. I'm too cheap to buy it at the bar.

Telluride is not on the level of Vail and Vail is not Aspen. Aspen trumps all! I don't think I would ever be in a social circle of someone with an Aspen home but I've known several at the others.
Vail homes now are 2-3million for a duplex half that is only available to you on certain weeks, who goes for those plans?!

Lol as a native Coloradan this made me cry-laugh. I feel so sorry for you

If you think I have the affordability of these places backwards, I don't know what you've been smoking! This is not a commentary on fun skiing or the place to be most at ease. This is a judgment of most expensive.

First of all, none of these places are "affordable" but especially not over Christmas. But I'm laughing at the idea that anyone would aspire to own a home in Aspen specifically because it's more expensive than the other two. Telluride has the best skiing and vibes of all three (and can still be insanely expensive and attracts lots of celebs and billionaires), so what is the point of spending more on Aspen in order to be around people who can afford Aspen? Like this is the dumbest possible metric for choosing a vacation destination.

You're hopeless. The topic wasn't picking the best place to visit or own a home for your budget or personal style. It was "ritzy" ski home owner show offs vying for supremacy. This isn't the travel board, it's private school hypothetical Vail cage match.

Thanks I needed a laugh first thing in the morning!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a place in Vail and we spend the entire winter there. When people ask what we're doing, I say we might travel out of town, but we're not sure. I'm European, so this might be cultural, but for us, anything that might look like bragging is very faux pas. My FIL is American and likes to brag about his homes, vacations, cars, career etc. For him, it's the pride for being successful.
___________

Obviously, your opinion doesn't count here because you are not tied to the school schedule if you spend "all winter" there. You obviously don't have kids in a fancy private school. I do and am tied to the school schedule. BTW I have 2 condos in Vail and spend loads of time there. It's actually a cheap vacation for us. We own our own gear, buy the Vail local Epic pass in April, eat at home, and stay in our own place. We rent the condos when we don't use them. To us, this is not a "ritzy" vacation and nothing I feel I should hide from anyone. When people ask and they know me they usually say "are you skiing?" And I say "yeah, any travel plans?". We ski spring break and MLK weekend too. Only for family emergencies have we deviated from this pattern.

I am here for this Vail cage match! Can we get someone with 3 Vail properties? Or Aspen? Aspen would trump, since it's not right on I-70.

Ha! I like you already. Aspen would trump, as would an actual home rather than condos - theres the whole STR zoning though. I also think Telluride is better too. It's actually my pre-retitement project, which is why it's not really fancy for me. I'm the one post-ski still in my thermals playing chess with the kids in the lounge - occasionally with a glass of wine I brought down from the condo. I'm too cheap to buy it at the bar.

Telluride is not on the level of Vail and Vail is not Aspen. Aspen trumps all! I don't think I would ever be in a social circle of someone with an Aspen home but I've known several at the others.
Vail homes now are 2-3million for a duplex half that is only available to you on certain weeks, who goes for those plans?!

Lol as a native Coloradan this made me cry-laugh. I feel so sorry for you

Ok, where does Breckenridge, Salt Lake, or Lake Tahoe rank in ritizness?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Travelled moderately. enough to be disappointed by the world. Farthest I like to travel now is Fenwick Island.

Me too!! Except I want one trip to Antarctica in winter locked in a science compound with a ton of whisky.

The beach at Christmas is my happy place. For your reading pleasure: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" (absolutely hilarious on private school parent craziness) and Jonathan Franzen's New Yorker article about his trip to Antarctica on a Lindblad cruise. Merry, merry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We have a place in Vail and we spend the entire winter there. When people ask what we're doing, I say we might travel out of town, but we're not sure. I'm European, so this might be cultural, but for us, anything that might look like bragging is very faux pas. My FIL is American and likes to brag about his homes, vacations, cars, career etc. For him, it's the pride for being successful.
___________

Obviously, your opinion doesn't count here because you are not tied to the school schedule if you spend "all winter" there. You obviously don't have kids in a fancy private school. I do and am tied to the school schedule. BTW I have 2 condos in Vail and spend loads of time there. It's actually a cheap vacation for us. We own our own gear, buy the Vail local Epic pass in April, eat at home, and stay in our own place. We rent the condos when we don't use them. To us, this is not a "ritzy" vacation and nothing I feel I should hide from anyone. When people ask and they know me they usually say "are you skiing?" And I say "yeah, any travel plans?". We ski spring break and MLK weekend too. Only for family emergencies have we deviated from this pattern.

I am here for this Vail cage match! Can we get someone with 3 Vail properties? Or Aspen? Aspen would trump, since it's not right on I-70.

Ha! I like you already. Aspen would trump, as would an actual home rather than condos - theres the whole STR zoning though. I also think Telluride is better too. It's actually my pre-retitement project, which is why it's not really fancy for me. I'm the one post-ski still in my thermals playing chess with the kids in the lounge - occasionally with a glass of wine I brought down from the condo. I'm too cheap to buy it at the bar.

Telluride is not on the level of Vail and Vail is not Aspen. Aspen trumps all! I don't think I would ever be in a social circle of someone with an Aspen home but I've known several at the others.
Vail homes now are 2-3million for a duplex half that is only available to you on certain weeks, who goes for those plans?!

This is the dumbest fight I've ever seen. But, as they say in Colorado, Aspen is for the millionaires, Telluride is for the billionaires. It's like a little private jet, uncrowded haven.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL I was asked recently of our plans and was very honest when I shared that we plan to clean out the basement. Person couldn't wait to get away from me lol.

LOL. You are my kind of people. Have a cocoa on me.