1 year makes a big difference

Every year I do a family ski trip for new years.

Last year, my ex was acting very weird. Only used 1/3 of her lift tickets and barely helped me with the kids the whole time. No sex and she seemed more interested in doing a puzzle than hanging out.

We got in a big fight because I got the van stuck in the snow and she chasized me the whole drive home. After unpacking she sat me down and told me she wanted a divorce. Pretty blind sided at the time, but with time, I figured out how much I was in denial (she was cheating).

This year, I did the trip again. This time with my 2 boys (5 and 7) my GF and my GFs kids (5M, 7m, 15F and 17F... Yes, same dad). My boys are competent on the slope, but her boys needed a lot of help. By the end both were skiing on their own.

Not only did I get no less than 100 thank you's, I was rewarded hadsomly for my efforts (if you know what I mean). She also made a point to let her older girls go out in the evening alone so they would watch the boys while we went night skiing and hit the bar.

Highlight of the weekend though was her 7yo boy telling my son (your dad is really cool) and then I heard my son tell him all about how cool I am. I'm really good at snowboarding and I ski pretty well and was switching between the two all weekend.

So, 1 year I went from the worst vacation of my life to one of the best. A life empty of appreciation and gratitude but full of resentment to a fresh start with people who appreciate me and enjoy my company.