Ben loves to snowboard. Probably because he’s so much better at it than I am. I still get nervous just riding the lift! (To be fair, I believe most skiers and snowboarders would agree that getting off the lift is the hardest part of the day.)
Ben had been itching to hit the snow before the season ended, so I went searching for a house sit somewhere that might still have snow in late March. That’s how I ended up in the tiny town of Mieming, about 45 minutes outside of Innsbruck, Austria.
The sit was for a gorgeous pup named Jasper, and to get there, I flew into Vienna, spent a short night there, then hopped on another overnight train—my second one ever! (You can read about my first overnight train experience here.)
I had a day to explore Innsbruck before heading out to meet Jasper and his lovely humans, Marta and Daniel.
Jasper – an Australia Shepherd is an active breed and needs a lot of exercise, so I spent the week working remotely and walking—a lot.
It was a beautiful way to discover the local area, one trail at a time. At home, Jasper was always close by.
He even hopped into bed for cuddles before sleep each night. A total sweetheart.
After the sit, I made my way back to Innsbruck—and Ben did the same journey in reverse, heading straight from the plane to the train. He met me the next morning and from there we continued on together to Kühtai, Austria’s highest ski resort, for three days of snowboarding. Luckily, there was still plenty of snow!
We stayed at a Gasthof Schöne Aussicht and, despite being the only English-speaking guests, we were made to feel really welcome. I spent most of day one on the beginner green slope, trying to convince myself I had the skills to move up. Meanwhile, Ben set off to conquer the mountain—and he absolutely did.
Eventually, I found my rhythm and made it onto a few blue runs, including one of the longer ones on the opposite side of the mountain. It felt like a win.
On our final day, before catching the train back to Vienna, we squeezed in a visit to one of Innsbruck’s oldest bathhouses, the Salurner Straße steam bath, built in 1926/27. We spent three hours in the sauna, including a few aufguss sessions (where a sauna master waves scented steam around with a towel—oddly hypnotic and very relaxing). It was the perfect remedy for sore muscles and a great way to wrap up our snowy little adventure.
It felt good to complete another house sit for 2025, and we’re already looking forward to more ahead—especially when they combine cute pets and a bit of adventure. 🐾❄️ Want to house sit yourself or need a sitter? Join Trusted Housesitters with this referral link and get 25% off your membership—and we’ll get two free months too. Win-win!
