# Do I quit my job....to snowboard?



## devo (Feb 16, 2008)

23 hmmm?? Do whatever floats YOUR boat you've got plenty of time. I'm 37 and I missed a few opportunitys pussy footing with my life.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

You're getting to the point where it is now or never. I am 28 and looking back, I wish I would have taken a year between graduating college and starting in the "real" world, to go explore / travel / etc. 

Now that I've been working in the "real" world for 6 years, I couldn't just say "F this" and go live in the mountains. I mean, yea I could actually do that but it'd be much harder now that I'm used to making the money and put the years into going to school.... it's just a lot harder to be damn near 30 and be like "yea I quit working for the man so that I could live in the mountains. Now I work at a coffee shop making $5 an hour and eat McD's every night." Obviously that is an exaggeration, but with my degree I will not be able to find a find a job anywhere that isn't a manufacturing area or a HQ for a large company (of which those don't really exist in the mountains, for obvious reasons). 

Another option you may have is to start looking for another job. If you can get an offer, tell them that you need to finish a project or some shit with your current company and wouldn't be able to start for a month. Quit your military job, go stay at some mountain for a few weeks and ride every single day, and then start your new job.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

turbospartan said:


> You're getting to the point where it is now or never. I am 28 and looking back, I wish I would have taken a year between graduating college and starting in the "real" world, to go explore / travel / etc.


Wish I had done the same thing but was pretty much forced into the construction industry right after high school. 

I would LOVE to leave my job right now and go work as a groomer operator, snowboard instructor, or any of the above...

But now I make far too much compared to what I'd get at the hill, and I've got the taste of economic freedom in my mouth and you can't wash that taste out. I still get out to the hill a lot, and can afford the equipment I want. But are there days I'd like to be 23 again, and able to say "FUCK IT ALL" and go work at a resort, live the cheap life, and board for a year or two? Fuck yeah...


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

If you have money saved up, do it. Just don't LOSE cash while you ride for the season. Get a afternoon/evening job (restaurants are the best for this) and ride all morning, every morning. As long as you have the income to support your riding then all will be well. Also, while you are doing this, try to get a job with your degree that might still let you snowboard. You will have the entire winter to do this, so its a possibility that you could find something in the area that will still let you ride. DO it man! After college I immediately applied to be a snowboard instructor and got more than 100 days on the snow... and got so much better in the process. I'm back at school now... but due to that winter I now know that ability to snowboard will be a requirement for whatever I do in the future.


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

I've quit a few jobs because I've gotten bored or because it restricted my free time severely. I quit a shitty job that paid top dollar AND had mandotory overtime so I made ridiculously more - however, I was working 6am to 5pm-7pm SEVEN days a week, with 1 day off every 2 weeks. My life was literally, working, sleeping and eating. The crazy hours wouldn't last long, but I couldn't wait, so I quit. I have no regrets. When I gave them a two week notice, I immediately felt relieved and noticeably happier.

This past Friday I informed my second part time job at a bar that I was getting bored and pulling so much more weight than the employees getting paid the same as I. Other employees would literally come to me for guidance or instruction, the owner himself would put me in charge of an entire floor and have me report to him etc.. I was basically being used. I told them that I'll be gone in two weeks, they both the owner and the general manager immediately offer me a better position and/or more money in the same position, we plan to "figure something out" this week. I don't know what they have in mind, but I warned them it would take a significant pay increase to stay, so I'm not getting my hopes up. I was happy that they acknowledged all the work I was doing, I didn't think they noticed. Now that I know they did notice, why wasn't I offered a raise??! 

Anyway, I think the point I'm trying to make is do what makes you happy AND what you can reasonably do. I'm lucky enough to have a decent amount saved up and can easily go months without working. If I did not have what I do in my savings (or if I had kids, a lot of debt etc..), I probably wouldn't have made the same decisions I mentioned above.

So in short, life is short, do what makes you happy that won't make you miserable in the future.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

If you're serious, then you will do what you can to find contract work. Contract work may very well require you to commit to crappy work schedules for a couple of months on end, but the flip side is that when the contract ends you are free to do as you please (like take 3 months off to go snowboard).

I do not think that the current climate is ideal for giving up a decent salaried position, but if you are willing to sacrifice a big chunk (maybe all) of your savings, then you could try it.

There are people who survive off of very little income, but keep in mind that doing so means that you
1. Probably won't be able to have a lot of possessions/stuff (unless someone stores them for you)
2. Will have to learn to accept less-than ideal living conditions (crappy roommates or tiny living arrangements with little or no privacy, etc).

It would probably be a better idea to find either part time work in a location close to a hill, or a job that lets you move your hours around.

On my last trip to Jackson I met a guy in his early 20's who had just moved there and taken a job as a programmer. His boss was cool with him coming it at ~ 12 or 1 as long as he got his hours in and his work done.

a 25-30 hour a week job will still let you get more than enough riding done, IMO.


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## almostheaven (Sep 30, 2012)

Think about all the things that you spend money on that you dont really need, but only want. Which do you want more, those things or snowboarding. 

Working at a resort you will make enough money to pay for rent and food but not a whole lot else. 

Im kind of in the same position as you. I just finished school and debated between further education or a "real job" but decided those things can wait while I enjoy myself for a while. With the degree you have the same job might not be waiting for you but something decent will be when your ready.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

turbospartan said:


> but with my degree I will not be able to find a find a job anywhere that isn't a manufacturing area or a HQ for a large company (of which those don't really exist in the mountains, for obvious reasons).


*cough*Denver*cough*
*cough*SaltLakeCity*cough*


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

You got tons of time to fuck up and have fun!


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

If snowboarding makes you happy and you think it'll make you happier than you are now, then go for it.

You're 23, what's the worst case scenario? Even if you spend a year snowboarding and decide to go back to your old life, it's not like it'll be impossible for you to find another job down the road.

Maybe you'll find yourself happier living the resort life. If you work at it you can even become one of the 'lucky' few who finds a way to make that life part of their daily routine.

There's plenty of ways to design a life you want, it just takes a lot of work, planning and some element of risk that a lot of people aren't willing to take.

You get one shot at life, don't waste it.


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## Qball (Jun 22, 2010)

If it's something you really want to do, then do it. Try to avoid working a day job at a resort, you won't ride much. Get an evening or night job that allows you to ride every day. Night jobs work best for me because I get to ride every single day, pay is slightly better than a day shift, and it keeps me away from the party every night crap a lot of people get sucked into. 

Just don't become a snow carnie.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

This was discussed at length in another thread earlier in the year. The consensus was that getting a job on the mountain isn't your best bet, either for money or for time to board. Ideally you should be looking for a job near the mountain with flexible hours, preferably with good pay and preferably in what you're trained to do. If you can work evenings and weekends (when everyone else is on the mountain) and ride weekdays (when everyone else is working) you will get the maximum snowboarding benefit.


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## RagJuice Crew (Apr 8, 2012)

rider89 said:


> To start off I am contemplating a big decision right now and I was wondering if anyone (maybe with experience?) could give me some insight and some guidance as to if this is a good idea or not.
> 
> I am 23 years old. I have an electronics engineering diploma and I currently work for the military. I absolutely love snowboarding and my biggest problem is working for the military extremely limits my oppurtunity to snowboard as I am away from home for significant periods of time very often. The idea I have in my head is getting out and getting a job at a resort for a year just to ride as much as possible and do something I've always wanted to do. My fear is that I am giving up a secure job that makes decent money.
> 
> Anyone have some thoughts? If more information is required just ask.


No one can tell you what you really want. All we can do is tell you how we'd feel about it, but you have to weigh up the pro's and con's as far you personally are concerned. 

For example: From my POV, age isn't a factor. Certainly not at 23. I'm 32 and I'm packing in a well paid, steady job to travel the world on a round the world snowboarding trip. Myself and the better half have always dreamt of such a trip and decided we were just going to do it. There's big risks in that, but for us it was a no-brainer - we'd regret not doing it more than we'd ever regret whatever comes our way because of it. Some of our friends think we're mad or are in awe but couldn't do it themselves. It's a personal decision. We love travel and we love snowboarding, and getting to board just a week or two a year just wasn't enough. But in this current climate the security of a job is not something some people want to pass up, and at our age some just want to settle. Different strokes for different folks.



Donutz said:


> This was discussed at length in another thread earlier in the year. The consensus was that getting a job on the mountain isn't your best bet, either for money or for time to board. Ideally you should be looking for a job near the mountain with flexible hours, preferably with good pay and preferably in what you're trained to do. If you can work evenings and weekends (when everyone else is on the mountain) and ride weekdays (when everyone else is working) you will get the maximum snowboarding benefit.


I would definitely agree with that. We hope to do just that, but working on/in a resort wouldn't cut it, for the reasons above and more. Again, it's down to what would suit us as individuals.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

I say yeah do something. Back when I was 22 I gave up a career to follow my dreams, which before snowboarding was to get smashed and fuck a lot of hot chicks. I did it for 4 months living in a holiday resort and had a blast. Did it again 2 years later and had an even crazier time. I then decided to go to college and carry on the party. When I finally sobered up I started my own business that's been going pretty well, I'm now approaching 40 with a lovely wife and about to start a family. No regrets.

Live while you're young.

That said, even now, if I had the funds and my work was transferable I'd be moving to the mountains cause I've got it bad.


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## AAA (Feb 2, 2008)

If you're going to go for it, do it before you have a mortgage, wife, and kids. Once you're there, snowboarding becomes low man on the totem pole, especially in those early family years. On the other hand, if you're going to have a mortage, wife, and kids, do it before you commit to responsiblilies to the rest of your days.


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

23? That's it?

Doesn't matter if it turns out to be a mistake, you'll have tons of time to recover from it.

I'm 50 and I've taken a sabbatical twice (albeit not to snowboard). Once at 26 and again at 42. Does it fuck up your career? Maybe, depends if you're into comparing yourself with your friend"s careers. For me, the various recessions, the high tech crash, etc. did far more to fuck things up than taking a couple of years off by choice.

So of my friends now make far more money than I do, some kept their nose to the grindstone and still ended up losing their jobs/pensions anyway.

Unless you've got people depending on you, do it.


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## RaID (Aug 27, 2009)

Definitely do it

I did a gap year straight after finishing Uni (College) when i was 21, spent a season rinding in Canada then worked and travelled for the rest of the year.
Got back to the real world got a professional job. Now 6 years later with my gf, took a sabbatical from my professional job, we spent 3 months riding in Japan then are currently travelling in Europe for the rest of the year. 

Seriously some of the best times of my life and best things you can do. It puts everything in perspective regarding what you really want out of life. Do it especially when you do not have any other people depended on you. There is always time to work your a$$ off for a real career if thats the way you end up going.

Just make sure if you work on the snow, the job allows enough time for riding. Nothing worse then being at the slopes while watching everyone else have the fun.


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## iechoi (Apr 20, 2012)

I'm 25 and have been working for a few years in a career job, which doesn't put me in a very good position to give life advice.

However, if you know there will come a time within the next few years when you decide to move on, I'd say you should stash your money now and use your exit as an opportunity for a sabbatical and see where it goes from there. Since you have a degree in a skilled field, it shouldn't be too hard to find another job if you make a commitment to staying sharp.


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## Tarzanman (Dec 20, 2008)

I'll chime in again with some wisdom that seems to hold true for most people.

In order to have enough free time to do what you want, you either have to be really rich or really poor.

Anything in between seems to use up all of your time.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Tarzanman said:


> I'll chime in again with some wisdom that seems to hold true for most people.
> 
> In order to have enough free time to do what you want, you either have to be really rich or really poor.
> 
> Anything in between seems to use up all of your time.


Or be focused, smart and efficient in attaining your goal....the issue is do you want $ or the experience...and on your death bed (be it 25 or 85 yrs old), what is it that you will have attained.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

wrathfuldeity said:


> Or be focused, smart and efficient in attaining your goal....the issue is do you want $ or the experience...and on your death bed (be it 25 or 85 yrs old), what is it that you will have attained.


My line of work means that most of my clients are wealthy and some are flat out super rich.

Only around 20% seem truly happy to me. All that money and they never seem to have enough. 

They jealously joke with me 'not another boarding trip!' when one of their luxury Caribbean holidays would pay for 10 of budget snow weeks.

If you're thinking about it then you already know the answer. It's just about having balls for it now.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

^ur right...Balls is always the answer


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

It's honestly not rocket science. If you want a job that lets you snowboard every day then look at which jobs allow you to do that and work towards it.

There's plenty of jobs that let you work remotely or online or set your own hours, you just have to find them and be willing to work towards them.

Most people are just lazy and don't want to put in the effort, time and work it takes to have one of those jobs.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Find a good job somewhere close to the mountains(lots of military\intelligence\Government work in SLC), I work 40-60 hours per week in Salt Lake 9-5 type deal and I can still easily ride 20 days\nights out of the month if I want.


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## Dysantic (Oct 11, 2012)

Hell, I'm 26 and I can't find a job on the east coast in Ontario so I got one in Whistler working at a resteraunt on the mountain. Why work a crappy, low paying, dead end job here while paying rent and hating it when I can work a low paying, dead end job in Whistler while snowboarding the winter away?

But that's my situation and it's much different than yours. lol. I'd say do what most people suggested so far. Do what you are good at and love doing, but try to find the best situation for yourself to do it. Don't just quit and move out west to bum around and waste away.

This winter I am working in a resteraunt at the mountain, but I have a degree in english language and literature. My main plan is to work the winter here and while working explore other opportunities for the summer and future on the west coast. Maybe I can catch on at one of the hotels, maybe with something else, but I'm not coming over here with the plan to waste away and do nothing with the rest of my life contrary to common beleif for someone picking up and moving out to a ski town. I've pretty much given up on my current life here on the east coast because the job market is a mess and the people as a whole out here are all douches. So I figured, why not try out west and have some fun snowboarding at the same time. lol

The only problem at this point if you were planning to do this soon is the majority of jobs at most mountain resorts and the like are filled. You would have to find the perfect situation if you wanted to get a job in your field of expertise in a city or town near a nice mountain or resort.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

Tarzanman said:


> *cough*Denver*cough*
> *cough*SaltLakeCity*cough*



Haha I already live in Denver. Moved here from MI a couple of years ago. I only got 16 days in last season, but hope to get a bunch more this year now that we have a weekend warrior house in the mountains. 

My post was more along the lines of... after graduating, it would have been nice to take a few months to do whatever I wanted. Like travel to places that require more than a weekend to get to. Or snowboard for a month straight. The things you can't really do when you start a "real" job, unless you get ridiculous amounts of vacation time.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

There is some really retarded shit in this thread labeled "advice" and "wisdom".

Good Luck.


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## AWNOW (Sep 12, 2009)

The smart ones don't quit their jobs. They get fired and collect unemployment.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

snowklinger said:


> There is some really retarded shit in this thread labeled "advice" and "wisdom".
> 
> Good Luck.


Was thinking the exact same thing. It's not hard to live in a mountain town and have a real job. I've made a career out of it, my friends have, etc. etc. I have friends that are programmers, lawyers, chefs, in upper lower middle management, etc. etc. It's all about what you want.

And the fucking myth that we're poor and own nothing is hilarious.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

There is a big difference between a career and a job. As long as you don't have any inhibitions about moving somewhere, you should be able to find a career within an hour or two of an amazing snowboarding destination. Get a shitty whatever job near a mountain now to support your riding/surviving in the IMMEDIATE future and FOCUS all your extra energy on obtaining a career in an area that will allow you to ride. 

Don't get sucked in to all the BS of living near a mountain, or pretty soon you will find yourself with no money, no insurance, no car and multiple holes in your brain from all the the ecstasy and dub step.

When choosing a location, even if your job is 2 hours from the mountains, don't forget you can choose to live in-between, so your commute is more to work but less to the mountains. There are tons of options. Some are larger cities but further from mountains, some are smaller and closer, but you can do it if you put your mind to it.

Some options: 
Vancouver, BC --> Whistler
Bellingham, WA --> Mt Baker; 
Seattle/Tacoma, WA and anywhere inbetween --> Crystal Mountain; 
Portland, OR and surrounding areas --> Mt. Hood; 
Bend, OR --> Mt. Bachelor
Denver --> tons of options
Salt Lake City --> tons of options
Sacramento, CA --> Lake Tahoe
Burlington, VT --> Killington and other mtns


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

BigmountainVMD said:


> There is a big difference between a career and a job. As long as you don't have any inhibitions about moving somewhere, you should be able to find a career within an hour or two of an amazing snowboarding destination. Get a shitty whatever job near a mountain now to support your riding/surviving in the IMMEDIATE future and FOCUS all your extra energy on obtaining a career in an area that will allow you to ride.
> 
> Don't get sucked in to all the BS of living near a mountain, or pretty soon you will find yourself with no money, no insurance, no car and multiple holes in your brain from all the the ecstasy and dub step.
> 
> ...


Thank you, some sense finally.
Living near GOOD mountains can be a NORMAL and SUSTAINABLE way to live season to season.
None of this 'blow all my savings and go running home to Mom and Dad' when the seasons done.

I live in Vancouver and have both Whistler and Baker within 2hrs, and three local hills to ride within 3/4hr... that're open 'til 10pm so I can ride after work.

I dunno, it all sounds like it has to be so dramatic. Quit job and drop out of society etc. Yeah, sure that'd be nice BUT... 'normal' people get to ride a whole lot too with a little smarts :thumbsup:


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## rider89 (Jan 27, 2012)

Thanks for the awesome responses everyone! Taking what some people have been saying into consideration I think I would feel much more comfortable finding another career closer to a mountain rather then just going there with a bunch of money and blowing it all away.....maybe im a wimp, but whatever.


I did some research and with my qualification there are plenty of jobs for me in the edmonton, alberta area...not to far from banff. So...after some thought I think I will spend approx. another 10 months in the military (my contract ends then...and they are offering me a new contract now, hence the decision timing) and save up enough to keep me going for atleast 6 months. I can go to alberta and from what I hear and what I've looked at online it seems that it will be pretty easy to find a good paying job with *NORMAL HOURS* that will allow me the freedom to ride quite often.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

rider89 said:


> I did some research and with my qualification there are plenty of jobs for me in the edmonton, alberta area...not to far from banff. So...after some thought I think I will spend approx. another 10 months in the military (my contract ends then...and they are offering me a new contract now, hence the decision timing) and save up enough to keep me going for atleast 6 months. I can go to alberta and from what I hear and what I've looked at online it seems that it will be pretty easy to find a good paying job with *NORMAL HOURS* that will allow me the freedom to ride quite often.


Yeah Alberta is pretty damn good. However Edmonton is NOT close to the mountains. Marmot Basin is 3 hours or so, Nakiska would be 3:10, Sunshine 3:30, and Lake Louise closer to 4 hours.

If you moved to Calgary you'd cut two hours off those times. Or live in a city like Cochrane and be another half hour closer again (and a 40 minute commute to work of course)...

So far I'm happy living just north of Calgary.  Got in 30 days last year spread between 6 resorts! And I've already been boarding this season!!! :cheeky4:


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

rider89 said:


> save up enough to keep me going for atleast 6 months


I did this moving to Canada, cruised along for a while, then got a job and had money left over. Always good to have some $ behind you to keep stress levels down too. If you have the discipline and patience to earn before you go, (which you prob do working in the military) then it'll be all good!


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## rider89 (Jan 27, 2012)

poutanen said:


> Yeah Alberta is pretty damn good. However Edmonton is NOT close to the mountains. Marmot Basin is 3 hours or so, Nakiska would be 3:10, Sunshine 3:30, and Lake Louise closer to 4 hours.
> 
> If you moved to Calgary you'd cut two hours off those times. Or live in a city like Cochrane and be another half hour closer again (and a 40 minute commute to work of course)...
> 
> So far I'm happy living just north of Calgary.  Got in 30 days last year spread between 6 resorts! And I've already been boarding this season!!! :cheeky4:



Ohh so Calgary is the one...good to know haha, I've heard a lot of good things about that city! Want to keep your eye out for electronics technologist jobs!?


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

rider89 said:


> Ohh so Calgary is the one...good to know haha, I've heard a lot of good things about that city! Want to keep your eye out for electronics technologist jobs!?


Other thing to keep in mind is in CA you will make drastically less working a tech job and pay allot more in taxes.

If your already in Denver aren't you basically the same distance from the mountains you would be in Calgary? Why Move?


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## rider89 (Jan 27, 2012)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Other thing to keep in mind is in CA you will make drastically less working a tech job and pay allot more in taxes.
> 
> If your already in Denver aren't you basically the same distance from the mountains you would be in Calgary? Why Move?


I don't live in denver at the moment I live in eastern Canada, however, I would not be opposed to moving to the US. My only concern with that would be how long it would take to get a work visa/permit, although I haven't looked into that at all yet.


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## Dysantic (Oct 11, 2012)

rider89 said:


> I don't live in denver at the moment I live in eastern Canada, however, I would not be opposed to moving to the US. My only concern with that would be the process of getting a work visa/permit (NO idea what that entails)


It's a long and costly venture to move out to the States as a Canadian and be able to stay longer than a "vacation term" while working. Unless you can get a company to sponsor you and pay for all the paperwork, it is a brutal process. I've looked into it and your best bet would be to find a job first and get them to sponsor you and do all the paperwork.

They tend to try to do whatever they can to keep the jobs for Americans in the States compared to Canada, who lets anyone walking off the boat take the job from someone born and raised here...


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

rider89 said:


> I don't live in denver at the moment I live in eastern Canada, however, I would not be opposed to moving to the US. My only concern with that would be how long it would take to get a work visa/permit, although I haven't looked into that at all yet.



Sorry for some reason i thought you were already living in Denver, I have several friends working here from Canadia on work visa but hey if your already there you might as well find something in country so you don't have to deal with the work\visa crap and us government drama.

Know lots of folks in the US who would kill to live in BC


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

hikeswithdogs said:


> Other thing to keep in mind is in CA you will make drastically less working a tech job and pay allot more in taxes.


Drastically less than Edmonton and pay more taxes? Says who? What taxes?

I agree that salary's are potentially lower vs. edmonton, but the lifestyle is better IMHO. And the salary compared to other parts of Canada is still significantly higher. 

Obviously income taxes, sales taxes, etc. are identical throughout the province. Not sure on property taxes of Edmonton vs. Calgary but the town I live in has the lowest taxes in the province. I pay about $2000 yr in property taxes!


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

poutanen said:


> Drastically less than Edmonton and pay more taxes? Says who? What taxes?
> 
> I agree that salary's are potentially lower vs. edmonton, but the lifestyle is better IMHO. And the salary compared to other parts of Canada is still significantly higher.
> 
> Obviously income taxes, sales taxes, etc. are identical throughout the province. Not sure on property taxes of Edmonton vs. Calgary but the town I live in has the lowest taxes in the province. I pay about $2000 yr in property taxes!


This could all be true , all I know is the Canadians I work with told me they moved here because they made more money.

Believe me I'd move to BC tomorrow without a second thought if I could sell my house and work from somewhere near the mountains.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

hikeswithdogs said:


> This could all be true , all I know is the Canadians I work with told me they moved here because they made more money.
> 
> Believe me I'd move to BC tomorrow without a second thought if I could sell my house and work from somewhere near the mountains.


Yeah I wouldn't move to BC, much higher taxes vs Alberta. Alberta is where it's at for making money and keeping a higher percentage of it. Not sure how Saskatchewan is but I think the snowboarding there isn't so good! 

Calgary is nice because you can access several Alberta rocky mountain resorts, as well as have easy access to Fernie, Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, etc...

I sold my house near Niagara Falls a year and a half ago to move here, mostly because of the snowboarding. Turns out the rest of the lifestyle suits me too...


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

poutanen said:


> I sold my house near Niagara Falls a year and a half ago to move here, mostly because of the snowboarding. Turns out the rest of the lifestyle suits me too...


Yea I hear it's super cool there too, one of these days this yank will make it up that way.


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## mixie (Mar 29, 2011)

Tarzanman said:


> If you're serious, then you will do what you can to find contract work. Contract work may very well require you to commit to crappy work schedules for a couple of months on end, but the flip side is that when the contract ends you are free to do as you please (like take 3 months off to go snowboard).




I have been doing contract work for 17 years and it is the way to go if you want freedom for your hobbies. I work around 1500 hours a year--that's about 120 days. Leaves a _lot_ of time to snowboard. before I boarded I raced bikes semi competitively. That took up more time then my 'real' job did, gawd I like boarding way better. anyway

The one key is to live below your means and save up enough cash to enjoy the blocks of time between jobs. it's easy to become too scared between gigs to enjoy the time off. Scared of never getting offered another job, scared of running out of money, scared of your competition eating your lunch.... It takes a lot of confidence in your skills to vanish for three months and then know people will still call you for work. Not having a family helps in this regard since if I go broke....well it's just me that is homeless. 

If you say "no" too many times they will stop calling and asking you to work. But if you always say yes....that leads to other issues such as workaholism. It's a tough balance. Also, having savings is key, if the people hiring know you're strapped you have a lot less bargaining power when negotiating rates.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

What Mixie says, I work 7 nights on/7 off, .7fte, 2300 to 0730, if single I could easily snowboard everyday even though the hill is about 70 minutes away. The night shift job is a low level no stress job in my profession and I also do fill-in for vacations/sick at the other end of the spectrum doing an expert/high stress job; fortunately they can not find qualified people...nor are there any folks that are even remotely in training. So they beg me to work, I get to pick and choose and put in hours in the spring, summer fall but not the winter; they reluctantly but happily accept this. My employers know that I board in the winter and that's my top priority.


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## Sincraft (Sep 6, 2010)

devo said:


> 23 hmmm?? Do whatever floats YOUR boat you've got plenty of time. I'm 37 and I missed a few opportunitys pussy footing with my life.


yea man, I agree with this guy. My 'best' years for jobs were crap, but instead of thinking it will be better in the future, I stuck around and kept working for crap instead of doing what I wanted to do. Big resort living, hiking the Appalachian trail, and probably some beach living. All told I planned on taking 3 years and doing ,...whatever...but never did because of pressure to 'find a good job'

you have time, you wont have time to ride like crazy (meaning alot, not dangerously) when you get older and potentially have family commitments.

Luckily, I have a great wife who sees how much I like being covered in snow, and will 'allow' me to go wherever, whenever - however, at my age now, it's more of a matter of being able to ride 3 consecutive days with a really bad knee that needs surgery, or arthritis in other major joints from years of bmx racing/crashes and some serious ski crashes. 


In short : go for it dude. The biggest concern is the 'gap' on the resume. I hire people , probably once a month, and can tell you that if you had some good experience on there, then had a moment where you wanted to have some fun but were ready to return to the work force, I would respect that and give you the shot if you were qualified.


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## rider89 (Jan 27, 2012)

Well, I officially denied my contract guys! I have an old friend in Calgary keeping his eye out for decent jobs there as it will take some time for me to get out of the military.

If it works out I'll bump the thread and let everyone know what's up! Thanks for all the info!


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

rider89 said:


> Well, I officially denied my contract guys! I have an old friend in Calgary keeping his eye out for decent jobs there as it will take some time for me to get out of the military.
> 
> If it works out I'll bump the thread and let everyone know what's up! Thanks for all the info!


Nice one! Glad to hear you pulled the trigger on it. Good luck :thumbsup:


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

rider89 said:


> Well, I officially denied my contract guys! I have an old friend in Calgary keeping his eye out for decent jobs there as it will take some time for me to get out of the military.
> 
> If it works out I'll bump the thread and let everyone know what's up! Thanks for all the info!


What's you education and preferred career again? I'll keep my eyes and ears open...


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## rider89 (Jan 27, 2012)

poutanen said:


> What's you education and preferred career again? I'll keep my eyes and ears open...


Education is electronics engineering technologist. I am not too picky on the job/career at the moment, anything that my education is required for would be preferable though.

Thanks man


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

I've been trying to nut up for this for the last few years. Being a Project Manager/Lineman requires to much travel to enjoy life, I'm gone 10-11 months of the year. I've spent the last 4 years of my life in that purgatorial shit-hole that is Texas. Working 75-90 hours a week is no way to live. I've done it for 8 years now and I feel like I've saved enough to enjoy a simple job in Denver somewhere. Being a Project Manager has adversely affected my health - No time to work out and my stress level was crazy high. 

I had one season where my company didn't get any bids - instead of jumping on the next train I just moved to breck for a season, we rode at-least 5-6 times a week, was the best year of my life! 

Go for it, But I think just getting a regular job in a decent city within an hour or so is better than living on mountain. Unless you have the means and career background to pull it off. There's not a big calling for Linemen or Electricians in Breck. 

I'm going for it once my rental property and house is paid off, which should be in the next couple of years - A couple dumps in Golden, CO.. good enough for me though!


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## sjrider (Aug 9, 2011)

hey bro, im 24 years old and just moved from NJ to Salt Lake City less than two months ago for the same reason. i love snowboarding man, LOVE IT, and the mountains by me just weren't doing it for me. a couple years ago i saved up some money and decided to go to high cascade in oregon. that was by far the best experience of my life and i decided then that i needed to move west where the snow was good and the people were friendly. that same week at camp is where i met my girlfriend and weve been dating ever since despite a 3.5 hour drive between us back home, and now an even greater distance as i am out here in utah and shes home finishing her last semester of college. shell be out here in january. it took some time and weve been saving money and while i cant say my jobs were as secure as yours was, i did leave a great job making my own schedule working for a moving company making $22/hr plus tips, working at a snowboard shop, and also a sweet job at the phillies and eagles stadiums. i also did graduate from rutgers with an accounting degree, but i decided that accounting wasnt really for me during the whole college process but i had a scholarship and decided to push myself to finish school and get a degree.

a torn acl and broken collarbone kept me out of work the first winter after high cascade, so i was out of work for a while and that set me back a little. but after that i buckled down and saved a lot of money and my girl did the same. now here i am, got a job at a snowboard shop making crap for pay but im loving it all the same. i cant wait to ride and live life and ultimately find a good job in the industry. its good now but i know itll be a lot better once my girl gets here and then itll feel like home but i still think i made the right decision doing this. i miss my family and friends but this is my dream and it may sound stupid to some but im happy and thats all that matters. so if you really want it man, go for it. you can always go back, maybe not the same job but something else will come along. do what you love man, you dont want to look back on life and regret not doing it. just do a little planning first and you wont regret it!


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## Hazelm06 (Dec 2, 2013)

rider89 said:


> To start off I am contemplating a big decision right now and I was wondering if anyone (maybe with experience?) could give me some insight and some guidance as to if this is a good idea or not.
> 
> I am 23 years old. I have an electronics engineering diploma and I currently work for the military. I absolutely love snowboarding and my biggest problem is working for the military extremely limits my oppurtunity to snowboard as I am away from home for significant periods of time very often. The idea I have in my head is getting out and getting a job at a resort for a year just to ride as much as possible and do something I've always wanted to do. My fear is that I am giving up a secure job that makes decent money.
> 
> Anyone have some thoughts? If more information is required just ask.





Hey read the thread about quitting work to board. I have a similar situation and don't know what to do. I'm 27 just graduated and I manage a gym but I was offered a position as a bar supervisor at a resort working nights. Been back and fourth and wanted to see how your situation played out. Any advice will help. I'm like you don't want to throw this opportunity away and regret it my whole life.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Hazelm06 said:


> Hey read the thread about quitting work to board. I have a similar situation and don't know what to do. I'm 27 just graduated and I manage a gym but I was offered a position as a bar supervisor at a resort working nights. Been back and fourth and wanted to see how your situation played out. Any advice will help. I'm like you don't want to throw this opportunity away and regret it my whole life.


WTF...go...go now. A night bar job...perfect. Freshies in the am, hump/sleep/hump in the pm...work....REPEAT.

edit...except for the crabbie patties


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## jeephreak (Nov 18, 2012)

this thread is SUPER long and I didnt read it all, but it all comes down to how marketable you are. If you can walk away for a year and come back and land another gig, why wouldnt you? Its all about life experience. I had a chance to coach at Windells back in 2000 that I turned down b/c of a chick and work. I regret the shit out of that decision!

With that said, I stayed in the work force and now work for a huge financial firm remotely. So seeing as how I never go into an office I figured fuck it.....and I moved to Summit County and ride almost daily. Yeah, I'm way older than most of the people who are living this life, but that doesnt meant I'm not enjoying it just as much.

The one thing to keep in mind if you peace from your gig is insurance. Sure you can work on the hill and get a pass and ride a ton, but if you get hurt thats pretty much the shit end of the stick for you. You riding daily will likely increase the probability for injury. Just something to keep in mind.

Happy shredding!


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## MenzelMorten (Sep 11, 2013)

rider89 said:


> Education is electronics engineering technologist. I am not too picky on the job/career at the moment, anything that my education is required for would be preferable though.
> 
> Thanks man


Hey man! Did you find a job and moved to Calgary? Give us some news man :laugh:


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## rider89 (Jan 27, 2012)

Hey so I didn't end up leaving my job instead I made my job work for me. I recently started a course and I will be moving to british columbia in may while retaining my current position and current job 

That being said if I didn't land this oppurtunity I would probably be still going to alberta....I still have resumes out in alberta and if something pops up that is better then i will be leaving my job and moving there where I will still be near mountains.


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## MenzelMorten (Sep 11, 2013)

rider89 said:


> Hey so I didn't end up leaving my job instead I made my job work for me. I recently started a course and I will be moving to british columbia in may while retaining my current position and current job
> 
> That being said if I didn't land this oppurtunity I would probably be still going to alberta....I still have resumes out in alberta and if something pops up that is better then i will be leaving my job and moving there where I will still be near mountains.


Super great man! It sounds like your employer is being pretty flexible when it comes to keeping you as an employee. It's been interesting reading this thread with all the different views and ways of tackle this. 

I'm actually trying to move to Kamloops from Denmark for studying a BBA. It takes a lot of encouragement and will.. Not to mention all the paper work. 

Anyway I'm glad you found a solution I hope you made the right choice man!


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## snowsam (May 6, 2017)

Hey man what choice did you make?


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