# What your friends and family really think about your life in Whistler



## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Good job regurgitating the same post you made on easyloungin.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Regardless of what BA thinks.... thanks for posting the article. I enjoyed reading it.


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

Am I the only one that is growing increasingly annoyed with this SnowboardAddiction troll? Stop with the thinly veiled threads to drive up your hit counts, buy some adpsace instead.


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## kysnowboarder (Oct 28, 2009)

I hadn't seen that article before...I enjoyed it. I often wonder how people pull it off, move to the place of your dreams. Whistler is on my short list of places to move to for sure, I would probably end up in Vancouver, but that would blow current location out of the water. 

There isn’t day that I don’t think about giving up what I have to move out some cool place where I can unlimited access to my recreations (mountain biking, snowboarding, back packing, rock climbing) The sad part is I have a great job that a lot of people would kill for….Starting in 2011 I will have 5 weeks vacation, I make descent money…I am respected among my co workers, subordinates and managers. My heart just isn’t in my career, it is in my recreations…At age of 34 I am feel like I am running out of time to make the move. 

I wonder how people pull it off, some of my fears include not being able to make a living at all. Almost worse would be to be able to get by but not have enough money to participate in my recreations…that would be torture to live in whistler and not be able to afford to snow board… 

I will have to say I have nothing but admiration for individuals that pull this kind life off, living to board or having a life that is all about recreation. 

Has anyone on this board pulled this off, how old were you and are still living the dream now?how old are you now? How you do it?


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## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

kysnowboarder said:


> I hadn't seen that article before...I enjoyed it. I often wonder how people pull it off, move to the place of your dreams. Whistler is on my short list of places to move to for sure, I would probably end up in Vancouver, but that would blow current location out of the water.
> 
> There isn’t day that I don’t think about giving up what I have to move out some cool place where I can unlimited access to my recreations (mountain biking, snowboarding, back packing, rock climbing) The sad part is I have a great job that a lot of people would kill for….Starting in 2011 I will have 5 weeks vacation, I make descent money…I am respected among my co workers, subordinates and managers. My heart just isn’t in my career, it is in my recreations…At age of 34 I am feel like I am running out of time to make the move.
> 
> ...


Hey man you just have to do it! 

I gave up a great job in Melbourne my home town to come work in a ski town in Canada. After two and a half years I'm starting to do well but this time I'm only 10 mins from the closest ski hill. I get to do all the recreation I want when I want it and I never sit in traffic! You are right about one thing though. At a point you will get a job that is too good to leave and all of a sudden you will be too old to do it!


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## ThaDoctor (Nov 9, 2010)

Triple8Sol said:


> Am I the only one that is growing increasingly annoyed with this SnowboardAddiction troll? Stop with the thinly veiled threads to drive up your hit counts, buy some adpsace instead.


this has nothing to do with his product what so ever. Stop hating


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## crsv619 (Feb 19, 2010)

kysnowboarder said:


> I hadn't seen that article before...I enjoyed it. I often wonder how people pull it off, move to the place of your dreams. Whistler is on my short list of places to move to for sure, I would probably end up in Vancouver, but that would blow current location out of the water.
> 
> There isn’t day that I don’t think about giving up what I have to move out some cool place where I can unlimited access to my recreations (mountain biking, snowboarding, back packing, rock climbing) The sad part is I have a great job that a lot of people would kill for….Starting in 2011 I will have 5 weeks vacation, I make descent money…I am respected among my co workers, subordinates and managers. My heart just isn’t in my career, it is in my recreations…At age of 34 I am feel like I am running out of time to make the move.
> 
> ...


i have many of the same questions at age 27.

i say, try it. you only live once. but yeah, easier said than done and it takes a lot of balls to take the plunge...


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## binarypie (Nov 29, 2009)

I've taken three chances in my life and I will take more! 

1) I dropped out of a very highly ranked university because I wanted to work in a lumber yard and hang out with my friends on weekends.

2) After a year I returned to college, got a BS in SE, and moved to Portland, OR. I had 5,000 in my pocket and nothing waiting for me, not even a place to stay. It was great!

3) 2.5 years ago I got an opportunity to help start a company in San Francisco. I flew down here, found a place, and moved all in the span of 7 days. 

.....

Life is all about opportunities to follow your heart. They wont always be the stuff dreams are made of. However, they will always make you happy in the long run!


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## crsv619 (Feb 19, 2010)

binarypie said:


> Life is all about opportunities to follow your heart.


This is beautiful.


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## lareaper (Aug 4, 2009)

Yeah I'm hoping that once I'm out of highschool to move to Salt Lake City for a couple of years and just have fun and snowboard. And then go to college and settle in more, but I think I still wanna stay in Utah after college or maybe go to another big mountain.


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## turbospartan (Oct 27, 2010)

Wow...this is not the article I needed to read. 

I want to move to Denver, but my gf of almost 5 years has not an ounce of interest in leaving Michigan. 

I'm stuck in the middle....


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

kysnowboarder said:


> I hadn't seen that article before...I enjoyed it. I often wonder how people pull it off, move to the place of your dreams. Whistler is on my short list of places to move to for sure, I would probably end up in Vancouver, but that would blow current location out of the water.
> 
> There isn’t day that I don’t think about giving up what I have to move out some cool place where I can unlimited access to my recreations (mountain biking, snowboarding, back packing, rock climbing) The sad part is I have a great job that a lot of people would kill for….Starting in 2011 I will have 5 weeks vacation, I make descent money…I am respected among my co workers, subordinates and managers. My heart just isn’t in my career, it is in my recreations…At age of 34 I am feel like I am running out of time to make the move.
> 
> ...


Do it! Moved from Nebraska to Bham at age 29 with wife, 3 yr old and about $2000, moved for grad school age 34 with same wife, 8 yr old, 3 month old and the same $2000. At 40 back to Bham...still same wife and kids, past 5 years with fine job/career working part time (I consider it semi-retired)...not rich but pays the bills and the house and have gotten to ride 1-2 days a week for the past 6 years...now age 52. It takes a couple of years to get settled in a new place and get to a break even point. Btw, there is always work...its just a matter of how much you want/need to get paid.


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## LuckyStrike (Nov 7, 2009)

I can certainly understand and appreciate the freedom that comes with dropping all education, job and familial obligations. It must be great feeling to leave everything behind and start completely over on your own terms but please for the love of god stop telling us about it. There is nothing more sanctimonious than one who sees the error in their old ways and needs to convince others that their descion was correct. The ex-smoker, the born again christian, the ex party kid who gets out of town to change his ways. The only person they are trying to convince is themselves. 

Here is what your family things about you living in Whistler: They MISS you. They look at the missing place at Thanksgiving, they don't really want to mail your Christmas gifts and they want to ride with you again. It has little to do with you abandoning your precious education or jealousy over your new-found "better" life. Jesus Christ how fucking self centered can you be?


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

I think the important thing in life is to follow whatever makes you happy, regardless of what you're "supposed" to do. I think we have fooled ourselves into thinking that with the new high-paying job, the tract-home next to 20,000 other tract-homes, the shiny expensive car, and 3 truckloads of crap you never use but bought anyways, your life will be complete.

People get to this stage, and they still realize their lives are lacking something. Ever notice that tremendously rich people are often the most unhappy people you have ever met? They are tortured everyday because technically they should have everything they have ever wanted, but it's still never enough.

Happiness is in the eyes of the beholder, I think my favorite example of this is a mentally handicapped employee I see at the local Walmart. All that guy does all day long is push carts back and forth; a very menial job, but that guy has the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen. He has one of the most boring jobs you can have, but he's easily the happiest employee working there.

If you can pursue a high-paying career and still fulfill your happiness in life, you will have it made. But for many the years drag on and all they can think about is how life would have been had they made the other decision.

True happiness is not obtained by money and toys, and I think the "American Dream" has been fooling people for a century into thinking, "if only I had more of that, Maybe I would be happy".


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

LuckyStrike said:


> Here is what your family things about you living in Whistler: They MISS you. They look at the missing place at Thanksgiving, they don't really want to mail your Christmas gifts and they want to ride with you again. It has little to do with you abandoning your precious education or jealousy over your new-found "better" life. Jesus Christ how fucking self centered can you be?



^BS there is nothing more santimonious... 

I care about my kids and miss them, but I'm all for them pursuing their dream. If they want to drop school, job and don't have a family or willing to be responsible for themselves and to their spouse/kids...fuck go for it. School should not get in the way of education, jobs are over-rated...a person is lucky to find a job they are passionate about and get paid for it; and if they want to change it up or be an ex whatever...at least they are trying something. I want my kids to be competent, have integrity, be passionate and be graceful towards others and themselves...but on their terms...not mine. I might not like or make the same decisions...but it is their life and their opportunity to learn. Btw, I want my kids away...already have one in Alaska...another one Whistler would be great and I vote for 1 of the 3 to move to a warm place like Micronesia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Indian ocean or such...so I can go visit them.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

KY,
U should fly out to PNW on your 5 week vac, rent a van/car, hang out and bring resumes. What I did in 1989 on a 2 week vac, camped and slept in a van, ran around Portland, Seattle and Bham. Got job offers in Seattle and Bham...chose Bham due to being closer to the woods and not being in a city...If I want the city, Vancouver is 45 min and Seattle is 90 min. Went back to Nebr. had a big ass garage sale, bought a $500 1 ton van, loaded it up "beverely hillbilly style" and towed my little toyota wagon; lived in a 1 room cabin without running water for 6 weeks til the wife found us an affordable place to rent; sold the van and made $1000 so it paid for the move.


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## Dano (Sep 16, 2009)

Yes, of course it would be amazing to give up all responsibility, obligation, rationality, and live gloriously in lack of ambition. Who wouldn't want to wake up everyday and do exactly what makes them happy. You can look at it as; turning your back on what your parents/society feel you should do, choosing not to participate in a disgusting dog eat dog selfish existance fuelled by the need to mindlessly consume and amass wealth so others can't attain it, spending the greatest years of your life living in the moment and following your dreams, etc. 

But this is a bubble. Yes, you're insulated from a cold harsh world that personally angers me to the point where sometimes I dream of killing insurance executives and lighting fire to federal buildings & banks, but this world still exists. And eventually you'll need to return to it. And in it you'll need A mortgage, medical coverage, insurance, steady income, and eventually old age security and a pension. This is why it isn't feasible to give up on careers and education. Living the ski bum life is something I wish everybody to do, but it has to be done right.


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## binarypie (Nov 29, 2009)

Dano said:


> Yes, of course it would be amazing to give up all responsibility, obligation, rationality, and live gloriously in lack of ambition. Who wouldn't want to wake up everyday and do exactly what makes them happy. You can look at it as; turning your back on what your parents/society feel you should do, choosing not to participate in a disgusting dog eat dog selfish existance fuelled by the need to mindlessly consume and amass wealth so others can't attain it, spending the greatest years of your life living in the moment and following your dreams, etc.
> 
> But this is a bubble. Yes, you're insulated from a cold harsh world that personally angers me to the point where sometimes I dream of killing insurance executives and lighting fire to federal buildings & banks, but this world still exists. And eventually you'll need to return to it. And in it you'll need A mortgage, medical coverage, insurance, steady income, and eventually old age security and a pension. This is why it isn't feasible to give up on careers and education. Living the ski bum life is something I wish everybody to do, but it has to be done right.


Making it work in a mountain town does mean you have to live day to day and paycheck to paycheck. It ally depends on what your skills are or what new skills you are able to learn.

I'm lucky that I'm a programmer. I can make a decent living anywhere I have connection to the internet.


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## Dano (Sep 16, 2009)

Wrathfuldeity did it right. Got an education, got a job, and still is able to do what he's passionate about while fulfilling the obligation as a provider to his family. 

Snowolf's doing it right too. The guy drives a truck and also works as an instructor allowing him to be on the hill while still being able to provide himself lifes nessecities in a long term manner.

I would love nothing more to live this lifestyle. But I'm happy with my career and I'm doing something I'm passionate about on a full time basis. There are very little opportunities for me to work in my field in a small mountain town and it's not responsible to choose not to participate in society. As well, both my family and the trophy gf's family are here and as they get older, they'll need to rely on us as we had once relyed on them years ago. 

The best time to be a ski bum is for a couple years after high school or University. This is a way of life, but it's not a full time job


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## S4Shredr (Oct 23, 2009)

kysnowboarder said:


> I hadn't seen that article before...I enjoyed it. I often wonder how people pull it off, move to the place of your dreams. Whistler is on my short list of places to move to for sure, I would probably end up in Vancouver, but that would blow current location out of the water.
> 
> There isn’t day that I don’t think about giving up what I have to move out some cool place where I can unlimited access to my recreations (mountain biking, snowboarding, back packing, rock climbing) The sad part is I have a great job that a lot of people would kill for….Starting in 2011 I will have 5 weeks vacation, I make descent money…I am respected among my co workers, subordinates and managers. My heart just isn’t in my career, it is in my recreations…At age of 34 I am feel like I am running out of time to make the move.
> 
> ...


Im in the same boat but at 24... My plan at the moment is to save as much money as possible while Im at this job over the next year and then see what other opportunities are out there.

Granted I probably won't go around from temp job to temp job just to get by but I want to get out there and see some new places. I have friends who are ski bums in Colorado and im pretty certain that their happier with their lifestyles than I am with mine.

We'll see how it all shakes out but I'm one step closer... just payed off my student loans today!!!


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

kysnowboarder said:


> Has anyone on this board pulled this off, how old were you and are still living the dream now?how old are you now? How you do it?


Tuesday I'll be 28 for the last 10 years of my life it's been mountain towns, 100 day seasons, bottomless pow days, sunny park laps with friends, broshakes, industry bullshit, happenings that even in your wildest dreams you wouldn't believe can happen when you live in a resort town. Would I ever change it, no, are there things that suck, fuck yeah. But at the end of the day I can live with the ups and downs because I'm happy.

Living the dream is about serious choices and 98% of everyone that chooses to go for living the dream washes out and ends up like those scrubs in that article being a bunch of degenerates. The seasonal climate is a tough a one in a true resort town it also differentiates the lifers from the typical 1 and done seasoners. 

If you ask anyone that has lived in Breck for 5 plus years what it's taken to get to that level you'd be truly surprised. I've been to Whistler enough to know that the people that end up there are doing so because they want to hide from reality and that article shows that. "Oh I'm happy blah blah blah" but "my life is this and this and this" clearly they didn't know who they were before they moved.



LuckyStrike said:


> I can certainly understand and appreciate the freedom that comes with dropping all education, job and familial obligations. It must be great feeling to leave everything behind and start completely over on your own terms but please for the love of god stop telling us about it. There is nothing more sanctimonious than one who sees the error in their old ways and needs to convince others that their descion was correct. The ex-smoker, the born again christian, the ex party kid who gets out of town to change his ways. The only person they are trying to convince is themselves.
> 
> Here is what your family things about you living in Whistler: They MISS you. They look at the missing place at Thanksgiving, they don't really want to mail your Christmas gifts and they want to ride with you again. It has little to do with you abandoning your precious education or jealousy over your new-found "better" life. Jesus Christ how fucking self centered can you be?


Self centered and sanctimonius? My parents drove me to a train station with 300 bucks to my name and a board bag and said call us once a week. They were so proud that I left the mundane life that Western NY had for me. My 10 year reunion is coming up this summer and you want to know what the other 98 people I graduated with have done with their lives? Half still live at home with their parents, the other half went to college got married had kids and are now divorced and in debt and live near where they grew up. They settled for life and that's sad. Most of them will never experience anything greater than the tri-county area and even fewer will ever travel.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

binarypie said:


> Making it work in a mountain town does mean you have to live day to day and paycheck to paycheck. It ally depends on what your skills are or what new skills you are able to learn.
> 
> I'm lucky that I'm a programmer. I can make a decent living anywhere I have connection to the internet.


How has your work experience been as a programmer? I'm majoring in Computer Science and am especially interested in game design, though I enjoy programming whatever. What I'm fearing is that I know a lot of bigger programming projects require collaboration between a lot of teammates, which means those kind of jobs are in Metropolitan locations where the companies HQ are. 

I moved to where I live now because it's the kind of place that has everything that makes me happy, unlimited outdoor recreation. I'm hoping I won't have to compromise my location too much for this type of career.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

It definetly is a bubble, but with a little (a lot) of luck you can get paid to live in that bubble.

I lived at a resort for 5 years and in the summer I lived by the lake or ocean. Besides working as a line cook to make ends barely meet all I did was snowboard, surf, skate, wakeboard and smoke copious amounts of pot.
Then I turned 30 and thought I'd better do something productive before I get completely left behind. I still struggle to make ends meet and now I'm unhappy with my career choice as an electrician.

I am glad I spent that time there for a few reasons, met the love of my life, met some of my best friends ever, my boarding skills increased by a million. But I can't help but feel that might be part of the reason I'm so lost in life right now.

It's hard for me because I have friends who became successful by not leaving that lifestyle, one manages a hotel on the hill, one is the owner of a surf school, and another is a resident dj. Makes me wonder if I made the right choice by thinking I had to go to school and make something of my life like everyone else...


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## binarypie (Nov 29, 2009)

freshy said:


> It definetly is a bubble, but with a little (a lot) of luck you can get paid to live in that bubble.
> 
> I lived at a resort for 5 years and in the summer I lived by the lake or ocean. Besides working as a line cook to make ends barely meet all I did was snowboard, surf, skate, wakeboard and smoke copious amounts of pot.
> Then I turned 30 and thought I'd better do something productive before I get completely left behind. I still struggle to make ends meet and now I'm unhappy with my career choice as an electrician.
> ...


While I don't know your whole situation all I can say is this.

If you are doing what you love you will always be happy. Perhaps there was something in that "bubble" you didn't like and thus you looked elsewhere to find more fulfillment (career?). However, it sounds like you choose a career for the sake of having a job not for the sake of doing what you love. Your friends that manage hotels, dj, or surf school. They all probably love their jobs as much as they love their hobbies. 

That is the key. While not everyone can do whatever they want and get paid for it. Finding some sort of compromise can always work out. 

Now, I can give you all this advice because I love my career. Even if no one would pay me to write code I would still write code. Just like no one pays me to snowboard, but I'll still snowboard. I do these things because they make me happy. Sure, I have a shitty social life because if i'm not working (coding) I'm 4 hours away snowboarding, hiking, or camping. But, right now Im ok with that. 

Friends come and go but at the end of time. It'll be me, myself, and I with a big smile on my face.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

binarypie said:


> While I don't know your whole situation all I can say is this.
> 
> If you are doing what you love you will always be happy. Perhaps there was something in that "bubble" you didn't like and thus you looked elsewhere to find more fulfillment (career?). However, it sounds like you choose a career for the sake of having a job not for the sake of doing what you love. Your friends that manage hotels, dj, or surf school. They all probably love their jobs as much as they love their hobbies.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice.


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## Jeklund (Dec 14, 2009)

Six month's ago I was finishing up High School trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I always had this thought running around the back of my head that I wanted to move to a ski town and just snowboard whenever i feel like it.

During my last semester as almost all my friends where deciding where they wanted to go to university/college I still never really had a solid plan. My original idea was to go to school and become a pilot and I'm sure i will come to the point in my life where i make that transition as I love flying as much if not more than snowboarding. At some point during my final semester I decided to take a year off however I was really torn between spending the year working and paying for flying lessons or just saving up and heading 1000km west to live, eat and breath snowboarding.

Well if you can't tell where this is going already i ended up working my ass off all summer and ended up moving to the mountains. The thing was that i just needed a change from the norm and the expectations of society. I had people telling me the whole way that if you go you won't want to come back after and go to school. I've come to the conclusion that who cares if I don't come back? If i have the resources to support myself and do something that I love why should I be expected to go spend thousands to go to school and suffer for another 4+ years. I basically ended up quitting my job packing up my truck and leaving all my friends and family behind to move to a town where I know literally no one.

I'm living the dream, enjoying life and my only concern is deciding when i want to go the hill. I ended up with enough money to support me most of the winter and pay off the rest of the money i owed my uncle for the truck he bought me. I got a part time job working evenings for some extra money and i now live comfortably. I just couldn't justify the rush to go off to university and end up working some office job that I would struggle to wake up for every morning. You only live once and if I wasn't here right now I would probably regret it down the line. Who knows how long I will stay here but all i know for now is that I'm 100% content with where I'm in my life and couldn't be happier.


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## jeri534 (Feb 19, 2008)

I quit my job 3 months ago and moved to Salt Lake City thinking Id be here just for the winter....

I came here for the resorts...Im staying for the ridiculous amounts of backcountry access there is


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## labowsky (Sep 28, 2010)

im going into culinary arts, hopefully get a job on a mountain, then i can do two things i love ^^


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## Halborr (Oct 5, 2009)

I've thought about just not going to college next year when I graduate from HS and going west, but for me, college isn't about getting a degree and then get a job to make money. It's to learn some really cool stuff, graduate, get an engineering gig (electronics/general geek here...) hopefully out west, or at least somewhere so that I *have* a local hill, go do really cool stuff at work and then get off work and go board (whatever season it may happen to be). If I get paid well as said engineer, cool; but that's not the main objective.


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## kysnowboarder (Oct 28, 2009)

LuckyStrike said:


> I can certainly understand and appreciate the freedom that comes with dropping all education, job and familial obligations. It must be great feeling to leave everything behind and start completely over on your own terms but please for the love of god stop telling us about it. There is nothing more sanctimonious than one who sees the error in their old ways and needs to convince others that their descion was correct. The ex-smoker, the born again christian, the ex party kid who gets out of town to change his ways. The only person they are trying to convince is themselves.
> 
> Here is what your family things about you living in Whistler: They MISS you. They look at the missing place at Thanksgiving, they don't really want to mail your Christmas gifts and they want to ride with you again. It has little to do with you abandoning your precious education or jealousy over your new-found "better" life. Jesus Christ how fucking self centered can you be?


I asked to hear these stories. It may be a little self centered, but shouldn't your life be about what you want out of it? I am defiantly considering family and friends when making this decision, but in reality I live a mere 25 minutes from Mom and brothers and I might see them ten times a year at best. I spend so much time traveling with for my recreational pleasure that leaves me with little time for family. I do make all of the big holidays...and ideally if I moved off somewhere I would still make big holidays...or they would get to come to a really cool place to come visit me.

I have some friends that would be jealous but happy for me at the same time, as I am sure most of my family would be as well. Most of my friends are after the same thing I am, they would be excited to have free lodging where ever I move to, it would make trips cheaper for them...now is that self centered?


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## kysnowboarder (Oct 28, 2009)

wrathfuldeity said:


> KY,
> U should fly out to PNW on your 5 week vac, rent a van/car, hang out and bring resumes. What I did in 1989 on a 2 week vac, camped and slept in a van, ran around Portland, Seattle and Bham. Got job offers in Seattle and Bham...chose Bham due to being closer to the woods and not being in a city...If I want the city, Vancouver is 45 min and Seattle is 90 min. Went back to Nebr. had a big ass garage sale, bought a $500 1 ton van, loaded it up "beverely hillbilly style" and towed my little toyota wagon; lived in a 1 room cabin without running water for 6 weeks til the wife found us an affordable place to rent; sold the van and made $1000 so it paid for the move.


That cool that it worked out. I guess the hard part is that I am not miserable in my current life...I don't live the dream by any means but I defiantly do more...see more than most I know. 

Some things I having a hard time just letting go:

Relative comfort in current situation

Family and Friends...although as I mentioned earlier in the thread I about past this, meaning that I have rationalized a changed relationship with family and friends resulting from sudden move away in which I probably would not have the resources to just come back and visit anytime. 

Good Job, that pays me well enough to travel and buy the gear I need to do my hobbies, primarily mountain biking...2nd is snowboarding. I have not missed a paycheck since 14....

Out side of the lack of mountains, I really love my home town...and regardless of what I do I will retire here some day, most people that leave here come back here...kind of funny that way. 

A good retirement...If stay where I am at the rate I am saving for retirement I should be in pretty good shape...

To give the things up....I would need unlimited access to my primary hobbies...mountain biking in the summer, snow boarding in the winter...Live close enough that going to a big mountain on the weekend would amount to a couple hour drive at best. Best scenario would to be able to get to big mountain after work, ie live on the mountain. I still need closeness to a major metropolitan area, or an area at least the size of my current home town, are metro pop is 1.2mm 

I have imagined getting job at big resort, maybe in their accounting department or something....when riding the gondola at telluride last year I talked to people who worked in their marketing department and so forth, so its possible. I don't know I could do the waiting table thing...or cook thing...maybe I could

If I ended up doing this my goal would be to be out their by next season 2011-2012 year....I guess I need to get busy...I just really feel like time is running out for me, and that I will regret not doing this..


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## Ttam (Jan 20, 2010)

Im that kid who had parents that moved every two years. I remeber as a kid being the kid that had no friends/family... It bothered me for a long time but after a while I got used to it. You can always make new friends and with technology like web cams and iPhones you can talk to anyone (family) face to face anyways.... My dad and mom excepted the fact that they will only get to see me at christmas.. Its just life.


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## LuckyStrike (Nov 7, 2009)

kysnowboarder said:


> I asked to hear these stories. It may be a little self centered, but shouldn't your life be about what you want out of it? I am defiantly considering family and friends when making this decision, but in reality I live a mere 25 minutes from Mom and brothers and I might see them ten times a year at best. I spend so much time traveling with for my recreational pleasure that leaves me with little time for family. I do make all of the big holidays...and ideally if I moved off somewhere I would still make big holidays...or they would get to come to a really cool place to come visit me.
> 
> I have some friends that would be jealous but happy for me at the same time, as I am sure most of my family would be as well. Most of my friends are after the same thing I am, they would be excited to have free lodging where ever I move to, it would make trips cheaper for them...now is that self centered?


The point of my post wasn't to tell people what to do. I think that everyone should follow their bliss. I left for LA from Boston and spent four good years on the west coast. What I didn't do was drone on and on about how I was living the "good life" and how what I was doing was so much more fulfilling than those back home. I try and made the best out of whatever situation i end up in and keep my eyes and ears open for new opportunities. 

If you leave home be honest to yourself as to why your are doing it. Are you following a dream or leaving a nightmare? Are you constantly trying to convince others that your decision was the correct one? Maybe there is something deeper that needs to be resolved before you can move on.


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## SAddiction (Feb 21, 2009)

HoboMaster said:


> I think the important thing in life is to follow whatever makes you happy, regardless of what you're "supposed" to do. I think we have fooled ourselves into thinking that with the new high-paying job, the tract-home next to 20,000 other tract-homes, the shiny expensive car, and 3 truckloads of crap you never use but bought anyways, your life will be complete.
> 
> People get to this stage, and they still realize their lives are lacking something. Ever notice that tremendously rich people are often the most unhappy people you have ever met? They are tortured everyday because technically they should have everything they have ever wanted, but it's still never enough.
> 
> ...


Well said, my friend, well said.



Dano said:


> Yes, of course it would be amazing to give up all responsibility, obligation, rationality, and live gloriously in lack of ambition. Who wouldn't want to wake up everyday and do exactly what makes them happy. You can look at it as; turning your back on what your parents/society feel you should do, choosing not to participate in a disgusting dog eat dog selfish existance fuelled by the need to mindlessly consume and amass wealth so others can't attain it, spending the greatest years of your life living in the moment and following your dreams, etc.
> 
> But this is a bubble. Yes, you're insulated from a cold harsh world that personally angers me to the point where sometimes I dream of killing insurance executives and lighting fire to federal buildings & banks, but this world still exists. And eventually you'll need to return to it. And in it you'll need A mortgage, medical coverage, insurance, steady income, and eventually old age security and a pension. This is why it isn't feasible to give up on careers and education. Living the ski bum life is something I wish everybody to do, but it has to be done right.


It is a bubble for some, but a lifestyle for others. I do agree that at some point you may have to return to the real world, but if you use your time wisely while in the bubble, you may just be able to create something that allows you to stay away longer or even not return at all. I've seen many do this, including the owner of my company. You just have to keep a bigger picture in mind and realize that it's not all about just effing off; it's about a sacrifice for a lifestyle.



binarypie said:


> Making it work in a mountain town does mean you have to live day to day and paycheck to paycheck. It ally depends on what your skills are or what new skills you are able to learn.
> 
> I'm lucky that I'm a programmer. I can make a decent living anywhere I have connection to the internet.


This is exactly true. You're one of the lucky ones Bi!



BurtonAvenger said:


> Tuesday I'll be 28 for the last 10 years of my life it's been mountain towns, 100 day seasons, bottomless pow days, sunny park laps with friends, broshakes, industry bullshit, happenings that even in your wildest dreams you wouldn't believe can happen when you live in a resort town. Would I ever change it, no, are there things that suck, fuck yeah. But at the end of the day I can live with the ups and downs because I'm happy.
> 
> Living the dream is about serious choices and 98% of everyone that chooses to go for living the dream washes out and ends up like those scrubs in that article being a bunch of degenerates. The seasonal climate is a tough a one in a true resort town it also differentiates the lifers from the typical 1 and done seasoners.
> 
> ...


You should make generalizations about places (Whistler) that you clearly have no idea about. I've lived here for three seasons and can tell you most people who are not one-and-done seasoners are not hiding from anything, but rather living their life the way they want to. Yes, there are people here that escape reality for a little bit, but then return afterward, no better off. However, you will find these people scattered throughout the world, no matter what country or city you look at.




On a different note, I'm glad to see that this article inspired some to share their stories and others to know that they're not alone in this line of thinking.


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## kraig4422 (Apr 9, 2009)

I guess I got pretty lucky growing up in Spokane. 4-5 mountains all within 2 hours, decent sized city with all the amenities, good job opportunities. When I turned 21 I moved to So Cal to try and live the surf dream, I ended up back here for the snowboarding, cheap living, good weed. I guess I am more of a mountain man than a beach guy anyway, lol.

EDIT - I guess what I am trying to say is keep getting your education, maybe try out a city with riding close before going full bore into the abyss. Try a Portland, Seattle, Denver, Reno, Vancouver, Spokane. Plenty of opportunity with great riding.


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## Steery (Oct 25, 2010)

I moved from Adelaide Australia to Whistler.


Best thing I ever did.


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