So I got married in October. As part of that whole process there was a lot of discussion about where our lives were going, and where our careers were going, and where we wanted them to go in the future. Bucket lists were discussed. Dreams were voiced. Crazy ideas were floated. The most immediate result of that process: we’re going skiing and travelling. More or less for six months. Leaving tomorrow. (Well, technically much later today.)
Based on reactions of people at the wedding and that we have told about this in the last month, I have prepared this handy list of frequently asked questions:
Q: Wait, what? You’re leaving?
Yep. We’re flying to London tomorrow.
Q: When are you coming back?
We’re back from Europe next month. Then the US leg of the tour starts!
Q: What? There’s more?
You betcha. After that Lili is headed to LA for a couple weeks, and then she’s meeting me in Salt Lake City, and then we’re going on a road trip to ski and visit people for the next few months.
Q: But what about your job(s)?
For a variety of reasons that I don’t want to delve into right now, 6-12 months ago I started thinking about leaving my job after the wedding. Then some really crazy things happened at the office in the last few months. The upshot of all that is that once we’re back from Europe I will be doing some work for EMC remotely while we are travelling in the US, probably for the next six months or so. Lili is going to be making some side trips to Los Angeles to network and audition throughout the spring.
Q: So where are you going?
We’re spending Christmas with some of Lili’s relatives in the UK, and then New Years with my in-laws in Switzerland. (Lili’s mother is from Geneva.)
After that we had planned on coming back to the US. But then Vail Resorts started adding European partnerships to their Epic Pass. So now we’re staying a couple more weeks in Europe and visiting:
None of which I’ve been to and which I’m very excited about.
Once we’re back in the US, we plan on skiing in:
- Lake Tahoe, CA/NV
- Salt Lake City, UT
- Park City, UT
- Sun Valley, ID
- Jackson Hole, WY
- Steamboat Springs, CO
- Summit County, CO (everything that Vail owns in CO)
- Aspen, CO
- Mammoth, CA
- (Meeting up with the other EpicSki Gathering: http://www.epicski.com/t/119772/2014-gathering-mammoth-squaw-dates-march-24-28-2014 )
- Whistler-Blackcomb, BC, Canada
With additional road trip stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, possibly Boulder and/or Denver, and anywhere else that looks promising.
Q: Woah, that’s pretty crazy!
Well, there’s been a lot of planning. I’ve been trying to do a big ski trip like this for a few years, so there’s been some saving involved. I’ve already been to a lot of these places and learned the ins and outs of (reasonably) cheap travel and (somewhat) afforable skiing. Honorable mention to Vail’s ‘Epic Pass’ (http://www.snow.com/epic-pass.aspx) for being pretty ridiculous. And my wonderful wife for being exceedingly understanding and adventurous.
Q: Can I come with you?
Well… probably not the whole time, no. But if you want to try to meet up with us somewhere, let us know!
Q: Can I help?
We’re pretty well set. But if you know anyone who wants to rent us a condo in Summit County for a few weeks, cheap…
Q: Can I follow your crazy adventures?
Definitely! You can follow along here (www.theskigeek.com), or with my fancy new Facebook page-y thing (https://www.facebook.com/theskigeek), or @TheSkiGeek on Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheSkiGeek , if I ever remember to use it).
I’m not sure how easy it will be to upload stuff from Europe, but when we have WiFi accessible I’ll try to do so. Once we’re back in the US there should be a more regular stream of updates.
The Ski Geek 