And we're off!

When it's -12 degrees outside, it's hard to get motivated. The layers become ridiculous - thermals, trousers, two pairs of socks, snow boots, singlet, thermals, jumper, jacket, scarf, beanie, gloves...just to get the mail. It's deceptive weather as well - not a cloud in the sky, the sun reflecting off all the snow...until BAM, there's that wind factor.

So that's why I find myself home alone at 4pm, drinking wine and eating cheese (CHEESE! Luxury!) and pickles, listening to classical music and reading a book, watching outside get rapidly dark and even colder. We need a vertical door snake to sop the breeze coming in and hopefully avoid ridiculous heating bills.

Whistler has become an absolute hive of activity. Whistler mountain opened a week early on Friday. There were people lining up for first lift by 2am - apparently the first five in line get a free season's pass. The buses are now packed with the few unfortunates going to work, and skiiers and boarders hobbling awkwardly with all their gear.

I had my first day of skiing on the Saturday, and with less than a quarter of the mountain open, I can confidently say that Australia's mountains (bless them) are incomparable to these Rockies. It was pretty patchy in some places, because so many people (including, apparently, Percy from Dawson's Creek!) have to do the same runs, and there hasn't really been much fresh snow since Friday. So imagine how excited I am about Thursday, when both Blackcomb and Whistler mountains will be open, and people disperse and go explore, and I can have a whole trail to myself - fresh pow and all.

And imagine this - everyday I work, I still get to go up the mountain. Crazy, I know. I've got a part-time, hopefully soon full-time, job as a cashier at the Roundhouse on top of Whistler mountain - 'The largest Alpine restaurant in the world"! It's a bit of a commute, but I thought the gondola trip is so much cooler than buses and trains. Now I have to remember a thermos of tea for the morning trip up, and some beers for the trip down. I've had two days at work so far, and for such a repetitive job, it's quite fun. Every customer is stoked to be there and usually super friendly, and the views are amazing. The staff is an eclectic bunch of people - Aussies, Kiwis, Frenchies, Germans, Brits, SAffers, and even a lone Trinidad and Tobaginan (he will probably stick with tobogganing). Everyone is stoked to be there, stoked to get a season's pass, and stoked to be able to ski to and from work. I get paid $9.57 an hour, but the perks make up for it - the season's pass, 50% off food, 25% off retail, free ski and board lessons, free trips to Vancouver...Lucky we're not here to save though.

So the pieces are coming together, and after our 9 months of awesome travel and five weeks of depressing unemployment, we get to this time of year when even with -21 degrees, I'm still willing to layer up and head to the pub to chat about how awesome the next six months are going to be.