“We’ve just had 61 centimetres of snow in the last week… such great conditions.”
“Another amazing powder day today with more snow on the way Monday!”
“The slopes have received 32 feet of snow to date!”
It’s enough to make me groan out loud.
This year has been phenomenal for the folks in Whistler, British Columbia. Reports of fresh dumps of snow greet me every morning as I scroll through the bookmarked websites on my computer. As most of the northern hemisphere moves rapidly into Spring, the western limits of Canada continue to enjoy record snowfalls on the slopes.
The constantly falling snow has revealed a character flaw of mine on this journey: I've become far too greedy.
I've seen remarkable things, had exhilarating experiences, been blessed with unique opportunities, simply done too much.
And I want all of it. In one place. Right on my doorstep.
Photo credit: TGillen (Creative Commons)
Opening a box of delights
When I hear of Whistler's recurring powder, when I see constant images of its white cloudy peaks and overflowing bowls, when I cast my mind back to carving across those expansive slopes, past deep snow drifts and along trail upon trail of the freshly fallen soft stuff prized by skiers and snowboarders alike, you can hardly blame me for missing it.
Sometimes it’s just too much to bear.
The problem with this journey is that every day presents new opportunities. Every waking minute produces extraordinary sights, smells and sounds not found before. Every virgin step delivers an exciting and often unexpected turn.
It's a problem because you want to keep every single one of these experiences close by and continue to experience them over and over and over.
When I left the UK in 2003, I opened a gigantic Pandora's box of encounters that I've not been able to close in the years since. When I lived less than two hours from Whistler, I discovered a love of skiing and snowboarding that I'd not known I had in me. I found a land of ski schools, snow ploughs, terrain parks and back country. And don't even let me get started on the apres ski.
I was privileged to be given a window into a world far removed from that of my homeland. And I liked what I saw.
But it wasn't to be forever.
No place like home
I like the place I currently call home. I wouldn't be here if I didn't.
With a 14km stretch of world-renowned beaches and pristine waterfront, I'd be mad to dislike it. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the sights, sounds and smells of an Australian beach - and how I'd struggle to ever live away from this beach side environment.
So believe me when I say "I really do like it here".
But the snow we get in Australia is akin to a sprinkling of talcum powder on a baby’s bottom – a fine dusting at best and of no comparison to the winter wonderland found in the world’s number one ski resort. It's not the same here and, at this time of year, I pine for all of that ski and snow.
The moral of the story is that I love what I have but I want what I left behind. This is the problem.
Working it out
There's no easy answer, no quick fix to apply. When moving abroad, you pick up your life and move far and wide, yet you also gain a bucket-load of living that no ordinary life can arguably provide.
You see and do amazing things, meet inspiring people, live outstanding lives, but each time you move on, you're forced to give up a few of those extra special moments. It's the price that you pay. And sometimes the things you give up are harder to accept than the things that you gain.
I've been spoilt for choice. My brain has suffered a sensory overload of the life I've led elsewhere and the life I'm living here.
If only I could take a little piece of paradise from every corner of the globe, if only I could bring a little bit of each place back with me, I'd sure as hell start with 61 centimetres of fresh snow and a ski resort like Whistler.
The problem with seeing too much? You can't help but want it all.
Are you missing anything from a previous life? How have you come to terms with leaving these experiences behind?
Do share and leave your comments below.
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