“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.
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| 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.
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 this story is that I love what I have but I want what I left behind. That is the crux of the problem.
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.
Russell, I’ve been thinking about this topic for a while now, how to reconcile leaving behind a really great great place, especially if you know you probably won’t live there again long-term. I lived in the Pacific Northwest of the US (Boise, Idaho) for several years before moving to Asia. I miss the mountains and the seasons, all the great outdoor opportunities, my friends, our neighborhood. It’s been so long now since I’ve lived there, it feels like another lifetime. Thanks for such a thoughtful post.
Hey Heather, I feel for you leaving behind the Pacific Northwest. An amazing part of the world and it would be hard to leave that behind, even for completely different experiences in Asia.
I also miss the mountains and seasons – just the pronounced changes at different times of the year. I’ve gained a multitude of other experiences here in Australia but I can’t help missing a few of the things I liked the most in my earlier travels and expat encounters.
Do you think you’ll ever go back? Have you found some peace in that decision?
We still own a house there, so we’ll go back at some point, but the longer we stay overseas, the less likely it is that we’d live there again long-term. There are various reasons, and I’m slowly making peace with it, but it is tough to let go.
That’s great to have a place there as a possible back-up plan if need be. But it sounds like you’ve found peace with your decision to stay overseas. My motto is ‘never say never’. Who knows what the future may hold so enjoy where you are and look forward to the future (hopefully with snow dumps similar to those found at Whister!).
Really great post. It’s sometimes difficult to live the expat life, free from memories of back home. But for me, being an expat is in my blood. There is not much that I miss from my life back in Canada, with the exception of family of course. The latter being the most difficult. This past Christmas I made a surprise return home, after two years! It was well worth it. I am now on my fourth year living the expat life in Sardinia, Italy. Wishing you a super weekend.
You hit the nail on the head with this one. This is why I don’t really want to move to Australia although hubby is very keen. My life has been a constant adventure for the past 18 years. The sights I’ve seen have been fantastic as well as the people I have met along the way…but I am now feeling a sort of experience overload, with too many places I call home. I feel blessed I have had the opportunity to do this, but I know what you mean…be really nice to have it all in one place.:)
Hey Jennifer, thanks for stopping by and thanks for the feedback 🙂 Whereabouts in Canada are you from?
This expat life is full of hurdles and obstacles, that’s for sure. Balanced with the positive sides of living abroad, of course. Family is a toughie but, in this post, I wanted to focus on some of the things you miss when, as part of the expat journey, you live in particularly inspiring places. This may not necessarily apply to some people but, having lived close to Whistler and with recent snow dumps, I found myself wishing for a little of the snowy stuff a bit closer by.
Now Sardinia is a whole other exciting proposition…
Wishing you a great weekend too.
Hey Micheline, so hubby is still keen to move to Oz, eh? You’ll have to keep me posted on what happens there – and where to if it looks like it may happen. A possible move here sooner or later?
I hadn’t thought of it as experience overload but, now I do, I can see what you mean. If someone suggested another international move to somewhere new, I’d have that initial flare of interest but, on second thoughts, would probably prefer to stay put. It would be nice to have it all in one place but that’s life. Enjoy the good bits while you can and savour the memories of past places always.
Cheers, R
I don’t know if you’ll ever get Canada out of your system! This is always the dilemma. We open our arms to new adventures in unexplored countries, but what about the gems we have discovered that we have to leave behind?
My neighbour, back in the UK was a Greek Cypriot and he used to talk about “attachments” and how they only brought unhappiness. If anything is going to teach you how to live without attachments it’s becoming an expat. It’s just as much about letting go as it is broadening your horizons.
A contact in Vancouver just asked K if he wanted to work there, so I might be skiing on Whistler in a year or two, who knows!
Can he bring me with him? I can fit in a 6 foot travel bag 🙂
I think you’re right. It’s in my system for good. And as for these attachments… I’ll put them to one side for now. Thanks for stopping by, one with the funny toes.
I sometimes miss the hammock on the roof of my old house in Tanzania which overlooked the Indian Ocean. Okay, so sometimes it was TOO hot there, but I’ll take the heat over being cold any day.
Hi Julie, I love the sound of that hammock. What great images that sentence conjures up! I think I’ll also take heat over cold any day – once you’ve tasted it on a regular basis, it’s very hard to go back 🙂
Thanks for stopping by.
Beautiful post. I’ve been working a somewhat related piece, and feel many of the same conflicting emotions. Having grown up in upstate New York, being outside in winter and active (skiing, skating, tobogganing/sledding) made me appreciate the colder months than I would have otherwise. The best horseback ride I ever experienced was with a friend on a sunny winter day with a foot of snow in the hills. Yet I love warm/hot weather, the beach or lakes, mountains and so on. If you’re able to choose where to live (most of us have to factor in other pesky considerations like employment, family, etc.), do the best you can in choosing where you want to be MOST of the time. Sounds like you’ve found that place.
Thanks, Linda. You see I think you have a ‘real’ dilemma there. I love where you’re from. That part of the US is beautiful and I can see that you’d miss it – and those changing seasons with such definition and so many distinct activities accompanying each twist and turn. Of course I see from your blog that you’re experiencing unique and wonderful things in the Hague. Look forward to reading that piece of yours.
Right now, life is good for us and it works. In the future, I couldn’t honestly tell you. It’s not that I have a restlessness in my soul, but rather a yearning to experience as much living as I can on this diverse planet. As I said, I think I’ve plain and simply seen too much – but know that more is out there 😉
The price of having amazing experience and memories seems to be those days when I have to get off Facebook so I won’t fall into a homesickness for places I used to call home. I want it all, too.
Tell me about it, Sabrina. Even the Jubilee in the UK has me pining for some British experiences right now. Facebook can be bad for those things 🙂