So i'll give you a brief history of me.

I'm 25 have never been to University just did an apprentiship when i left school and have been renting a shit cheap place with my girlfriend (who ill come to later) so that we could save and buy a house.
I've always had two massive hobbies which are obviously motorcycles and then a few years ago tried snowboarding and fell in love and it kind worked out well as I did snowboarding in the winter and biking in the summer, I went to the snow domes here in the UK every week when I started for about a year and still go about once a month and have done 3 weeks abroad in Europe.

Now i also left my job of designing skate parks a year ago as they were going down and ended up completely changing direction and working for my dad in his small (8 employees) company doing air conditioning, heat pumps and energy controls. He's spent a fair bit training me up time/money wise and i do appreciate it however...

My girlfriend and I have now split up after a 5 year relationship and so i've also moved back into my parents and im wondering if i should just follow my dream since ive started snowboarding....

Do a complete season in Canada. It would run from end of Nov to end of April. With my savings for my house I could manage to do it without having to work if i lived a student lifestyle.

Way i see it.

Pros
Is my dream to do a season (has been since i started)
Really wanna snowboard Canada at some point
I can afford to do it without working which would mean i could just bum around meet new people and snowboard all day for 5 months
No real close connections keeping me here at the moment (girlfriend, rent, morgage etc)
Its now or never i aint getting any younger
I could do a CASI course to maybe teach part time here which i think id love

Cons
When i get home id be buggered i'd have no savings but i would still have my SD and car (i think i can do it without selling these)
5 months is a long time and Canada seems a long way away from friends and family!
I dont know how to tell my dad after all the time and money hes spent on me im going to up and leave for 5 months.

I could do it in France but it would end up costing about the same and i couldn't do the instructor course and it wouldn't be Canada!

your'e a long time dead.........end of story , you should already know the answer

D-do it! You won't regret it (unless you break your leg on the first day that is )

Dead easy for people to say go for it as that is the cool thing to do and they don’t have to live with the consequences – you do.

You have to decide what is right for you. Something like this can be a life changer, you don’t know you will be back after 6 months, who you will meet or how it will go. In effect you are throwing all the cards in the air and just seeing how they land. This is exciting but also a gamble, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Your dad would forgive you if you go I’m sure, whether he would re hire you if / when you get back is anybody’s guess.

Are you on the rebound? A relationship breakup can be a real big deal, the fact that they happen all the time does nothing to reduce the impact on you as an individual. Making big decisions on the back of a split up is almost always a mistake.

If you are OK after the split and especially if you can negotiate a season out with your dad so that you have something to come back to then it sounds perfect and the right time. If you are still reeling and think Canada is a solution then chances are you would be disappointed to find it isn’t and I would say stay, get your base sorted out and then go. They have a season every year.

Good luck whatever you do!

I spent 8 months living in Whistler before I went to uni. Not cheap, it cost me a lot and took a long time to pay off (I only worked 2 days a week, and Whistler ain't cheap!), but I would do it again in a heartbeat.


Go. Go. Go


now! (might be best to wait till October actually)

oh and 5 months will absolutely fly by, don't worry about missing people!!

I also (having just read the 1st post beyond the 1st line... ) did my CASI level 1 instructors qualification while I was in Whistler. I was lucky - the hotel I worked at was letting CASI use their conference room so employees got to do it for free!! Good job as it took me more than one try before I passed! Damn those ankles of mine....

Do it mate.

Your Dad will understand, if you choose your words correctly. Who the fook wants air con in winter anyway.....

I always wanted to do the travelling thing but could never afford it as I moved out when I was 17 and always had my own place, then I got a half decent job when I was 23, this allowed me to go travelling Oz for 2 months just saving up annual leave. Point is if you have the money just fooking do it before your commited to a house/mortgage/wife/kids!

Live life.

You're here for a good time, not a long time mate ! Go for it.

Don't do it for 5 months.........do it for a year!!!

You wanna get a mountain bike and then hit Whistler in the summer season, it is Mecca for mountain bikes.

I think the best thing to do is speak to your dad and tell him that this is something that you want to do.

The 5 months will fly past. I go away at least once a year for a span of 4-6 months (along with a fair few 1 monthers throughout the year) with my work,nothing much changes back home but you do come away with some great memories.

Steady job/house/mortgage/wife/kids.... Waiting to Die..............

There is a choice, its called LIFE, grab it with both hands and follow your dreams

Do it...
I've been in Whistler 3 times for snowboarding and it is great (cracked couple ribs but...it's life)...
I have plans to go back when $$$$ permits.
Enjoy life, you are 25, I am 48 and still do it.

It's only 6 months. Memories will last a life time. I live not too far away from Tahoe California ski resorts and I always get jealous of the aussies who find jobs at the resorts for the winter because there is no surf in Oz during their summer. If I were you, I would consider California first. Can't beat massive snow dump one day, and the next bright sun so you can work on your tan as you bomb the double black diamonds in 10 feet of powder.

My favorite resort is Homewood. It's more of a locals only resort since its a bit further down the road from Squaw Valley, nice steep mountain great view of the lake. All of the tourist end up in Squaw or Heavenly, I avoid those resorts like the plague. Kirkwood has the best snow since it's the highest elevation. Sugar Bowl is also very good, but they got expensive the past few years. There are another 10-15 resorts scattered around the mountain. And then there is Mammoth mountain further south, with more awesome resorts. That mountain range just looks evil with its black obelisks, real trippy alien landscape.

Well ultimately its up to you, and largely it depends if you can square things with your dad before you go. A season in the mountains sounds great, but it will be over very soon, leaving you with rest of your life to fill...
You may not have sold your SD and car to go, but unless your dad holds your job, or you get another one easily when you return (in the current climate is that likely?), you'll be selling 'em pretty soon once you return.
Two words to consider: "responsibility" and "consequences". If you're happy you've got both covered, then go for it. If you've got doubts - and I suspect the fact you put up this post suggests you have- then have a good think about it. If you do go, you may not enjoy your trip so much if you can't satisfactorily resolve these two issues...

Mate I traveled around and lived in all sorts of places, no one can take the happy memories away from me.
You still have to work but it pays to have fun also and do what you're really interested in.

I got talked out of several things I really wanted to do and I still regret that I didn't.

Find a solution like do some work there to support yourself, you don't have to be on the piste form 6 am till 10 pm every day.
Serve drinks or find a ground source heatpump installer there and apply for a job.

Most parents understand that their kids have a dream for themselves which is different than what they expect. Try not to head butt with your folks but explain that it is important to you and in no way you do this to piss them off or disappoint them.

Hope this helps dude.

make sure that you square things up with your dad..,. dont burn bridges and leave on a good note, then enjoy. Worst thing you could do is stab those in the back that have helped prop you up

being married, with a mortgage and a responsible job that keeps my head above water i don't really have the choice to do what you're planning, all this is in your future, no avoiding it i'm afraid, but for now you're young enough and have no real obligations so from my point of view the real question would be why NOT do it?
married responsible life isn't bad, but there are far more considerations that effect your ability to do things like this, so grab the opportunity with both hands but be sensible enough to not burn bridges and leave a small nest egg to kickstart you when you get back.

paul.

Dude - you gotta do it, cuz if you dont your gonna regret it for ever!

Your father may be happy to lay you off over winter anyway as obviously A/C isnt a huge requirement in the cooler months

do it.

when you look back, you will only regret the things you DIDNT do buddy. Money comes and goes, life experiences are forever man.

if it were me, I'd do it the way Jody did and find work.....either in Canada, France, wherever...it doesnt matter. You could even just go out there and find work while you are there. It's not that difficult.

Canada is a nice place, chilled out, clean, friendly.

Its no use when your 80 thinking back and saying to yourself I wonder what could have happened if I had of followed my dream?
life is short mate and I'm sure your dad will understand.

Left the Air Force at 25 after 10 years,got my payout bought a Kombi and travelled around Oz for 6 months.
Smart move would be to have buy a house but Im now 45, have a house, wife, kids, great memories & I am no worse off than the next bloke.
I dont regret it for a minute.

Chin up, I'm sure it will all settle down over time.

Have a great trip, I hope it more than lives up to expectations!!