open sesame

It is only fitting that I post today as of early this morning we got news of opening day being this saturday! That is 2 weeks earlier than published which is super exciting. For all of those back home opening day is what we have all been hanging for since arriving and the village has gotten slightly busier each day which means people are getting ready!

This last week has been a lot more interesting especially since we have finally started working which have been filling up my days. Working at the Fairmont at a retail/rental store for the mountain and have met a bunch of awesome people already. It is extremely unfamiliar to me and nothing to like the work I have been doing for the past few years thats for sure. From fitting boots to adjusting skis and bindings to learning a billion things about gloves, smart wool, helmets and gloves it has been information overload. Us retail girls though have gotten some sweet discounts from attending some of our training PK's (product knowledge). Now that the mountain is opening super early we are working a tonne to get our store ready in time.

Besides working and hanging down the village and eating at furny's almost every other day for $5 meals, partying has been major. Every night there is something to do somewhere in town. There is always several house parties every night to attend before heading down to the club's. Really any day of the week is someone's weekend so staying at home is a treat. 

I haven't been very adventurous in the site seeing department but managed to go with some new pals down to the train wreck near function. Unlike most smart and wise people we decided to leave at around 3 which meant getting to the wreck in almost darkness. Nevertheless it was fun walking down the train track and checking it out. As a side note It gets dark here so super early so the days feel a lot shorter. 

Money is becoming scarce very fast and cannot wait for pay day which still isnt until next friday :( 

Sorry for all the photo lovers, I have been lazy at taking any of decent quality this last week. Maybe next time.

Going Solo

So it has been a week since posting and I thought it was most fitting to share my experiences of my first week in Whistler on my own.Arriving was pretty amazing and daunting at the same time. Stepping straight off the greyhound into crisp chilled air and seeing so many familiarities, I knew I was home.

Let me start off with my accommodation.  I have a pretty sweet bedroom to myself and sharing with 3 other roomies with the tiniest kitchen, living space and bathroom but it works. Located on the mountain it is not the funnest walk coming back up from the village multiple times a day but way quicker and cheaper than the bus thats for sure.

view from my room (just beautiful)

This is clean I swear

The village was like a ghost town when I first arrived with not a soul to be seen but in just a few short days when the snow dumped overnight crowds of people just appeared. I am in awe of how beautiful the mountain looks even though I have seen it all before, seriously blown away!

I can say I have been out almost every night this week and it isn't doing wonders for my budgeting but it is just so super easy making friends here it's hard not to say no. However work starts this afternoon and the burden of knowing everything and anything of bindings, skis and boots terrifies me to no end.
On that note though I have purchased a sweet set of new skis and boots which I managed to do at a bargain price seeing that is the only way I roll.

One thing is for sure I have a new found respect for my parents and all the opportunities I have been given at home. Living on your own although fun is extremely tough. Especially moving into somewhere new getting settled just seems like a never ending battle. For example, I have done 2 grocery shops and bought the bare minimum because of the mighty hike back up the mountain and because everything is so super expensive here. I was so lucky enough to have made some new friends who drove us into Squamish which mind you is 45 mins away to do a huge wallmart shop. Things like coat hangers, a towel, a blanket, detergent plus more food were purchased. I am almost sure I will not need to do another shop until at least christmas!

Some more bits and pieces I have learnt this week
1. Parts of Whistler I didn't even know existed I have seen in this last week
2. Yoghurt and peanut butter has appeared back onto the whistler dessert (all you ainsley)
3. Those reusable shopping bags are an essential
4. Keep every empty can they give you 5c back each one (as a local in whistler this is a must)
5. Mention you are a local anywhere you go, they  love the local discounts here
6. Buying extra socks and underwear wont change the fact that a wash needs to be done asap!
7. Everyone is super friendly and easy going here
8. Invest in a good can opener!

http://theworkingholidayclub.com/

vantastic!

As I write this, there is a sense of bitter sweet. My week at Vancouver comes to an end but here I go to really start my whistler adventure. I have had an incredible time in Vancouver and met some amazing people already.

My plane ride was nothing to rave about however a pretty empty plane so I was able to spread out. With little sleep and hunger pains due to the refusal of eating some of the food we were given and 14 hours later there I arrived in Vancouver. Of course I was lucky enough to get interrogated by immigration asking a billion questions & freaking me out just gave me flashbacks of entering canada by train last time.

Samesun Hostel was awesome and met heaps of different people. The first few days consisted of setting up my SIN, bank account & phone number and some solid sleeping. After that though was tourist time! Did a solid hike up Grouse Mountain which was one of the most challenging things I have ever done but the reward was incredible. Such a beautiful view from the top and got to check out some grizzly bears which was a bonus. Also ventured out to Lynn Canyon which was so pretty and got to witness the suspension bridge! Experiencing halloween was a fun treat too they really do get into it over here. Everyone dresses up and people go all out to decorate their houses (more than christmas)

                                                                               Pretty Vancouver

                                                                           The start of the hike

                                                                              view from Grouse


After 6 glorious days I have learnt a fair bit!
1. I am horrible at directions and really need to step this up especially without the trusty google maps as wifi will become a treat when found
2. My mum isn't here to do my washing :(
3. Burgers and beer have to be wiped off of my diet plan quick smart
4. Noone is here to hold my hand when trying to hike mighty mountains
5. Never ever get the top bunk
6. I actually really appreciate fresh produce (yes all you finger pointers, and veggies!)
7. Good coffee is extremely hard to come by

I am sure there is many more to add to that list so keep your eyes peeled.

One thing is for sure I have met so many people here that are frantically job searching and house hunting with not a whole lot of luck. I am super happy that I have had it all organised before I got here which has made the transition so much easier. I would very much recommend going through these guys if it is your first season.

                                               http://theworkingholidayclub.com/

Waterworks

This title should not need any explanation  for obvious reasons. Today marked the day I left my homeland to embark on my Canadian adventure.

Many tears have been shed and goodbyes have been exchanged. However excitement is now kicking in for the fresh fresh powder

                                                      

                                                                 Bye bye family :(

For all of those who know me, packing was a massive struggle. Items had to be parted with so my beautiful gem of a backpack would close! 

No real complaints with air canada besides the average food and slight delay but super empty plane which made it slightly less uncomfortable. With rocky turbulence and 5 movies later it was a very long 14 hours. Besides getting pulled aside and being interrogated for why I was in fiji for only 2 days at the beginning of this year, immigration was a breeze.

When arriving at the Samesun we were given a welcome pack with a map of where we need to go to set everything up. Pressure has been taken right off because of these guys who are going to get a wrap every post for more reasons than one.

http://theworkingholidayclub.com/

Anyway after a long day of making new friends, trekking downtown vancouver, getting used to really nice homeless people asking for money and some sweet iceskating fun it is time for a seriously solid sleep. 

Blog out :)

time for another

I guess it is time for another one of these bad boys! Seriously, I think I will annoy/clog all your news feeds with numerous blogs for the next several months. I have accepted the fact that I may be unfriended along the way. Apologies in advance.

Tonight marked a crazy milestone in my life and that being saying goodbye to the workplace that I have slaved away at for a good 2.5 years. My social/love and normal life were put on hold and knocked around a bit but it was all worth it. Loved working with amazing people and those late nights were some of the funnest memories I will take with me. To all my partners in crime, you know who you are I will miss you all dearly.

On to more pressing matters, it actually is only less than 2 weeks till I am in very unfamiliar territory. I get asked a lot "how are you feeling scared/nervous/sad/happy/excited etc etc etc???". I honestly am probably feeling a mixture of all of the above & including the etc etc etc. 

The next 2 weeks will include a mixture of sad & maybe happy goodbyes, attempting to pack every single thing into my backpack, relisting for the 10th time some of my not so wanted belongings on ebay (damn auspost upped their prices this week), finalising money with the hopes of the $ rising just a cent more before I exchange and spending some beloved time with my beautiful family & friends.

All I can say is so happy I went through these guys, they have made the transition so super breezy. 

ttp://theworkingholidayclub.com/

ps. yes I did write this at 2.30 am but please no judgements, that is just how my body clock is wired. 

Until next time :)