What Now?

     As my wife often reflects about life: "When you least expect it, expect it." Well, I didn't but I should have. Suddenly at age 51 I found myself unemployed through a rather strange chain of events. I'm a marketing executive in the ski resort industry with 25+ years of experience and success. Back in September, I left a 15 year stint with Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow, Vermont to accept a position as vice president of marketing and sales for Squaw Valley, USA in Olympic Valley, California. On January 20 at 4:00 pm I was informed that my services were no longer required. Wow. I didn't see this coming. While taking a drive along the west shore of Lake Tahoe that evening to absorb, percolate, cogitate, and reflect, I was struck with the notion that this is just what I needed. I needed time to reflect, to explore, to experience what life's circumstances often prevents you from doing. After all this time, I would finally have more than two days off in a row during a snowy winter, and with few obligations. Severance would pay the mortgage for a while. What I needed most was perspective.  A perspective that can only be achieved with road time to think and mountain time to feel.
     I began dreaming of coffee shops in ski resort towns where the knowledgeable locals and dirtbags hang out, sleeping in my van, or in hostels, maintaining a journal of my ski days, and considering which of my 3 pair of skis or 2 snowboards I would ride that day. These decisions I can handle! Snow? Read the forecasts and snow report aggregators, blogs, weather missives and try to stay ahead of the storms with only my notions and GPS to guide me.
     Could I really do this? I called an industry friend and made plans to attend X-Games 15 in Aspen following the SIA trade show in Denver the next week. I then called another friend and ordered a Yakima rack and box. I third call and an online test afforded me 30% off wholesale on a Marmot sleeping bag... this was really starting to come together.