My friends called me last minute saying “put your ski pants on, grab your board, there is a party tonight” & this party was not any party but a party on Loveland Pass. Exclusive to the seasonal workers of the ski resorts in the Friso country area. As you can imagine it was a bunch of hippy ski bums partying on the side of the road. Snowboards in hand with their thumbs in the air trying to hitch a ride to the top of the hill from locals drivers. Everyone yelling in excitement when a truck did eventually pull over letting the ski bums hop in the back of the truck with their snowboards with them. We drive up to the top of the hill, as we are standing in shock of where we were and what we are doing. My friends and I pause alone as everyone already skied down. In awe of what we were doing and the life that we were currently living. Somehow the fear left as we ski down from the top of the hill in the fresh powder under the full moon. At the bottom we were greeted with loud electronic music and danced under the moonlight still with the adrenaline from skiing backcountry that night.

Colorado really made me realize how I want to live life everyday, absolutely epic. I arrived to Copper Mountain, excited and hopeful about the future. As I arrived a little early before the snow had hit, forcing me to have some time to catch my breath.

My first day at work came a few days later. That first day will probably always bring a smile to my face. As I wrote in my journal: I was getting ready as I typically would for any job. Putting on make up and doing my hair with full intentions that I was just going to be filling out some paperwork. I walk up to my boss overly excited and introduced myself. He seemed a bit confused by me.

As I walk further into the locker room and greeted by a bunch of very much rugged mountain men sitting around a table. They all introduced their selves as Michael. Of course I thought they were just pulling a prank on the new girl, but nope they were all Michael just with different nicknames. As I was a little nervous realizing that I might be the only women , there was another women that ran in - I became more hopeful. Later realizing she loved using power tools and driving the old work truck around. Long story short I was out of place. And continued being out of my element as the first day involved us digging a trench. Which started on my first day and lasted for a couple of weeks. We would continue sitting all in the back of the truck with tools sliding around of us doing random construction projects at the resort. Of course I was wearing the wrong shoes and outfits more often than not. A little concerned, I told myself to just be patient and wait for the snow to hit.

Eventually the snow did hit and we were finally on skis. So keep in mind I mainly knew how to snowboard and never skiied on the West Coast. However I was required to ski instead of snowboard. As the last time I skiied was when I was 13. I had to prove my skiing abilities in front of my coworkers who most have been skiing since the were infants. Not only did I have to ski basically for the first time in front of my new coworkers, but also in front of the US Ski Team coaches. My manager told me I looked like a baby deer learning how to walk for the first time.

Most of my first shifts on the snow were at 5AM, somehow making my way down the mountain, praying that I would not die. Somehow I made it out alive, and not just that, I became a really good skier. Better than originally expected.

By November the season started going fast. Everyday there was a new adventure. The first season started with bleaching hair, adding color, and parties at different ski houses in Breckenridge. Before we knew it, the slopes were officialy open to everyone. Needless to say we all celebrated and I was finally back on my snowboard.

December hits and one of my friends from Block Island decided to join me in Colorado. Recieving a job offer at Vail while self describing herself as a beach girl. The first time taking her down the ski slopes proved this as we ended up having to call ski patrol as she told me there was no way she was going to finish getting down the hill. As we are laughing over drinks later, she continued for one more month. Providing another resort for my friends and I at Copper to head over to later. As we did on New Years, which included us celebrating at a variety of different Vail ski houses.

My job at the time is something that I think would be hard to ever replace. As most of our days included us wearing all black unifroms, skiing past tourist, with the older ski patrol yelling at us to slowdown. Our job included us setting up for the various of Ski and Snowboard competitions that the resort offered. This included us setting up red netting on the side of the slopes. Which included us carrying the nets down the slopes on skiis. As well as carrying power tools and shovels down the slopes as well. The job was manual labor with some days being out of breath. Ending the day skiing as fast as we could down the slopes made the work totally worth it.

Colorado was a place that I always dreamed of living at. After trying out many different sports when I was younger - I realized that skiing and snowboarding always had my heart. Receiving the opportunity to work at a ski resort gave me the privilege to really perfect the sport. The next journey started a few months after to discover another sport that hold a special place in my heart- surfing. The next thing I knew I had another one way ticket to the Outerbanks, NC. While still in amazement of the season I just had with the opportunity to ski and snowboard from sunrise to sunset. Life was coming at me fast.