BUCKET CLIPS 3 | A FLINTA Ski Mixtape

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Understanding the Lifestyle (amateur)

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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
Im not sure if my story is relatable but I feel a good amount of riders have gone through this type of thing.


As a passionate snowboarder finishing my 6th season with 60+ days, an aspiring free lance photographer
and a broke as F*** college kid it can be very hard to try and make my parents and elders understand what I want to do. For them life is about going to school, getting a job, buying a car, buying a house, getting married and starting a family. For me, and I am assuming many of you reading this, thats not what life is about. Life for us is about living the life, always having fun, and pursuing what you are passionate about. This is where it becomes difficult to explain our lifestyle to someone outside the Ski/Snowboard culture.

I am 20 years old and until this season my family never understood why I wanted to live my life as a "ski bum". I would tell them "I don't want to be a ski bum my whole life, I just want to snowboard, whatever it takes" (This would be shortly followed by some sort of what's the difference type of comment). This use to frustrate me, now I use it as an opportunity to explain what snowboarding is to me.

For an "outsider" snow sports are a hobby, something you do on the weekends when every thing else is done. For riders it is life. We live to ride, simple as that. The first run on a pow day, landing that one trick after lapping the park all day, or just being out there and having fun with your friends.
My roommate said to me once "All snowboarding is about is mustaches, high fives and having fun." I think he was attempting to insult me, but I took it as a perfect representation of the life Im living. I might not have the most money or the nicest car and the only girls I talk to are lifties and the occasional singles line snow bunny, but Im happy and I am living the life I dreamed of as a kid, to be a snowboarder.

Besides, I have all summer to make money.



So NS, have you ever had trouble with family, "outsiders" etc. explaining why you spend so much time, money and effort skiing/snowboarding? Maybe your family has been skiers and snowboarders for years and supported you since the beginning? Share your stories or discuss what I wrote, as long as we are discussing the unique lifestyle we live as passionate riders, filmers, photographers, graphic designers, etc etc etc etc.

ONELOVE-Skiing/Snowboarding
Mar 31 2011 1:20PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
I hope some people find what I wrote relatable.
Mar 31 2011 1:36PM
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casual
Posts: 6712 - Karma: 6,748
Great post man. I'd provide a long rant along similar lines...but I'm on the chairlift. Sort of seems like the most appropriate response, no? I feel like this conflict between"us" and "them" is a rite of passage that we all go through. Congrats, way to stand your ground. Go get it man.
Mar 31 2011 1:37PM
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CK.
Posts: 1615 - Karma: 110

ya see i always hear this with friends but my family is known for being ski bums :P im 17 and will be graduating this year... now most kids parents have a college/uni fund for their childern, my parents divided mine, one for moving out west and one for school.  My grandfather and dad both were ski bums and both raced (one for canada, one for ontario) so when talking about this kind of lifestyle is is just like a given that it is what im going to do.  kind of like how your parent believe your going to go to school etc mine fit skiing in there somewhere.
I also believe that if you really do want to get an education your going to do it, whether or not you take a year off or try to ride and go to school at the same time.

good thread man!

Mar 31 2011 1:43PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
living the ski bum life is great and all until you realize that living like a poor bastard sucks. There are plenty of ways to be able to ski 60+ days, and still hold down a career job, and raise a family. It just takes hard work, something which you seem to not want to do.

working all summer to ski all winter sounds great when you are young, but make sure you dont regret it 10 years from now when you are 30, still sharing a room with a stinky roommate, and trying to turn lodge condiments into lunch.

Once you are in your 20's you need to start growing up and start thinking how your decisions now are going to affect your future 10-20 years down the line. you will not be the same person in 20 years as you are now, so you really need to make sure that your current decisions arent going to fuck over 40 year old you. be honest with yourself, ask yourself if all the shitty parts of the "ski bum lifestyle" are worth it now, and if you will still want them to be a part of your life 10-20 years from now. Cause when an employer for a real job asks you what you have been doing for the past 10 years, and you say, lifty, waiter, construction, and ski school, it sounds life you are an unmotivated bum with no experience.

but then again, if you are 100% sure that this is the only way to make you happy, then go for it...

Mar 31 2011 1:45PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
Haha perfect post.

If I wanted to really sum up the unfairness one can experience while growing up a snowboarder in a football town. My family, coaches, teachers, and peers never understood why I spent friday-sunday on the mountain, they thought I was stupid and would regret quitting the baseball team my senior year. (which went on to win state) My parents would spend hundreds on cleats, bats, socks, pants, traveling and so on for my sports, but If I wanted a snowboard I had to work for it. This unfairness eventually lifted although it took quite a few events for my family to realize what I was doing could take me somewhere.


I wrote this as a rant but I also want to know if anyone else on here went though some sort of trouble to pursue skiing/snowboarding because it wasn't the norm.

Growing up in a farming community that supports nothing but football, wrestling, and baseball + living with a family full of army and air force veterans that at most skied twice in their life, I definitely had some difficulty.
Mar 31 2011 1:48PM
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casual
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Hey, that's your take and your choice, don't present it as a universal truth. He (me, you, everyone) can live the lifestyle of his choosing, granted it's not at the expense of others. You came across as an arrogant prick, and it isn't your place to judge his priorities, or anyone's for that matter.
Mar 31 2011 1:53PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
Great post.

There are definitely ways to ski all winter and have a career. That is the struggle at this point. What can I do to plan my life so that in 20 years. I can have a normal life and be a ski bum. I have definitely planned for this and I can see how my post conveys that I am doing the minimal I can to ride all day every day but thats not the lifestyle I want to portray in this thread.

A guy/girl that wants to make it in the industry, any way possible. I don't just care about riding every day, I want to spread the love I have for snowboarding with every person in the world. Thats the type of passion I have for this sport, and Im sure Im am not the only one.


Mar 31 2011 1:55PM
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NEskia
Posts: 168 - Karma: 62
I have the same issue with my parents. They always tell me to get my priorities straight, however they don't seem to understand that skiing is a high priority of mine. I guess some times, older people are just a little close minded.
Mar 31 2011 1:56PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
Not to be a dick but I would like to pull this out and discuss. This is the attitude my parents have towards the life I am living right now. You and them have this set way that life should be lived. Thats not always the case. If a person CHOOSES to live with minimal money, out of a car and ride every day, then who are we to judge his way of living. As long as he is happy and not putting anyone else out like casual mentioned.

As for being a different person when Im 40, I don't feel the same way. Ive been telling people since I was 13 that I will be dead before I quit snowboarding. 7 years later, Im riding a mountain that I use to look at pictures of and drool. Im riding side by side with pros I use to watch in movies and Im doing tricks and taking pictures I would have never thought I would be able to do.

In 20 years I hope to god Im not too much different and if 40 year old me thinks that the lifestyle 20 year old me wants to live isn't worth pursuing and I should focus more on getting a good paying job. well then I might as well not make it to 40.

Glen Plake might agree with what Im saying.
Mar 31 2011 2:08PM
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justinstlaurent
Posts: 654 - Karma: 27
really wanna read this, so threads for then I get home
Mar 31 2011 2:10PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
This is what I hear over and over again. They aren't wrong by any means. You have to have your priorities straight or living broke will never work. Paying a gas bill is more important than filling my car up and driving to colorado. Catch ma drift?
Mar 31 2011 2:11PM
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Corin
Posts: 1665 - Karma: 524
Soo much yes! I have this problem with basically everyone I go to school with, my parents and relatives. They don't seem to understand how I can be so passionate about something. How I can think about skiing so much and relate it to everything I do. They don't get that I wanna go skiing every day, and that I'm willing to do what ever it takes to make that happen. And I don't understand them either, with their life-goals are being on facebook and texting and shit.

And when I say that I spent 500 bucks on a pair of boots they just stare at me in chock. Or when someone asked what my dream vacation would be like and I said heli-skiing in Alaska. And then I said that I would never spend money on a trip to a warm, sunny place, that I'd rather spend it on skiing.

It's weird how people don't seem to have something they're passionate about.
Mar 31 2011 2:56PM
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hawaiiansteeze
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dude i completly understand you and went through the same thing choosing to go to the U.

yes, i agree completely. leaving for college in utah, i got all the typical questions from friends and friends parents. "why are you going to utah" "are you gona be mormon"... but my parents always supported me being happy and wanted me to do fun stuff and love live, and i cant thank them enough for giving me that opportunity to move out here. alot of my friends that are skiers parents wouldnt even let them leave the northeast, and i just couldnt be happy like that.

but i cant be happier here and met so many kids that want the same thing. sure theres gona be a point where shit gets real, but at that point i will not give up skiing. i will give up almost anything to keep skiing with the exception of my familys lives. and with all thats happened in the past years with heros passing, i can say many of us put skiing before our own lives.

i went from skiing ski sundown, connecticut as my home mountain to fucking alta and park city. and i can safely say i will never live in a place without mountains like this.

stoked to read other responses kids have to this too
Mar 31 2011 3:14PM
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THEDICKBUTCHER
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My dad thinks its stupid that i risk my body so much for that last extra second in the air or for the simple feeling of hitting a rail. Everytime i go skiing he reminds me to be careful but i think hes beggining to understand that for me, skiing is on top of anything else. My mom realized my passion for skiing after i gave up almost everything to go skiing 5 days a week in middle school. Im just happy now ive been able to handdle 3 jobs, college and skiing.
Mar 31 2011 3:21PM
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ImNotARacist
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Hell ya. This is what I want to hear! I went from skiing Pomerelle Mtn. to Park City. If I had stayed in Idaho I would probably be freezing my ass off standing on the top of a pivot pissed at the world. Instead Im going to PC tomorrow to ride in a gaper outfit drunk all day long.
Mar 31 2011 3:26PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
O hai!
Mar 31 2011 3:27PM
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DGski
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yeah i completely understand about what your saying
most don't really understand what skiing is to me
Mar 31 2011 3:28PM
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talaga
Posts: 29 - Karma: 14
I hate the typical go to college, get a degree, then get married thing that it seems like a lot of people are doing,  then people don't do shit the rest of their life but work at a job that most people hate doing
Mar 31 2011 3:48PM
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hanksy
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I am not at all disagreeing with you, and I have been in your mindset many a time, but I think that you might be more "close-minded" than you think. To start off, I'm 19, so I won't even try to talk down to you.

Do your parents pay for your college education? For your food, board (not snowboard), and maybe a few other freebies here and there? If the answer is yes, imagine how they feel. College is 'supposed' to be where those who will be educated, career-oriented, and white collared. If you don't want to be those things, then theres really no sense in going to college, so your parents are totally wasting their money.

Now I know what you're thinking. You think that I've got it wrong, that you still want to be successful in some way outside of skiing. If you do, then take a look at how much skiing is affecting your life. Does it negatively impact your GPA? This can easily go either way, and if you're still holding a competitive GPA then major props to you.

You see, there is no 'fine line' where you can either be a ski bum or an average weekend warrior. The key here is balance. Make sure that you keep that GPA up, and maybe try and get a summer internship down the road. No matter what you might think, these things are important. Once you're out of college, you NEED a job. You NEED a place to live, and a car, and food, and skis, and a season pass. The trick to actually having a job that you enjoy is to be successful in college so you can remotely compete for a decent job in this market. If you slack off now with the mindset that you won't need these things, you will end up out of college with a shitty job, skiing less than you would if you had a good one. OR you can balance now, while still skiing 60+ days a year and taking bomb ass photos.

Once you get the balance down, just show your parents the good results and they will understand, I promise. Tell them how skiing is a positive motivator, and that skiing actually motivates you to pursue a good job you will enjoy so you can continue skiing and being happy for your whole life.

Sparknotes: You can still be successful and have a good skiing life. In fact, your ski life will probably be better off.
Mar 31 2011 4:17PM
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hanksy
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Look at someone like Logan Imblach. He has a solid engineering degree, and oh yeah, he still skied enough to be fucking super unknown. Thats quite the life if you ask me
Mar 31 2011 4:20PM
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RudyGarmisch
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When I got done with college, i took a look at my life and realized that what made the most money didnt make me happy. You may have to explain this to some people, it vexes a majority of minds. Once you put your happiness absolutely first and realize thats the most important thing in life, it all makes sense.
Mar 31 2011 4:25PM
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ImNotARacist
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I am also not disagreeing with you. Every point you made is valid and a perfect way of looking at it.

Answering your questions first. I am 100 percent responsible for my college education, luckily my parents make a small enough amount of money that my FAFSA EFC is 0. I am responsible for my food and living BUT my mother pays for my car payment, car insurance and Cell phone bill roughly $200 and for that reason I am not a complete ski bum and I am working towards a few different goals that will benefit me in my future.

I appreciate bringing your view to the opinion and don't take this as an arguement. Just clearing up a few things about myself before people begin to assume.


Lets try and keep this away from how to be a college ski bum and just bask in the glory of the lifestyle and share experiences we have with trying to project what our way of living means to someone who does not partake.
Mar 31 2011 4:29PM
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hawaiiansteeze
Posts: 3255 - Karma: 3,226
this is exactly what it comes down too. ive skipped school for pow days, but ive also missed skiing for other shit. i still fucked up first semester, still tryin to figure shit out haha.
Mar 31 2011 4:30PM
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hanksy
Posts: 659 - Karma: 265
Such an good response. That's awesome for being responsible for most of your expenses, and its definitely a sign that you have solid responsibility.

I think we are pretty much on the same page.
Mar 31 2011 4:32PM
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hanksy
Posts: 659 - Karma: 265
Word dude. For whatever reason I always do WAY better second semester than first. Like .5 GPA better. I swear its because of skiing.
Mar 31 2011 4:35PM
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californiagrown
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absolutely, but you need to realize that the choices you make early in your adult life, will be affecting you for many years to come.

Everyone is different, and people do change as they grow older, and have more life experiences. I would tell everyone to not put all their eggs in one basket(either ski bumming, or quitting skiing to pursue a career), unless they are nearly assured of being extremely succesful in that venture.

I really dont think i come off as preachy, or an arrogant prick at all. All im saying is that you dont know what you are going to want out of life 10 years from now; there is a lot of growing up to be done between 20 and 30, and priorities and life do change.

Life and the job market are 10x more competitive than they were when our parents first broke into the job market. It is extremely difficult to find a job unless you are an A+ candidate, and if you take some years off to ski bum and then try to break back into the job market, it is even harder.

A lot of people have grown up in an affluent life, and so the ski bum, just scraping by kind of life has its romance for a while, but it does get old. before making a life altering decision, people need to look at all the consequences for them both intended, and unintended; positive and negative.

Mar 31 2011 4:36PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
Respect.
Mar 31 2011 4:36PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
20's are still so young. I will never regret a single moment spent skiing and having fun. I look at my life and the life of others who have done the direct education route, I'll have a job the same time they will and they might $5000 more than me. I wouldnt trade the experiences I've had through skiing for any sum of money (well thats not totally true.) I'll have my degree at 23 rather than 21, no big deal, more time having fun rather than spinning my wheels pretending to be a grown up.
Mar 31 2011 4:39PM
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ImNotARacist
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Not preachy at all man. Everything thus far in this thread are all sides of the story that need to be said.

I hope anyone who reads this thread reads it all because there is some really good posts.IMO
Mar 31 2011 4:40PM
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teamdummy
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 2,605
Im 37. I've been married 8 years. I work 40 hours a week. I have a 7 year old daughter. I skied 57 days this year. It's hard to see at 20, but as you get older you'll see that it doesnt have to be all or nothing. If you want, you can make it work. You don't have to live in a car and eat ramen everyday to be able to ski everyday. But sometimes you do have to compromise. I've missed bluebird and powder days because of grown up commitments and work. But because I have to ski, I've learned to make even grey days fun. I'm rambling but my original point was that the best plan is to be flexible with it and be willing to work hard. And if you want to be on the mountain everyday, do it. But get a marketable,valuable skill. I.e...welding or and electrician on maintenance or something like that. Being a dishwasher forever probably isn't a very good long term plan.
Mar 31 2011 4:41PM
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teamdummy
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 2,605
Oh and I wasn't saying the OP is will be a dishwasher forever. It was just an example.
Mar 31 2011 4:50PM
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ImNotARacist
Posts: 5136 - Karma: -1,030
Haha. Photographer hopefully.
Mar 31 2011 4:52PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
you took a few years off before college right? thats they way to do it, especially if you are going into a technical field. If you take the years off after college, then getting hired is soooo much harder, because an employer doesnt know how much knowledge you have retained, how motivated you are, and if you plan to work in the industry for a long time, or if you will skip out.

if you bum before college, then there is pretty much no downside. after college is where it becomes much more difficult to find a job
Mar 31 2011 5:00PM
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XtRemE11
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i can definitely understand what you mean by not being the same person 20 years from now. but say i work my ass off in school and get a well paying job in some office somewhere, will i be happy with myself in 20 years? school and a career may be all some people care about now, but will they be the same person in 20 years?? maybe they will wish they had more experiences, more fun, and more freedom?
we only get 1 chance at life, and I think 99.9% of people don't actually realize what that means until its too late. my mindset right now is that if i do well in school, get a job that pays 100k a year and live comfortably for the next 40 years of my life before i retire, im going to look back with soooo many regrets, and realize how many amazing experiences i missed out on because i was too focused on doing what our culture expects of us.
my dad is pretty successful, he doesn't have to worry about money, and he probably supports my desire to just do whatever the hell i want my whole life more than anyone, he tells me that he wishes he would have done more, and only encourages me to go to school if i think i need it. i told him im seriously considering spending a year with my friend in a tiny cabin out in the middle of nowhere wyoming living off basically nothing and he thinks its the greatest idea ever, i took a 2 month motorcycle trip around the country last summer and he only encouraged it.

i guess im confident enough in myself that i can earn money and be successful if i need to. i make plenty of money just doing random handy man type jobs for people. and ive got literally hundreds of idea's for a business id like to start. i dont plan on relying on someone to hire me to make a living. a good friend of mine that dropped out of highschool is making like 40k a year making custom stuff for offroad vehicles. and he's not working that much.

anyway, the whole go to school then college, then get a good 9-5 job, buy a nice house, raise a family, work till your 70 then retire, idea has only been around for what? maybe 100 years? its just because most people cant think for themselves that its become some kind of "rule".
and IMO, its extremely far from human nature and is absolutely not the key to happiness. it sounds like a great way to have no meaning to your life, no passion, and no happiness. just a fantastic way to be another sheep.
Mar 31 2011 5:13PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
if you realize, when you are 30, that the 9-5, 100k a year grind isnt for you, then you can go and chase what you want.

if you realize, at 30, that the ski bum life isnt for you, your fucked, you dont have many options.

It doesnt have to be one of the other. sure you may have to sacrifice a few years to your job in the beginning, but then once you have established yourself, you are able to move to reno, SLC, Seattle, Portland, Denver etc and ski 50+ days.

and if you want to have a family that you can actually provide for, 10-15 years from now, the ski industry isnt a great way to go. You can always go from corporate america to ski bum, but it is almost impossible to go from ski bum to corporate america.
Mar 31 2011 5:22PM
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Mr_pretzel
Posts: 4616 - Karma: 1,290
2 words.

Family money.

Mar 31 2011 5:29PM
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steezenskis
Posts: 1044 - Karma: 31
yea sorry but your wrong about that. it may be a little bit hard to stop being a ski bum but my dad was a ski bum in vail for about 20 years and then he pulled it together and got a real job
Mar 31 2011 5:30PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
when? try that shit in this job market and see how job hunting goes lol.

Mar 31 2011 6:00PM
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
your not fucked, you just have to be smart and creative, unfortunately most ski bums are not smart. but working for someone else 9-5 isnt the only way to make a good amount of money.
Mar 31 2011 6:07PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
9-5 isnt the only way for everyone, but for the vast majority of folks that IS the only way to make a good amount of money.

People tend to only hear the success stories of someone who built there own company, they dont hear about the many, many others who crashed and burned.

If you are an A+ candidate, or talent in any field, you can pretty much do what you want, because you will be succesful in your field. Unfortunatley they are few and far between, andmost likely you are not one. the exceptions are the ones who are succesful after 20 years of bumming.

But then again who defines a succesful life? it might mean something different to you 20 years from now...
Mar 31 2011 6:13PM
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PON3
Posts: 3817 - Karma: 783
i want to live this dream too. it might not be as big as others. but i do want to be a lifty in summit county for 2-3 years and then get my actual job in denver or boulder.
Mar 31 2011 6:15PM
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LivinOuttaBounZ
Posts: 949 - Karma: 382
Words to live by!
Mar 31 2011 6:19PM
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
the vast majority of folks are idiots with no common sense, passion or motivation. not trying to sound like an ass but its true. and thats why the vast majority of people work their ass off in school to go to college so they can get a 9-5 that pays well. because they are too dumb and uncreative to do something else, that or they are satisfied having a very bland generic life.

I go to college, and i can honestly say that 9 out of 10 kids, even the ones that get good grades, have no common sense, and no passion for life. they are just going cause it will get them a good job and allow them to spend the rest of their life working 5 days a week, drinking on the weekends, then repeating, living a mediocre life. the vast majority of people are just bland, plastic, sheep. thats why our society is in this mindset that college and a 9-5 is the only way to go.

shit i work probably less than 40 days a year and probably make 15k. while going to school and spending the summers fucking around all the time. im not trying to make a significant amount of money, but because i dont want work to be a significant part of my life, its not, ive found a way for me to make a good amount of money, and making it by doing something that i enjoy. i basically only work when i need money.




Mar 31 2011 6:30PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
how do you make $400 a day? would you say that you are very good at what you do? why not quit school if you have the ability to make $90,000 a year right now?

and those are some damn ignorant statements about people living bland lives. I for one went to school to get a good job so that i could afford to ski and raise a family. I enjoy having money and the things that come with it: vacations, nice things, financial stability, not worrying about rent/insurance/bills etc, buying a house.

money doesnt buy happiness, but it does make your life a helluva lot easier and more fun.
Mar 31 2011 6:45PM
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Relish_man
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 551
Greg Berneche is a doctor, just goes to show
Mar 31 2011 6:51PM
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steezy.stew
Posts: 1137 - Karma: 568
threads for later
Mar 31 2011 6:58PM
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XtRemE11
Posts: 5680 - Karma: 246
im not saying that wanting money and wanting a good job makes people bland, im saying that because most people are bland they are satisfied with getting a bland job as long as it gets them money. a lot of people actually are satisfied with not having any passions or hobbies, and living the majority of their life going to work and spending their free time at home or at a bar or something.

and i mostly do handy man type work, landscaping, painting, etc.. i made 5 grand putting in pond in someones backyard.
and why am i going to college? because unlike most people i actually do want to learn, im just taking classes im interested in, maybe ill get a degree maybe not, im really not going to college to get a degree, more to better myself and learn things that are valuable to me.

Mar 31 2011 6:58PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
soooooooo true.

im transferring into Westminster for my last to years of undergrad starting in August and EVERYONE "what are you mormon?" or "why do you want to live with mormoms?"

thankfully my parents couldnt be more supportive.

granted i dont intend to be a "ski bum" forever, IMO utah seems like the place where my professional aspirations can most successfully coincide with my skiing aspirations (but once "real life" starts ill be fine skiing 2-3 days a week)
Mar 31 2011 7:02PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
I did it after my first year of my degree. I hated uni and had no ambition. Took a full year off, and studied part-time after for another year. Switched degrees, so in all it will have taken me 5 years for my degree.

For me its about balance now, I study and ski. Got class 3 days a week, and hoping to have skied 80ish days this year. I think I'll take a year off between my degree and masters. Just need to find a way to make living in a ski town applicable to my masters so it doesn't look like I just wasted time.

There is no right or wrong way to do these things, do what works for you best, my one year where I skied full-time was the best experience of my life, got a taste of it and im not done yet. But it did put things into perspective for me. I realised that I didn't want to be broke for the rest of my life. I got a chance to observe others lives, saw aspects of it that I liked and other parts I didn't. In the end it made me realise that what I want it is enjoy my life to the max through experiences, yet have a stable  "respectable" job .
My Dad is a Lawyer, growing up the only time I every saw him happy and not stressed was when we were hiking or on a ski holiday. He himself said it wasn't worth the pay to make those personal sacrifices. I don't by any means intend to live my life as a holiday, and if I have kids or get married my priorities might change, but I want to have a job in a enjoyable location that  will allow me to do the things I love regularly. I'd  quite willingly take a pay cut for that.
Mar 31 2011 7:11PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
sounds like you learned a lot. and the wife and kids part can throw a wrench into your life plans real quick...you are no longer the most important person in your life.

Whats your course of study? how are you gonna pay back the school loans?
Mar 31 2011 7:16PM
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