December 7, 2016 – Bozeman, Montana

I can’t wait to get on the mountain.

As I admire my shiny new snowboard, boots, and bindings, the anticipation builds within. I hope the package is worth the $700. Everything is laid out on my matte, used hotel bed (a welcome luxury after the last few “beds” I’ve slept on this year).

Another place I never thought I’d live in: a Holiday Inn.

There isn’t enough employee housing in Big Sky, therefore, the rest of us are placed in Bozeman and other hotels in the area. The two-hour bus ride (each way) to Big Sky is paid for by the resort. Well, I guess I can catch up on my reading this winter. I have access to the hotel’s pool and exercise room. There’s a bar and restaurant. Cable television. I’ve had worse.

It feels genuinely bizarre – spending as much time as I do throughout the year in other people’s homes with varying accommodations and then transitioning to nearly the opposite environment. I enjoy the balance; I think given too much time in either environment can have detrimental effects on me.

My roommate seems nice. Craig from Tennessee. I’ve only met a few coworkers thus far since most of the training has been in the sit-and-listen format. At least it’s over now.

An early Christmas gift to myself? As a self-proclaimed minimalist and advocate against consumerism and materialism, I feel a little buyer’s remorse while I find a place for my new possessions. I tell myself that I deserve a reward after what I’ve given to others this year. That snowboarding will become another form of therapy for me.

A statement containing equal parts truth and justification.

Balance?

“Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them.” – Thomas Kinkade