So after the snow cleared off Heathrow's runways I re booked my flight and I left the UK on Sunday the 8th Feb, 2 months later than originally planned. After a 9 hour flight I arrived at Calgary International airport and thankfully did not run into any major problems with immigration like my England incident, infact it took me less than 10minutes to get a 2 year working permit in my passport. I was picked up from the airport by my couchsurfing host Meaghan and I habitually went and got in the passenger seat door, which is infact not the passenger seat at all! After a frightening drive home on the left hand side of the icy Canadian roads I crashed on the couch.... my new bed.
I ended up staying on that couch for 7 nights while I got settled in to my new home, setting up bank accounts and phone numbers and trying desperately to find a job! In that time I went cross country Skiing, swimming, and to the gym. The most exercise I have done in MONTHS! As such I couldn't move the next morning. But the country side out here is beautiful, and despite the icy temperatures its always sunny.A week later at 6am on Monday morning we road tripped out to Lake Louise and I had an opportunity to try
out my new snowboarding kit, the weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and the snow was powder.... heaven on earth. My new kit felt like driving Scotty's Lancer after a long day in a tractor, I hit a black run on my first day out on snow in 2 years and IMMEDIATELY regretted it after picking up too much speed and completely loosing control, it must be noted that when your feet are tied to a plank of wood, this is BAD! I managed to draw a significant crowd who all stood back and watched me drop down the near vertical slope totally out of control yelling look out to the people below me, I plummeted down the hill and stacked it directly below the chair lift, only this time it wasn't me laughing I was the one being laughed at. I didn't care it felt like I had broken my back and I'm surprised I didn't after sliding 200meters at about 60km an hour. I just wanted to fade out there and then.However after about 5 minutes my dignity was long gone and I struggled to my feet. Went slowly down the rest of the slope and called it quits for a lunch break. I met some great people over lunch and all of a sudden I was compelled to get back out there on the powder no matter the pain! I snowboarded till the last lift closed at 4pm, at which point I realized this was going to be my life for the next 4 months!
Meaghan drove me into Banff on her way home and I made my way up to my hostel dragging behind me my snowboard, with my backpack on my back, my travel pack on my front and a load of shopping in my arms. Had I of known that my hostel was at the top of a hill I might have considered waiting to do my shopping. I immediately found my bed and fell asleep after a long day out on the slopes. I went for a wander around the town the following morning and found out some interesting facts; like banff was Canada's first ever National Park and I can see why its BEAUTIFUL.... I also found out that Banff is the STD capital of Canada. Looks like I'll be confining myself to solitude on the slopes, me and the snow are totally going to have little snowboard babies and its going to be amazing! 4 months of solid snowboarding madness I'm psyched!
It's now Wednesday night the 18th Feb and I have my first job interview bright and early tomorrow morning out at "Sunshine" ski village. I'm super pumped - if I get the job I get unlimited free skiing at 6 different resorts, staff accommodation on the slopes and meals! What more could I ask for!?
Wish me luck!
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