YEEEEEEEEA! JAPOWWWWW! I am going to Japan!! Put my two weeks in at work to quit and booked my flight to Tokyo! Going to go out to Hakuba and meet up with Lee! I know Lee from Alaska. We ski and cook together everyday at Valdez Heli Ski Guides! With the little snow down here I could not stop thinking about going to Japan. I hit up Lee to tell him I was thinking about it and he was like do it!! Not only did he encourage me to do it, he hits me back up saying he got me the in at the Hakuba Powder Lodge hostel to stay there (normally booked out way in advanced) and he got me a job at night if I want it!!!! TO JAPAN I GO!! No way I was going to turn down this opportunity! Shred POW daily and work a few hours at night to pay for the trip! Sounds like a ski bum dream!! Follow your dreams!!! It is really hard to make these sporadic decisions in life. I feel like the more scared you are to do something, the more likely you are going to have an incredible time doing it! Worried to be leaving Durango. I can not even believe the thought that I might not be skiing Silverton or Wolf Creek this season…. Skiing POW that is. And it is also killing me inside that I wont be shredding with all the Durango friends either. Once I leave for Japow my snowboard/travel season begins. These thoughts killed me for a few days, but I am now past it and super crazy stoked to begin a new adventure! I worked my ass off this summer and fall to not be working right now and shredding fat POW in Silverton. Well that is not happening, I am still working, and still saving money. Got on the good old Excel, used my accounting degree, and put together a spreadsheet of my finances through Alaska to May. All good baby babayyy! TO JAPAN I GO!!!!!

As far as snowboarding, I have had some good days shredding Purgatory with Kevin (kid bro) and friends. Went there for all the holidays! Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years day I was at Purgatory! On Christmas we got like 3-4in of fresh!! Had the family in Durango for Christmas so Kevin and I shredded Purg during the day with Madison, Marshell, and Colin. So much fun skiing fresh snow! Much needed! Kevin falls in love more and more with snowboarding every time! LOVE IT! Soon to be a ski bum… ahahah sorry mom and dad. He was so stoked to have snowboarded on fresh real POW for the first time, even though it was just a dusting!!! Cant wait for him to get the deep! Do what you love!

GOT A NEW SPLITBOARD AS WELL!! My new girlfriend!! Already in love! She is a Venture Storm Splitboard 171 wide! Went way bigger than my old girl! All set up and ready to rip fat POW! Aww yeeeeea!!! Thank you Colin for the ski bum love! Supporting local boards of my home mountains in Silverton! The POW season is about to begin for me!!!!!!! ; ) Powwwwwwwwwwwww