Lost on the T

Fact

Business travel is not glamorous.

Shit my mom texts (says)

“I’ve named him [new Fiat] Giuseppe. He has a mustache- see?”

Shredding powder, not budgets: 4 tips for skiing and boarding on a budget

So this is my first *actual* full-length post. Hopefully it won’t be my last. Enjoy!

As I kid, I always envisioned the snow sports, skiing in particular, as the realm of the uber rich. I’d picture families on their all luxury, all inclusive ski vacations to Aspen, matching winter outfits abound.

Who knew that years later, I’d be one of those people, albeit board in hand, heading on my own snowboarding vacations? The major differences? I’m not going to Aspen. And I’m not super rich.

As a broke 20-something, regular ski weekends can get expensive fast. So how’s an aspiring snow bunny supposed to pull it off on a budget? Here are some ways that I’ve managed to make the most of limited funds:

 1) Local mountains don’t suck (that much). I grew up in and still live in the Northeast. So no Rockies, but Vermont and New Hampshire are nothing to sniff at. When I was in high school, ski bums I knew would spend hours at Tuxedo Ridge, a small “mountain” with just a handful of trails. Sure, it was tiny, but you could (and still can) get a weeknight lift ticket for under 20 bucks. Not a bad deal for someone who’s looking to practice and stay in shape. Now that I’m in the Boston area, I have a season pass to Blue Hills (which I will very generously refer to as a mountain) that cost me just over $200. It ain’t Killington, but I can board to my heart’s content for next to nothing.

2) Big weekends are okay (if they’re cheap). I freaking LOVE daily deal sites. They’re my kryptonite. And I especially love when Groupon or LivingSocial puts out an incredible half price deal for great ski weekend in Maine or something. Also, I subscribe to SkiMail, the Boston Globe’s site and newsletter for ski getaway deals. And don’t underestimate the power of ski bums in large groups- city specific organizations like Social Boston Sports have greater pull and can negotiate discounts, so get on their lists today.

3) Borrow first; buy later. Please, god, DO NOT BUY EQUIPMENT IN YOUR FIRST SEASON. What if it turns out, heck, you really don’t LIKE this snow sport stuff? My local spot offers equipment rental all season for $130. For just a bit more, you can take that equipment to ANY mountain all season. Your other option? Butter up a friend who has a spare board and boots in your size.

4) Buy off season and on sale. So if you have finally set your heart on skiing or boarding, like so many other seasonal sports, buying in season will all but guarantee that you get ripped off. March, April (in the Northeast) are when a lot of sport shops are looking to offload inventory and move in the bicycles, kayaks, etc. for summer. Or, if you’re lucky and live near a Burton Outlet like I do, you can score sweet deals all the time (like on the sweet half price boots I picked up last June).

Shit My Mom Texts

What size pajama jeans should I get?

Contrary to popular belief…

Human kindness is alive and well in this city. On my walk to work, I witnessed a young man picking up Red Sox tickets from the sidewalk and running down the street to return them to the woman who had mistakenly dropped them.

formative life event.

Being picked up in a limo by a driver who has your last name on a sign.

There’s a hurricane a-coming! Wait..

Actually, it already came. I’ve survived a fair amount of hurricanes throughout my childhood in New Jersey, but I still became thoroughly freaked out at the thought of experiencing one here (what’s gonna happen to all my stuff in the basement? do I even have renter’s insurance? ackkk). 

But so far, so good. I don’t want to tempt the hurricane gods, but we’ve managed to get out unscathed. We even have power (and internet huzzah). 

Stay safe, folks. Don’t underestimate this thing.

why.

Well, why not? I used to blog, frequently, at the now defunct Insurance in Plain English. Being out of the insurance industry, didn’t quite make sense to continue down that path.

But the itch has been there. To have a regular outlet for the craziness that floats thru my brain every single day. Sure, I’m lucky enough to be in a profession where I actually get paid to write. But I’m selfish, and want another creative outlet.

So here I am. What can you expect? I’m not sure quite yet. The premise is simple: My life has been nothing short of crazy. I’ve lived a bunch of places, had several different careers even though I’m in my late twenties. But for some reason, I keep getting drawn in, as if by magnetic pull to one place: Boston.

I love it here. I hate it here. I complain about it here. Being a New Jersey native deep in the heart of New England often comes with trials I never anticipated and moments of hilarity well worth repeating.

Though I’ll regale you with plenty of “fish out of water” tales, there’s more to it. This blog is about working as a young adult, trying to figure out where I belong. It’s about finding little things to keep you sane as you spend 60 hours a week behind a computer screen. And, I’m sure it will also be about marketing, snowboarding and the New York Giants.

So here’s an introduction. Welcome aboard.

relaunch.

coming soon. YOU JUST WAIT.