Snowshoeing and all that jazz

So the whole month of January I don't have a job, but a lot of time to enjoy the mountains and my friends here in Vancouver. Even without fresh snow, enough pictures to show off with.  :) 

I've also been keeping busy and useful by helping my hosts out removing wallpaper and painting one of the rooms. And, as I mentioned before, I have been doing volunteer work as a ski instructor for disabled, which means I have been up on the hill a few times per week. It is a lot of fun and very rewarding!

In the mean time I'm trying to figure out where I want to work and what I want to do. I can't imagine myself working as an engineer in an office 40h a week, nor as an outdoor guide the rest of my life? Something in between would be awesome! And then there is the everlasting questions of where? In Vancouver or closer to home in Europe? With most of my spare time filled with really amazing time in the outdoors and a great city with new friends, it is hard to make a decision whether I want to settle here or find a job in Europe to be closer to my family and good friends whom I obviously miss as well.

Oh well, we'll celebrate my birthday in Whistler, who can say no to that, eh? 

And then I'll be off for my ski-tour-guide-job around Banff. And a roadtrip with Lenny which will get me back to Vancouver in March. Oh, what a life. 

While I ponder a bit more about the choices of life, here are a bunch of pictures to keep you entertained.

A (full moon) weekend snowshoeing to the Elfin lakes:

View on the Howe Sound and Squamish

First time on snowshoes, fun!

Sunset

Sunrise

Girls gone wild

Wintercamping: Cold but fun!!

I built Snow bar 2.0

(Well, I started it, someone else finished)

Thanks to Rene Ouwerkerk,
for building Snow bar 1.0 which served as inspiration

Views from the local ski resorts

View on the fog in Vancouver from Mt. Seymour

View on Vancouver From Grouse Mt. at night

And another day in Whistler with new friends