The Life Of A Wanderer

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to visit Whistler. I had seen it on a travel show when I was younger and since then I had my heart set on it. After coming back from my first big trip overseas (to Europe) I just wasn’t ready to slip back into my “normal” life back in Australia. I figured a working holiday would be my best option to earn money and travel at the same time. And here I am, four years later still living in one of the most beautiful places in the world ( in my opinion).

For those of you who haven’t heard of Whistler (do you live under a rock? just kidding!) it is located approximately 2.5 hours from Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the most famous and prestige ski resorts in North America. Each year, over 2 million people visit Whistler from all over the world, primarily for skiing and snowboarding. It has a beautifully designed pedestrian village and hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010.

So, I hear you ask “why Whistler?. I could go on and on about why I choose Whistler as my home for now, but that would get pretty boring! Luckily for you I have condensed it into 10 glorious reasons.. in no particular order.

1. The snowboarding.

Winters here are not only incredibly beautiful but we have TWO amazing mountains right on our door step to choose from each day to snowboard or ski on. Whistler mountain and Blackcomb mountain are side by side and are accessible with the one ski pass which gives you twice the amount of incredible terrain to explore.

2. The peak to peak gondola.

The peak to peak gondola is an extrodinary piece of engineering. It connects the top of Whistler mountain to the top of Blackcomb mountain. It holds a record for the World’s longest unsupported span crossing 3 kilometers (or 1.8miles). You are literally suspended in mid-air between two mountains in a gondola cabin attached to a cable. I honestly think it is an experience unlike anything else. The views are simply beautiful.

3. The endless amounts of activities to be done.

There is never a dull moment to be had in Whistler. There is always some kind of fun activity waiting to be discovered. In the winter there are all your usual winter activities to be done. Snowboarding, skiiing, sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiiing, ice skating, dog sledding, ice hockey and ziplining to name a few. In my opinion the summer has even more activities. A lot of people come here for the down hill mountain biking, but that is a little to hardcore for me. There are so many incredible hikes to do up on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains as well as in the close surrounding areas. There are plenty of beautiful lakes to visit, trails to ride your bike on, standup paddle boarding, canoeing, golf, fishing, swimming, music festivals and awesome patios to sit and have a drink on. Whistler is one of the few Ski resorts that has managed to accomplish becoming and all-weather destination to visit.

4. The good vibes.

Whistler just has this aura of good vibes surrounding it. As soon as you take a walk down the village stroll you can feel the happiness and positivity coming from everyone and you can’t help but instantly have a smile on your face. Whether it be because of an awesome ‘pow day’ on the mountain, a beautiful warm summers day, a crazy day of downhill biking or an awesome apres session, what is there not to smile about in Whistler? Everyone here is either on vacation, on a working holiday program, or living permanently in one of the coolest places ever so really, what on earth is there not to be happy about?

5. The cultural diversity.

Whistler attracts people from all over the world and all walks of life. (don’t listen when people say it’s just ‘full of Aussies’) Living in a tourist town can be tiring at times but for the most part it make life super interesting! Meeting and making friends with people from all over the world opens your mind to new things and creates friendships like no other. This global feel in such a small village creates a really unique vibe within the town.

6. The Wildlife.

Keep your eyes peeled and you will see plenty of great Canadian Wildlife. Deers, beavers, black bears, coyotes, bobcats, chipmunks and hoary marmots (the cute little guys that gave Whistler its name) Whistler has it all.

7. The nightlife and festivals.

It’s no secret that Whistler has a good reputation for its crazy nightlife. If you like to party, then you will love to party here. There are plenty of bars and underground (literally underground) night clubs to choose from. Get sweaty on the dance floor of Buffalo bill’s, listen to some great live music at Garfinkles or Dance on the bar in your ski boots at an apres session at the Longhorn. Whatever you prefer, Whistler will cater to your needs. I think the best part is there is something on every single night of the week.

Whistler also hosts plenty of amazing festivals, with two of the most popular being The world ski and snowboard festival in April and Crankworx in August. I also love that it hosts other things such as the Wanderlust yoga festival, Gay pride festival and The Whistler film festival.

8. The community.

Whistler has a permanent population of approximately 9,965 people and a larger transient population of workers and although ‘transient’, the community feel around the place is pretty solid. Lost dogs, lost people, lost belongings, fundraisers, local business’s, local artists, you name it! The community of Whistler always seems to band together in times of need and are more than willing help each other out.

9. The food.

Whistler has a large, diverse selection of culinary delights. With 5 star, fine dining restaurants such as Araxi and The Bearfoot Bistro, fresh and delicious Sushi places like Sushi Village and Sachi Sushi, delicious and Authentic Mexican food at The Mexican corner and La Cantina, healthy, raw food from the Green moustache or a hearty home cooked meal from Three below, Whister has everything your heart (or stomach) desires.

10. The views.

It’s all about those breathtaking views here. Every season, every way you turn there is always a photo-op, a mountain and  view that take your breath away and makes you want to cry with happiness. I really do think it could be one of the most beautiful places in the world.

There are so many reasons to love and celebrate Whistler. It has completely and utterly stolen my heart and left me wondering how I will ever leave such a beautiful, awe-inspiring place. I, and other people often refer to Whistler as a ‘bubble’. A little bubble of happiness where we all exist, isolated from the surrounding noise of reality. A perfect paradise that proves that life doesn’t have to be an endless parade of boring 9-5 jobs, traffic jams, mortgages and loans. Life here in the mountains is full of simplicity, peacefulness and beauty.

The mountains are calling your name…