Returning to the Mountains

When we left our idyllic home of Canmore, Alberta to pursue an exciting opportunity in Southern California (over five years ago!), we knew that some aspects of our new life would be a challenge. The crowds, the heat, the lack of wilderness and snow … these were major concerns for me and a matter of tolerance over acceptance.

I can now reveal what I’ve been working toward since August of 2017. My team (with the blessings of the company) has decided to allow me to work remotely.

We will be moving to South Lake Tahoe later this year (very soon, in fact). Once we’re settled in, we look forward to hosting our friends and family in our new home!

I’m sure there are many questions, so I’ll try to anticipate the most common ones here:

1. Moving back to Canada was not a good option, as it would have necessitated changing my reporting structure. I am very happy with the leadership on my team, and the company as a whole, so I did not want to risk that.
2. The intersection between the states I would want to live in and the states where the company would allow me to live (for tax reasons) was quite small, basically California and Washington. I decided that, at least for the time being, California gave me most of what I was looking for, and it made for an easier transition.
3. I expect to return to the office about once per quarter, centred around team and company events. My first visit will most likely be the week leading up to BlizzCon 2019.
4. I expect to resume my blog as I gain inspiration from my surroundings.

The many road trips we’ve been on the past couple of years have been to research possible landing spots for our next adventure. These included Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, and Truckee. While every location had its advantages and disadvantages, we are very excited to be moving to an area with mountains, a real winter, and climbing and ski touring mere minutes from our new home.

Come visit!