I sit at a cubicle for 8+ hours a day in the dreary Mid-West. You can bet your ass that I day-dream ~100% of the time that I’m on a mountain, no matter the season. But, sometimes day-dreaming just isn’t enough. Here are five things I do to fight-off my angst of wanting to be in the mountains.
1. Decorate your entire cube with trail maps.
Almost every inch of my cubicle is decorated with trail maps. I even have maps of ski resorts I’ve never been to, just to have something to look at. I could probably fill out an entire trail map of Park City’s 300+ trails because I’ve been staring at it for 2 years. I’ve also learned to appreciate James Niehues even more. That man can paint a damn mountain.
2. Watch ski/snowboard videos during your lunch break.
I have a solid rotation of 5-10 Youtube videos I watch on a consistent basis to quench my thirst, so to speak. You can never go wrong with a Candide video, or watching Jesper Tjäder do something utterly insane involving a trampoline, snow, and a rail.
3. Find the other guy/girl who is equally obsessed with you about skiing or riding.
Okay, I’m going to be honest on this one, I haven’t found him or her yet. I literally write for a ski blog, so I haven’t found anybody as insane as me… yet. But, I have managed to pick out the skiers and boarders who can have a casual conversation with me about skiing. It scratches my itch just enough.
4. Read everything and anything about skiing.
Don’t tell my boss, but I once spent an entire afternoon reading about the history of pretty much of every ski resort in New England’s history. Check out New England Ski History, it’s legit.
5. Plan your next trip.
Ahhh, my favorite past-time. There’s nothing like planning your next ski trip to get your mind off of your grayish-beige cube. Having something to look forward to can get you through even the roughest days.
