Five years ago, I arrived in Whistler by Greyhound bus in the middle of a snowy January night. I had nothing but a suitcase and a dream to live in my favourite ski town on the planet.

My goal? To stay for the season and check off my “live in a ski town” bucket list item. Quite quickly, however, a season turned into a year, a year into three and three years turned into five.

The clichés are all true: “I came for a season and stayed for the summer.” and so on and so forth

Recently, however, I had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave this town I’ve grown to love from the bottom of my heart. It was a life choice – the kind that brings you to your knees and shakes you to your core. But it was a necessary decision for so many reasons.

And so, one weekend not long ago, I left Whistler; filling an entire moving truck with bikes, boards, belongings, a boyfriend and a dog.

My, how life can change in the blink of an eye.

Thankfully, we’re just moving 1.5 hours down the road and I’ll probably be up on weekends, couch surfing and cashing in all that karma I racked up letting friends stay with me over the years.

That being said, I wanted to take this space here to thank you, Whistler:

Thank you to the soul skiers who have lived in town for decades and still wake up early on pow days with a huge smile like a kid on Christmas.

Thank you to the seasonaires who come to town with their suitcases and ski bags each fall with bright eyes and big dreams.

Thank you to the community of Whistler for being the heart and soul of this town. The old-timers, the young families, the young professionals and the in-betweens whose life passion is to make a home in this beautiful resort town. You’ve sacrificed a lot to live in Whistler.

Thank you to the creatives. Your amazing photos, music, words, videos and art are inspiring and wonderful. You bring culture, beauty and light to the Whistler community.

Thank you to Whistler Blackcomb for believing in me and giving me so many amazing opportunities to grow professionally and personally. You will be missed.

Thank you to my friends. You mean the world to me and are the reason I have so many wonderful memories to cherish. I will see you soon!

I’ll always remember those perfect winter days, when the timing works out just perfectly and you meet your friends at first lift. And you head up to enjoy face shots all day long. Then, you fit in an après and the Hairfarmers just happen to be playing.

And those summer days when you wake up late and you spend the day getting dirty on the bike trails or lounging on the cool shores of Alpha Lake. That sweet smell of alpine flowers and the heat of the sun feed your soul.

Those days, in particular, are the days you think: “I never want to leave this place.”