# Living the dream..are you living the dream???



## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 6, 2009)

What is living the dream to you???  Are you living the dream?  If you aren't living the dream but won the lottery, would you live the dream.  I'm still trying to figure out what the dream is and if the dream would make me happier.  From October of 2002 to April of 2004 I lived in Montana and lived the dream..but there were nightmares as well including roommates who stole from me, being broke for the first time in my life and being isolated from family and friends.  I guess the goal would be to live the dream endlessly but it seems out of reach..so instead I'm just gonna live the dream one minute at a time..

Feedback!!!!...Talk amongst yourselfs..


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## dmc (May 6, 2009)

i have an incredible job that takes me all over the world..
I own my own house less then a mile from a ski area...
I have a wonderful girlfriend.

I'm livin the dread...  At least this dream... I could move onto another someday...


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## Greg (May 6, 2009)

Life overall is pretty damn good.


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## Warp Daddy (May 6, 2009)

Greg said:


> Life overall is pretty damn good.



I surely second that  -- Life is very good and whatever you make it !


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## mondeo (May 6, 2009)

Close, but no cigar. Lottery wouldn't really change anything.


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## wa-loaf (May 6, 2009)

Working on it, regrouping . . .


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## RootDKJ (May 6, 2009)

I'd say so.  I consider my self a 1st generation skier, so hopefully in a few years, I can make a 2nd generation love the sport.  Looking to buy property in southern VT in the next few years and that will put me one step closer paradise.

Last Saturday, while out mountain biking, I got to thinking "Who does this???"  By this, I mean ski 30+ days then spend summers grinding in the woods.  Seriously, I don't know of anyone  (outside of folks on here) who do this.


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## dmc (May 6, 2009)

Root do you live in NJ? I saw Summit..


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## RootDKJ (May 6, 2009)

dmc said:


> Root do you live in NJ? I saw Summit..


Yeah.  Summit sounds so much more ski-like.

Why?


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## deadheadskier (May 6, 2009)

OldsnowboarderME said:


> I am living the dream .. working near a nuclear reactor .
> I planned this all out when I was in High school ...



what's your secret?  :lol:


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## RootDKJ (May 6, 2009)

As an afterthought, I feel it's very important not to live a "dull and ordinary" life...how ever you define that.


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## skibum9995 (May 6, 2009)

I've been living the dream since I graduated college in December 2006, but the dream is about to end. Debt has finally caught up to me and I'm tired of being broke, so it's time to get a job. It was a good run, I was able to ski and hike pretty much as often as I wanted, but I knew it would come to an end eventually.


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## riverc0il (May 7, 2009)

This past year and a half, it feels like I have been "working" the dream instead of "living" the dream. Suffice to say the plan is to change that starting this summer. Cut back on working hours and take better advantage of where we live. With exception of this past winter, definitely living the skiing dream. At least the one I envisioned when we moved up here.


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## dmc (May 7, 2009)

RootDKJ said:


> Yeah.  Summit sounds so much more ski-like.
> 
> Why?



I used to live in Berkely Heights...  Mounta Biked all over that area...    looking to get back down to Chimney Rock...   Revisit some lines...
We should hook up for a ride..


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## Glenn (May 7, 2009)

I've got a great wife
We have steady, good jobs
We've been smart about $ and that's helped stay skiing and invest in property near skiing. 

I'd say life is pretty good right now.


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## Vortex (May 7, 2009)

I could have done some things better.  I could work less,  Overall I can't complain.  Life has been good to me.  I would say yes,


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## drjeff (May 7, 2009)

Can't complain - life is good.  Work is good. Family is good.  

I guess if it was a total dream world, I'd somehow move Southern VT about 90 minutes closer to my house in CT, and then from along about the middle of May until the middle of October move the RI shore so that I looked out on the ocean in the AM at home - afterall GSS did say "dream" in his thread, and short of a few scenes in _Lost_ I'm not quite sure how to move land masses


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## mondeo (May 7, 2009)

Actually, if I won the lottery (a big one,) I'd fund the move of Cessna, Gulfstream, or Learjet to be adjacent to the Hartford airport. And in an effort to promote "diversity," get them to hire only single women in their 20s.

If the lottery were big enough, make it Boeing that moves, and simultaneously dissolve the professional union.


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## RootDKJ (May 7, 2009)

dmc said:


> I used to live in Berkely Heights...  Mounta Biked all over that area...    looking to get back down to Chimney Rock...   Revisit some lines...
> We should hook up for a ride..


We almost bought a townhouse Berkeley Heights.  PM me & let me know when you'll be in the area.  I've never rode there, and it's on my list of things to do this MTB season.


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## Marc (May 7, 2009)

If I won the lottery, the only thing I'd change is... I'd probably just spend more time on my hobbies than work.  And a lot of time working on the house.  I guess that is a hobby.


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## icedtea (May 7, 2009)

Anyone ever watch Waking Life? This could all be someone else's dream.

Hell yea if I won the lottery, I pay off my student loans, buy a spot in the mountains and a spot in Squan and be in Chile all August!


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## campgottagopee (May 7, 2009)

Marc said:


> If I won the lottery, the only thing I'd change is... I'd probably just spend more time on my hobbies than work.  And a lot of time working on the house.  I guess that is a hobby.




That happened to a local guy here in town, he won something like 2.8 million (7yrs ago). I ran into him 2 days after he'd won the $$$$ at our local watering hole. I asked him, "Well Walt watcha gonna do now"......" I'm gonna remodel my bathroom,buy 4 tires for my POS Impala and now I can buy really good pot".


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## 180 (May 7, 2009)

Anyone who has the time to answer this post is living pretty good. 

If I won the lottery, things would definitely change.  I'd work part time, do more charity and travel more.  On the other hand, I can't complain. Although work real hard and own my business, I have a long commute, ski 50 plus days with my family, own a ski place 90 minutes from home, and have a motor boat 50 feet behind my house.


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## ERJ-145CA (May 7, 2009)

I have a great family and live by two ski resorts and have a job that I enjoy so yes I am living the dream.  Most airline pilots are where they are because they considered airline flying a dream job, so when we are sitting on a two hour delay or something like that we sometimes sarcastically say "livin' the dream".  But it really is an enjoyable job most days.


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## snoseek (May 7, 2009)

I guess I'm fortunate that my work revolves around life and not the other way. I managed to ski a ton of powder days in the last couple years and had some many long jobless winters back in New England. I have a great girlfriend with an amazing dog for a family. We both have similar dreams of skiing 100 plus days year after year, the dog just wants to swim and hike in between. We are going further west in the fall..... I'm going to A-Basin in a couple minutes. I do miss my family sometimes.


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## Marc (May 7, 2009)

campgottagopee said:


> That happened to a local guy here in town, he won something like 2.8 million (7yrs ago). I ran into him 2 days after he'd won the $$$$ at our local watering hole. I asked him, "Well Walt watcha gonna do now"......" I'm gonna remodel my bathroom,buy 4 tires for my POS Impala and now I can buy really good pot".



I think it's the sign of contentedness, which I always associated with happiness moreso that "living the dream" which is just my personal connotation to that phrase, I suppose, but there it is.

I love Merriam Webster's definition of contented:

" feeling or showing satisfaction with one's possessions, status, or situation "

That'd be me.  Hope things don't change.


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## drjeff (May 7, 2009)

The one thing I doubt I could ever do right now in my life, even if I won the lottery is retire.  My mind would go crazy after a while becuase I really do enjoy the intellectual challenge of my job and having to manage multiple things and solve multiple problems at once.  

What I likely would do is change to an 8 week cycle in my schedule where I'd work 6 regular weeks straight and then take 2 weeks off.  I'd think that that would be about the right balance for me between the intellectual enjoyment I get from work and the "playtime" that I also enjoy!


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## Trekchick (May 7, 2009)

*Living the dream or...*

I think I do a pretty good job of living a sensible life and making sure I seize opportunities to embrace the things I love.

Northern Michigan is not a terrible place to live, with some phenomenal scenery, mt biking, skiing, water skiing and golf within a short distance.

That being said I would love to live some place like Montana or Utah with the love of my life, but my family, and my source of income is here.  I enjoy my day to day, make a decent living, take lots of trips to ski amazing terrain, and keep my mind open to the possibilities of whatever the cosmic tumblers unlock for my future.

I guess I am living a dream, with the chance of bigger dreams to come.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 7, 2009)

180 said:


> Anyone who has the time to answer this post is living pretty good.
> 
> .



????  so having the internet means you're living well...lol..


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## mondeo (May 7, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> ???? so having the internet means you're living well...lol..


In general, people that have the internet are not starving in countries plagued by disease or war. Everything's relative.


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## Marc (May 7, 2009)

mondeo said:


> In general, people that have the internet are not starving in countries plagued by disease or war. Everything's relative.



I just thought he meant cause we all have easy access to lots of free porn.


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## ERJ-145CA (May 7, 2009)

Marc said:


> I just thought he meant cause we all have easy access to lots of free porn.



That's the other reason.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 7, 2009)

Marc said:


> I just thought he meant cause we all have easy access to lots of free porn.




Hell Yeah


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## Mildcat (May 7, 2009)

Marc said:


> I just thought he meant cause we all have easy access to lots of free porn.



There's free porn on the internet??? I never knew that! :dunce:


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## RootDKJ (May 7, 2009)

Marc said:


> I just thought he meant cause we all have easy access to lots of free porn.


 in the end, it always comes down to that


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## bigbog (May 7, 2009)

*..........*



drjeff said:


> The one thing I doubt I could ever do right now in my life, even if I won the lottery is retire.  My mind would go crazy after a while becuase I really do enjoy the intellectual challenge of my job and having to manage multiple things and solve multiple problems at once.....................


No matter what anyone's doing...I think that's pretty _On Target_ drjeff.  Use it or lose it! Doing something stimulating in life is what seems to keep people feeling and acting young[er]...


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## Johnskiismore (May 7, 2009)

I would say yes, live in a nice area, skiing, kayaking, riding are minutes form my front door.  The people I work for are great, my girlfriend is awesome and does the things I like to do.  Starting my own guided tour business in July, and construction on my house begins in July!  Took a while to get where I am, but I'm enjoying it now


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## eastcoastpowderhound (May 7, 2009)

I've landed in what was, in my younger ski shop rat years, a "dream job"  Work in the industry...get paid to travel to places like Jackson Hole, Snowbird, etc and ski with people from Powder Mag, Freeskier, Ski/Skiing, etc...but sometimes even a dream job can be a nightmare.  Work is not fun right now...looking at revenues down 30%, pay cuts, layoffs, etc...but its a damned good thing I'm working in an industry I love otherwise it would be a struggle just to head to work.  Family life is the american dream...nice house, great neighborhood, great kid with another one on the way, my wife and I have a great relationship...most importantly we make each other laugh.  Our families get along great and we spend all of our holidays together...very happy family life.  the only constant struggle is money...don't even need a whole lot more of it, just another 25K a year would ease any financial burdens we've got.  

     If we won the lottery...like last night's powerball (about 30 million cash after taxes)...we'd have fewer worries and more time to spend with family.  I'd go back to skiing 80-100 days a year, the whole family would be mortgage/debt free and I'd for sure quit my "dream" job in the ski industry...to ski more and be with my wife, daughter and the bun in the oven.  We'd have a ski house at Sunday River and a condo in J-hole and Snowbird...we'd travel (to warm places for the Mrs)...and probably find a small, fun, business to invest in and help grow.


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## HD333 (May 7, 2009)

*Living the dream...*

Like the goofy shirts say "Life is Good"...

Great wife, two great kids. We both work to live not live to work.  The wife puts up with my BS (god bless her because there is alot of it).  We do tons of stuff together as a family.  We are fortunate to have a family place on a lake that we use year round that is about 1/2 hr from our new "home" Mountian of Gunstock.

I guess I am living my dream, I don't know about "the" dream.

HD


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## hammer (May 7, 2009)

Greg said:


> Life overall is pretty damn good.


Sure beats the alternative...

I consider myself to be quite fortunate...life can be hectic and full of annoyances at times, but the family's healthy, my wife and I can more than meet living expenses, and we each have jobs that are mentally stimulating and rewarding.

Living the dream?  No...but I sure can't complain.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 7, 2009)

I think it's possible for me to live the dream without living in Jackson WY during the ski season..but that would be the ideal..work 8 months here in the A and live in Jackson in a hotel the other 4 months. I wonder what a room at the 49er would cost for 4 months? That way I'd get a free breakfast..free bus to the slopes..and be walking distance from everything and not have to deal with any bills..except back here in PA.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 7, 2009)

Mildcat said:


> There's free porn on the internet??? I never knew that! :dunce:



You're the sucker paying $29.95 a month???


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 7, 2009)

bigbog said:


> No matter what anyone's doing...I think that's pretty _On Target_ drjeff.  Use it or lose it! Doing something stimulating in life is what seems to keep people feeling and acting young[er]...



A colleague of mines spouse worked with a group of people who collectively won over $100 million in one of dem dere big Powerball Lot-trees..well anyway..each of them ended up with $10 million after taxes and within 3 months, 8 of 10 had quit their job...

I don't play the lottery..seriously, I don't even want 10 million, I'd be happy with lifetime season pass to Blue mountain..which I should already have for all the free marketing I give them..hint hint Barbara Green if you're reading this..:smile:

I agree with bigbog and DrJeff that you have to use your brain.  I watch Jeopardy alot and kill it dawg!!!!...My oldest buddy who is 83 years old has been retired for 20 years.  He lives off of Social Security and collects a small pension.  His parents bought the house he lives in now for $5500...and he plays the lottery everyday.  Just $3 a day..Just under $1100 a year but his reasoning is that if you don't play you won't win.  He's living the Dreamand once you get to be 83..women outnumber men 3:1...JEA!!!


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## Mildcat (May 7, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> You're the sucker paying $29.95 a month???



I just call the bank later and say I never made those charges.


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## mondeo (May 7, 2009)




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## Marc (May 7, 2009)

You're a sick man, mondeo.

I knew there was a reason I liked you.


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## Terry (May 8, 2009)

We paid off the house, it is in a nice area close to ski areas, my wife and I are best ski buddies, both kids are doing well, all my family are close by, I have 2 beautiful grand daughters, everyone is healthy, we both have jobs that keep the mind stimulated, I skied 100 days this winter with lots of friends, there is lots to do around here in summer, and am totally happy. How can it get any better than that? Yes I would say that I am living my dream!


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## Glenn (May 8, 2009)

drjeff said:


> The one thing I doubt I could ever do right now in my life, even if I won the lottery is retire.



I agree 100%. I'd probably start my own small business...doing what...who knows? Landscaping, A small oil change/tire rotation garage. Just something to keep me semi busy. 

A mechanic up the road from our office was somewhat living the dream. He hit the lottery for a few million a number of years back. He opened a small garage, hired his son as the mechanic and he ran the office. Great bunch of guys; very fair prices and they often comp'd people on little stuff.


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## deadheadskier (May 8, 2009)

I have a lot to be thankful/grateful for and have achieved many of my dreams, so in that essence I am living the dream.  However, I will always have dreams that I want to achieve; don't ever see myself a point in life where I've stopped dreaming.  

Wining the lottery or having something else happen in life that eliminated my need to work would be a beautiful thing and I would retire from working absolutely.  I'd become a professional volunteer instead; local animal shelter, boys and girls club, perhaps buy a 15 passenger van and sponsor an introduction to skiing program for kids in the local school system.  There are no shortage of things that I can think of that I could do to keep my mind active.


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## mattchuck2 (May 10, 2009)

I am definitely not living the dream . . .

The dream (for me) is to cruise around in a sweet, tricked out van from ski area to ski area constantly following the snow.  Storm hitting Utah?  I'm there.  Heli skiing in BC?  I'm there.  I'd drive to Chile for the summer, or catch a plane to NZ if I wanted to.  If I ever needed a break from skiing, I'd hop a plane to Tahiti, Bermuda, or anywhere else I could think of.  I'd plan out expeditions in my spare time.  Haute Route?  Why not?  Trek to Everest Base Camp?  Would be cool to see.  I'd make it a point to ski on every continent and swim in every ocean.  I'd have a debit card that has millions of dollars in the account so I'd never run out.  And I'd have a revolving crew of misfits and drunks to do everything with me.

I mean, my life isn't really THAT bad now.  I'm just saying, if I won the lottery, there's no way that I'd keep my job (or any job).


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## JimG. (May 17, 2009)

mattchuck2 said:


> I am definitely not living the dream . . .
> 
> The dream (for me) is to cruise around in a sweet, tricked out van from ski area to ski area constantly following the snow.  Storm hitting Utah?  I'm there.  Heli skiing in BC?  I'm there.  I'd drive to Chile for the summer, or catch a plane to NZ if I wanted to.  If I ever needed a break from skiing, I'd hop a plane to Tahiti, Bermuda, or anywhere else I could think of.  I'd plan out expeditions in my spare time.  Haute Route?  Why not?  Trek to Everest Base Camp?  Would be cool to see.  I'd make it a point to ski on every continent and swim in every ocean.  I'd have a debit card that has millions of dollars in the account so I'd never run out.  And I'd have a revolving crew of misfits and drunks to do everything with me.
> 
> I mean, my life isn't really THAT bad now.  I'm just saying, if I won the lottery, there's no way that I'd keep my job (or any job).



Me neither...and me too.

I like the way you think.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 20, 2009)

I want to be friends with a pro... http://vodpod.com/watch/1572909-my-friend-is-a-pro


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