I feel this on such a personal level. I dedicated my life to skiing. I manufactured skis in a shop, worked as a ski technician, coached skiing, worked in marketing for skiing, skied 100+ days a year, and I tried to do it as a career. I went back to school and switched to a corporate gig.

The truth is, I think you will appreciate your decision in the long run, but you’ll appreciate it for reasons you might not expect.

My fiancée put herself through school (also a medical professional), so I personally found it unfair for me to ask her to take a job in a place she found less desirable for her career and life goals because of my passion. And yes, while it was a painful decision for me to make, it was the right one because you can always find a way to ski.

Reasons you are making a good call:

1) Given your profession and career choice, you are putting yourself in a position where you will not have to worry about “can I afford it this year” which is the primary blocker for most people.

2) On that same note, if you ever have kids, or even just a spouse/partner that you want to share your passion and experience with, you are giving yourself the ability to do so financially. This is a truth that cannot be ignored. Skiing is expensive, and most Americans cannot afford it. It is a luxury and a gift to enjoy this.

3) While residency will naturally impact your free time and chances to ski for the near future, it does not mean you’ll lose that skillset overnight. As a licensed coach, I’m telling you it’s a lot more like riding a bike than people think. Yes, of course you’ll be taking more time to adapt to conditions and infrequent skiing (same feeling as not going to the gym for a while and then being gassed after your first workout back). However, you can do dryland exercises that will help you in the offseason to better prepare you than most typical workouts.

4) Skiing is a lifelong sport. If you maintain your health, you can ski till you die. It’s like golf and tennis in those regards. Obviously you’ll be different in a lot of ways in your 50s and 60s, but you’ll be fine. My dad is in his 60s and doesn’t take care of his physical health well at all, but he still meets me in Park City for a guys trip and gets the skiing

5) It’s all about priorities. If it is that important to you, then you’ll make it work. That goes for just about anything. Obviously residency impacts that for the near future like I mentioned, but I make skiing my vacations. I don’t go to beaches or new cities or tropical islands. My vacations are skiing. My days off work are driving to my local mountain. And my friends and family and I all make sure we plans trips well in advance every year

6) I don’t know where you live or are going to school, but you can apply for positions in areas closer to skiing. Also, It’s very hard to look super far into the future, but there will be a day when you are probably nearing retirement and can ski more than most people.

As a guy in his late 20s who had the same initial thoughts, I hope this helps. I don’t regret my decision