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Welcome(ing myself) to Whistler

My name is Braden and I'm from Saskatchewan. Nice to meet you. How are... things? I'm sorry, it's just such an odd thing, to write about yourself.
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My name is Braden and I'm from Saskatchewan.

Nice to meet you. How are... things?

I'm sorry, it's just such an odd thing, to write about yourself. I'm not sure if it's universally hated among writers, but it's something I know I'm not alone in dreading — the introductory blurb.

I'm never quite sure where to start or what to include, or how I'm going to come across to readers.

But at least I'm fortunate enough to have had a few weeks to settle in before having to pour my heart out to Pique's readership.

According to Pique sports reporter Eric MacKenzie, he was tasked with writing his first Whistler column about two weeks after starting at the Question a few years back.

We pulled it out of the archives the other day so I could see what I was up against, and it was remarkably similar to what I might have written if I hadn't seen it first — prairie boy moves to Whistler, likes it. I briefly considered cutting and pasting it into a Word document and switching his byline for mine.

But no, that wouldn't do.

So here I am, typing out my thoughts in a somewhat-aimless introduction that I sincerely hope you're all enjoying.

Or at the very least, still reading.

This painful exercise has reminded me of my first awkward attempt at introducing myself to strangers through widely distributed print. It was back in 2011, in an upscale living magazine full of subliminal advertising — the kind of glossy publication you ignore in doctor's offices or hotel lobbies.

I don't remember now exactly what I wrote, but seeing as it was my first paid gig, there was likely a distinct lack of substance. They also needed my "headshot," so just imagine me trying to look distinguished in a bedroom selfie if you'd like to complete the image.

After that ill-advised foray into non-journalism, I spent time freelancing for weekly newspapers in Saskatchewan before somehow landing a job with the Prince Albert Daily Herald in 2012. I didn't have any formal training in journalism at that point, but by the time I left I was a cynical jerk with the best of them, and my introductory blurbs were slightly more substantial by the time I took the next step — finishing my degree at the School of Journalism at the University of Regina. After two years and two more internships, I did just that.

So how did I end up in beautiful Whistler, of all places?

It's a bit of a long story, but you're in luck — I've still got a lot of space to fill.

I had just finished my last semester of journalism school, and had little in the way of job prospects. A few months prior I had applied at the Prince George Citizen, but after not hearing anything on that front for some time I forgot about it.

Rather than stress about the impending doom of my impressive student loan, I decided instead to do some travelling.

Tofino sounded nice, and I had never been, so my girlfriend and I packed our things and headed west. My plan was to enjoy myself — maybe see a whale or bark at some seals — and worry about finding a job when I got home to good old Saskatchewan.

But then things started to happen.

I heard inklings of a job opening at CTV in Saskatchewan, where I had interned as a video journalist the summer before. I talked to the news director, who said he would get back to me about the position later that week (Thursday, to be exact).

So there I was on Thursday, waiting for the job offer to roll into my email inbox, when a different email came along. It was from Pique editor Clare Ogilvie. My résumé had been passed along by the Prince George Citizen, and she wanted to know if I'd like to interview for an opening she had.

Because I just happened to be in the area, I was able to drive up and interview in person. It's funny how life works out sometimes.

It was my first time seeing Whistler, and by the time I was leaving I knew that if I was offered this job, it would be hard to turn it down. But there was still that other job in the mix as well, and soon I would have a very difficult decision to make. Sure enough, by the time I got back to Saskatchewan I had two legitimate job offers on the table.

On one hand, there was video journalism in Regina. Sure, it's flat and the winters are awful but all my friends are there. My girlfriend is there. The Roughriders are there.

On the other, there was print journalism in Whistler. Pursuing my lifelong passion of writing in one of the most beautiful, internationally-renowned resort communities in the world.

It wasn't easy to leave the 'Riders behind (or my girlfriend), but in the end I couldn't turn Whistler down. But I guess you already knew that, because you're from Whistler and you're reading this awful column.

So, in a roundabout, meandering way, that's my story. I'm very much looking forward to getting out into the community, so I can tell some of yours.

That way, we can avoid getting into "Braden: The Puberty Years" in my next edition of Pique'n.