Luke Dillon, winner of Tourism Whistler's month-long Whistler Sabbatical Project, is back in his hometown of London, England, and as he gazes out over the big city he is still reeling from the life-changing experience of his sabbatical.
Dillon brought his school friend Tim Davis to share the fun, and the pair sampled the best of the resort, including heli-skiing, bobsledding, and tasting the amazing powder.
"I was joking to Tim as I was stood at the top of Lavender Hill, which is just around the corner from us, and couldn't understand why I wasn't sliding down it despite pointing both my feet downhill.... maybe I should wax and edge my running shoes!" Dillon joked in an email from Britain.
"I think my friends and family are a bit confused because I keep talking about 'puking', 'turns' and 'hits'. They have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about!"
Dillon said he learned a lot he could take back to his job in events planning.
"My work is normally based on helping people to have a good time... that's pretty much what Whistler is all about and my time there changed my perspective on the ingredients of a good party and gave me some interesting ideas," he said.
"London life is about working hard and being 'successful' in terms of money; people just accept that they are going to be bored senseless for at least five days of the week and spend their weekends trying to recover from work. Life really starts when you retire. Life is for living in Whistler and I am determined to take that mentality home with me, or failing that, head back to Whistler."
With London hosting the Summer Olympics in July, Dillon said he was given a greater sense of what to expect.
"It was really interesting talking to the people who were around during the Winter Olympics," he said.
"Although opinion was divided before the Olympics, whilst it was actually happening it was a real spectacle, everyone enjoyed it. I see the same thing in the UK in terms of opinion being polarized about how the Olympics will go and what it will be like, but I'm confident now that it's going to be amazing."
Kirsten Homeniuk of Tourism Whistler said no decision had yet been made about next winter's campaign, but added they were thrilled to host Dillon.
"He was an absolute dream ambassador for the sabbatical and the resort. He embodied the youthfulness of the Whistler brand. We were really able to extend all those unique experiences of what a visitor can get here," she said.
