In 2001 I arrived in Canada having quit my US tech job, during dot-bomb, just after 9-11 with everyone waiting to see what'd happen next. Not many IT jobs out there then. Never mind, plenty hospitality jobs in Whistler :) Did couple of seasons there. Felt sorry for stressed out IT guys that came to fix the hotel's systems ;) Min wage, but tips too, and free stuff people left in rooms. Endless supply of free tea which I'm partial to ;). Lived cheaply - sardines'n'pasta, omelettes (yeah eggs were cheap then) , porridge. Had savings from tech work which was a cushion, but didn't break into them massively. In the end, returned to UK , had to be a bit sensible, got back into tech as jobs started to appear again. Was great fun working on a ski resort, albeit a bit rootless / transient too, wouldn't wanna do it for ever. Now its "been there. done that", I wouldn't return. When you've worked in tech, getting a basic job to tide you over in a "normal place" can be tricky becaue people think you're over-qualified and won't stay. At a ski hill, there are like, former lawyers as lifties. No-one cares. They're just happy if you aren't a stoner ;) People don't think beyond one season. A few people though end up managing hotels and stuff then can hop to something else. So for some its actually a good career move. For others they kept the wolf from the door with free lift pass. I'd recommend this to anyone for a season or two, if they've not already done it :)