Monday, February 22, 2010

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Olympic Spirit Has Arrived

There’s a certain vibe going on in Vancouver right now and I honestly can’t help myself from grinning ear to ear whenever I hear more or see more. The 2010 Winter Olympics are here: in my backyard, in my city, in my province, in my country and never before have I been so proud to be Canadian & Vancouverite.

Hosting the Olympics is such a huge and momentous occasion for our city/country that I feel like I should be taking in every single second of action and not missing a thing. I am overwhelmed with anticipation for our athletes and excitement for the celebrations to come. Canada won its first gold medal on home soil for the first time in Olympic history on February 15th – Alexandre Bilodeau in Men’s Moguls – and the medal ceremony? Can you just imagine being there, totally engulfed with joy and brimming with pride for this 22-yr old from Montreal? What about our second gold, Maielle Rickers for Women’s Snowboard Cross? It amazes me and brings me inexplicable amount of happiness to know that these folks (and all Canadian medalists) have been training so hard and they get to actually win on home ground. They may never again get to experience that.

And that’s a huge reason of why I’m overflowing with giddiness when it comes to these Games. They’re HERE. In Vancouver! And I get to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event, side by side with millions of others proud Canadians. The city of Vancouver looks absolutely spectacular and God is putting on an awesome show for those visiting this beautiful place; brilliant sunshine, snow-capped mountains and blue skies. Of course, being downtown is an experience of its own and one that I’m itching to be a part of; I haven’t been yet, can you believe it?! But you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be there soon with my camera(s) in hand, snapping away at these hundreds of memories that I’ll be able to look back on in 50 years and say “I was there…and there…and there…and there!”

I can’t wait to see the people, the buildings, the red & white, the events, the concerts, the lights, the sounds, the smells, the sights…and I can’t wait to feel the vibe.