Loving a change in plans…

So slight change in plans today. Judy and I did not go to Victoria. The weather was so crappy when we got up this morning (pouring rain and chilly), and while that wouldn’t really bother me under normal circumstances, we were going to be paying quite a hefty sum for our bus tour today and thought the money would be better spent seeing Victoria (and the ferry ride) on a clear day. I was pretty bummed in the morning but I wasn’t ready to sit around all day, so I made plans to meet up with Heather. We both had a few errands to run so we spent the morning running around the city taking care of a few things.

Have I mentioned that I have become an ‘expert’ in the public transportation system here in Vancouver? (Well, when it comes to the Sky Train and Canada Line anyway – buses? Not so much). Thank goodness volunteers receive all free transit with our accreditation or I’m not sure I would have been going anywhere. The transit system has been really easy to navigate and I’m lucky that I’m living just down the street from the bus that goes right to the closest sky train station.  Not only that, it has ALWAYS been on time – to the minute! It didn’t take long for me to feel comfortable about getting around the city, and I’ve been managing it just fine on my own; not sure I’m ready for driving again – hope I still remember how to drive stick when I get home!

Heather and I ended up in Gastown this afternoon, which I hadn’t seen much of yet. We both finished up some souvenir shopping (you can get Olympic “anything” around here!) and then met up with our friend Taryn (and fellow volunteer) for lunch at this restaurant called “The Lamplighter Public House” on Water St. They had a gigantic big screen TV, and bars/tables facing it straight on. Little did we know that we stepped into the restaurant at just the right time. We got a prime, front row seat to witness the gold medals in the team pursuit and the Snowboard Slalom! This was the moment I’d been waiting for my entire Olympic experience; to be hanging with friends and a Canadian crowd, at a bar in Vancouver, witnessing Canada take home gold on home turf. AND – to witness two in a row in the span of five minutes was awesome. The entire place was cheering our team on, banging on the bar/tables etc, etc. When you’re out on the streets of Vancouver, you always know when Canada has won something because you can hear this collective cheer erupt all at once from the bars and restaurants on the street. It’s pretty incredible. The energy was awesome, and I couldn’t help but be grateful that our plans for Victoria fell through today.

After running a few more errands and seeing Taryn off for her last shift at the Main Media Centre at Canada Place, Heather and I met for a quick drink and some dessert and this restaurant that we’ve frequented a couple of times since we’ve been here called Aqua Riva (across from the Fairmont Waterfront). It’s not the most happening place crowd-wise (unfortunately it’s behind an Olympic security fence so a lot of people think it’s closed), but it’s been a good neutral meeting spot for us and has big screens and the most comfy leather couches. We said a final farewell to our good times at Aqua Riva with a piece of chocolate mousse cake and I headed off so that Judy and I could take Gord and Helen out for a nice “Thank You” dinner at Horizons restaurant on Burnaby Mountain.  But, not before we stayed home long enough to witness yet ANOTHER gold medal for Canada in curling (and a bronze in bobsled); witnessing Canada tie the record for most gold medals won by any country in the Winter Olympics. AMAZING. Go Canada Go!

I just got back from dinner and as I write this, I’m heading off downtown to meet Heather and Taryn for some goodbye drinks. (And yes, you are right in understanding that I have been out for quite a few meals and ‘drinks’ these last few weeks!) Heather flies back to Oakville tomorrow but Taryn and I will be meeting up somewhere in Yaletown at 10am so we can scope out a good spot for tomorrow’s game. I can barely keep my eyes open right now but I’m determined to just sleep in March! Unfortunately, tomorrow night after the game will probably be an easy one for me as I do some laundry, watch the closing ceremonies, and get packed to leave for Hawaii on Monday. In the mean time, I can’t even anticipate the kind of craziness that will ensue in Yaletown tomorrow! Once in a lifetime for sure – can’t wait to see it…

All my bags are packed…

…I’m ready to go!

It’s 12:30am on Saturday morning, the day I leave for the adventure of a lifetime. (That is so cliche, but I’m convinced it might be true). My wonderful friends just treated me to a great goodbye dinner. It was nice to be able to spend time with all of them in one place before I go – I keep forgetting about the fact that I won’t be seeing them for a whole month! We wrapped up the night with some drinks and board games before I had to force myself to leave so that I will be able to get up tomorrow (today!) at 5am to catch my flight.

Becky and Craig got this cookie from the doctor to tell them "It's a Boy!"

The night was made even sweeter by the fact that two of my closest friends found out the sex of their baby tonight and shared it with all of us – it’s a BOY!!! A very cool way to put a cherry on top of my send-off. Keep me posted on the baby action while I’m gone, guys!

My bags ARE packed. All 2 of them. This took 2 attempts – the first time I went for the more compact route, which didn’t really get the job done. So, I tried again with the ‘flattening’ route and that seemed to do the trick. I’m really not used to packing lots of heavier clothes (sweatshirts, sweater, jacket etc.) as the last couple of times I’ve traveled, I’ve been going to warmer destinations. I have a separate, smaller duffel bag for my Hawaii stuff and it fit just fine so no concerns there. Luckily, my aunt has offered to take my ‘Vancouver’ suitcase back home with her when she leaves, so I won’t have to drag my boots and ski jacket to Honolulu.

The butterflies are starting to set in a bit too, which is why I’m blogging instead of trying to go to sleep – I’m just too anxious! I have no idea what to expect…but…

Here. …..We….. Go!!!!!

Talk to you from Vancouver!

P.S. I just checked in for my flight online…I LOVE technology!

A Tale of Two Suitcases

Packing has always been a challenge for me. I am a notorious over-packer. Not because I’m afraid of forgetting something or am preparing for unexpected weather conditions, but because I like to have choice when I’m away from home; as though I was going through my own drawers/closets. As you can imagine, this is somewhat absurd and completely illogical! LOL. My over-packing tendencies have gotten better over time, but as my cousin Erin said to me the other night, my trip to Hawaii has now upped the level of difficulty on my packing for this trip. Not only am I gone for 4 weeks, but I have never been in a situation where I’ve had to pack boots with flip flops, and a winter coat with sunscreen. A challenge, but a good one nonetheless!

Currently, almost everything (I think!?) is in a pile on my floor/chair. I’ve been afraid to even attempt putting it into my suitcase(s) (1 medium rolling suitcase, and a smaller size duffel bag) for fear that I’ll have to start making some decisions on what to leave behind! In addition to these two suitcases, I’ll be carrying on my purse and laptop bag.  I’m planning to deal with all of this packing nonsense tomorrow night (after my dear friends are treating me to a goodbye dinner), because I know that really – there’s no way I’ll be going to sleep at a decent hour, regardless of the fact that I have to be up at 5:15am on Saturday – eek!

I also went to my last pre-Vancouver spinning class tonight, and realized how much I’m actually going to miss working out while I’m gone! Not to mention how terrified I will be to come back after a four week hiatus, especially after ‘experiencing’ all the good food I’ve heard about in Vancouver. I’ve gotten into a really good routine with spinning specifically, and I’ll be counting on my regular crew from the Tuesday/Thursday night classes to cut me some slack on my first class back!

In other news, many of my fellow volunteers have started their shifts and training this week, and are posting great accounts of their experiences during these first few days. For the most part, it seems that everyone is encountering very friendly volunteers and it sounds as though the energy in Vancouver starting to ramp up. The Facebook group for volunteers has been a fantastic resource, as we’ve all be doing our best to answer each other’s questions and I’ve been able to connect with several volunteers who will be working at my venue. Now that official volunteer roles are underway, I’m starting to realize how soon this is going to be happening….

Just two more sleeps!

When it Rains…

I have officially added the Vancouver weather forecast to my iGoogle page. Temperatures have been in the double digits this week. DOUBLE DIGITS! Granted, it’s also been raining. Every day. Because as I’m learning from the many people I know who have spent time in Vancouver, it rains there. A LOT. Back here in Ontario, temps have been in the negative-o with snow. While I am most definitely looking forward to the milder weather, I’m nervous about the ‘dampness’ I’ve been warned about in B.C.. But, I’ve always preferred rain to snow, so we’ll see how it goes!

The uncertainty of the weather is definitely not helping to ease my anxiety about packing. Footwear has certainly been the biggest issue, especially because I have been looking for one pair of shoes/boots that will fit the bill for everything, including my uniform. To achieve this I had to find footwear that:

a) would be comfortable for doing lots of walking and standing for 9 hours a day
b) somewhat water-proof or water-resistant to survive the rain
c) are ‘dark’ and don’t ‘take away from the uniform‘ (which is navy and light blue)
d) have no branding or logos showing

…and I wanted them to be somewhat stylish! Well, something had to give here but I did manage to find a pair of ‘light hikers’ that fit the bill on just about everything, provided the weather stays mild. If it gets colder than expected, I could be in trouble because there is no ‘winter’ protection in these shoes whatsoever. I also don’t think they’re as dark as they should be for my uniform, but they can’t fire volunteers for the colour of their footwear, can they? : )

I also picked up a white Canada hoodie from ROOTS while I was out, as they’ve asked us to wear white to the dress rehearsal for the opening ceremonies.

Oh yeah, and a pair of jeans too.

Ah…retail therapy.

…and counting!

Three weeks today, I will be touching down in Vancouver! I can’t believe this is happening so soon. I’m usually the type of person who would have everything organized by now; sure of what I’m going to pack, where I have to go, what I’m going to see. But the packing is stressing me out a bit and thinking about getting around a huge city I’m not familiar with is also a little overwhelming, so I keep putting it out of my mind! Luckily, Terri is an expert planner and has created a good little plan for us to ensure that every moment that I’m not working, I’ll be seeing everything Vancouver has to offer. We’ve planned to hit Granville Island, Capilano Bridge, the Vancouver Aquarium, Stanley Park and a couple of other sites. In addition, Vancouver is setting up some great LiveCity attractions where you can watch Olympic events live in several outdoor pavilions – very cool. I want to make sure that I still experience some of the Olympics while I’m not working, as being at home, I’d usually have them on TV in the background 24/7.

I’m so lucky to have so many friends and family coming out to Vancouver as well, and the list keeps getting bigger and bigger. I want to make sure that I have some time to see all of them at least once, so I’m trying to get everyone’s schedules! I’m probably the most excited to do some stuff with Erin and Tye. We’re going to take Tye to the Vancouver Aquarium, which I know he’ll love, and Erin says he’s already super excited for the hockey game. Spending time with Erin will be especially awesome, since going to the Vancouver Olympics is something we’ve been planning for years now. Still can’t believe it’s actually happening….

As the Olympics get closer, I also keep seeing lots of cool ads and promos that are really getting me psyched. Here’s one of my favourites from Coca-Cola: “He Shoots, He Scores!” If this doesn’t make you feel the Canadian pride, I don’t know what will!