I made it - barely!

Six loads of laundry, 7 paintings and 2 iced coffees later, I managed to pack everything in one suitcase in 30 minutes this afternoon and make it from St. George Station to Kipling and on the 192 Rocket bus to the airport with ease, and for only THREE bucks - too bad my bag was 16 lbs over weight at Pearson! There's nothing quite like unzipping a well strategized piece of luggage, only to have deodorant, one running shoe and a pink thong burst out and onto the airport floor. Thumbs-up to the Westjet Service Representative though, since she gave me the option of either paying $53 for the extra weight (ya, right), or to not loose my place in line and take out 16 lbs of weight and add it to my backpack, having two checked items instead of one. That was a good plan, and so I was left with just my purse and laptop... very freeing way to travel.

The other tip I found quite successful was to select the emergency row seat. As it ended up, I had the isle, with no one between myself and the window passenger and more leg room then I could ever use for my short little legs.

We landed successfully after four hours of solid TV watching - TLC, HGTV and surprisingly, I learned about Geisha and Nuns on Oprah.

There is more then a buzz in Vancouver, and from the time I get off the plane there is Vancouver 2010 symbols, signs and the turquoise, lime green and royal blue Olympic colours everywhere. Adds for the Olympic sponsors are everywhere but what I noticed first and most of all when I got off the plane - the various people in the turquoise volunteer jackets. Being the first time I saw the uniform in person, I got really excited inside. Then I heard "Paula!" and I looked to see Stephan waiting for me by the luggage! He explained that he and I could not speak anymore because there is an unofficial hierarchy between all the volunteers, with the turquoise ones being at the tops because we're the only ones "accredited", apparently. :P

I'm looking forward to exploring tomorrow, but tonight, I was so thankful for Stephan and Michael who had set-up a nice area for me to stay at their place. Michael even made me a home cooked meal.

Tomorrow's plan is to explore, try to pick-up my free opening ceremonies dress rehearsal ticket, get my uniform and the go to the ceremony. Lucky for me, Stephan has a pile of maps and documents to help me find my way. He even made me an extra key. You'd think this guy knew a thing or two about housing accommodations.

I'm hoping I can see Dave tomorrow as well. He's been here a week already, setting up many of the CTV venues, including: figure skating (had to list this one first!), curling, speed skating and women's hockey. He's already notified me that all the turquoise volunteers with VANOC are nicknamed "Smurfs" so I guess for the rest of the trip, just call me "Smurfette" =)

My computer tells me it's now 3:05am Toronto time and my iphone reads 12:05pm, but regardless of the actual time, I'm zonked yet too excited to sleep in my new home.

Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow will bring!

~ PG

In just under 20 days, I will depart on a 3 week vacation to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver BC, where I will be volunteering with VANOC as an Event Services Host and I will be watching the Opening Ceremonies Dress Rehearsal, the Ice Dance - Compulsory Dance competition and the Pairs Short Program. Both Figure Skating events will be held at the Pacific Coliseum downtown Vancouver.

Anyone who knows me well knows that Figure Skating and Synchronized Skating have been a part of my life since I was 3 years old. Most of my youth was spent at early morning practices in the chilly rink where I learned about dedication, hard work, sportsmanship, teamwork, what it feels like to win or lose, pass or fail and throughout my experiences on the ice, I met some amazing friends along the way. I am still skating on an adult synchro team because I enjoy it so much. The opportunity to see professional figure skaters compete for our country is truly remarkable and I am in aww of their talent and skill. In the words of Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, this experience "It's going to be LEGEN...wait for it... DAIRY"!!!

This adventure however, though not ideal in midst academic season at UofT, is something I put on my "bucket list" a number of years ago, and I made a commitment to make it a priority.

Fortunately for me, I will have the chance to stay with my good friend and former colleague Stephan and his partner Michael. Now working at Simon Fraser University and living in the Vancouver core, Stephan's small apartment will be the crash pad for myself and upwards of three other keen Olympic fans plus a cat! It will be worth whatever little corner of floor I get - can't wait!

My friends Becca and the Chris' and crew from Western will take a weekend trip through Vancouver to Whistler, so re-connecting with them around the spirit of the Olympics is tops on my list.

My roommate Ashleigh, who works in PR for McDonald's, will be at the games helping provide dreams and wishes for kids at the Olympic.

Dave works for CTV as a Broadcast Engineer, and he will be working 12 hour shifts streaming Women's and Men's Hockey to Canadians nationwide.

It's amazing the amount of connections I've made over the years, and who will be participating in the games in Vancouver. Once again, the excitement's building!

Having no idea what to expect when I arrive seems to be half the fun for me and since I know family and friends are excited to hear about my adventures, I've decide to blog the experience for those interested in following. So if you'll humour me through the next few months, I'll share my experiences first hand!

~ PG
,