For as long as I can remember, the Olympics (both Summer and Winter) have absolutely fascinated me. I can very easily describe what my day is like when the Olympics are going on: wake up, turn on the TV; watch the Olympics, go to school/work, come home, turn on the TV; watch the Olympics, sleep. When the Olympics are being played, it doesn't matter where in the world they are; I am completely mesmerized by whatever I see.
Of course, when the Olympics are thousands of kilometres away (and you're a rather impoverished student), seeing competition in person isn't really an option. The last time the Olympics were anywhere near me was Calgary 1988. Unfortunately, I was only 3 years old. July 2, 2003 changed everything for me. The 115th session of the International Olympic Committee in Prague, Czech Republic announced that Vancouver/Whistler had won their bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. It became one of my main goals in life to finally experience the Olympics LIVE in Vancouver.
Fast forward to mid-2008: the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) announces that Canadians can start applying for Olympic ticket packages on October 3. Naturally, I scrambled to find out as much information as I could on what ticket packages were available. Price was not something I concerned myself with. By the November 7 deadline, I had selected a package of tickets spanning the last week of competition. However, by the beginning of December, I had not heard so much as a peep from VANOC. I can't even describe the disappointment I felt. My only hope was the so-called "Priority Access Period": a chance for those who had bid on tickets to buy what was left over. The morning of December 12 was a mix of nerves and excitement. At 10:00am, I logged in and took my place in the virtual line for tickets. After a few tense hours (and some rather maddening internet glitches), I finally had tickets to the Olympics.
Now it's only a matter of containing my excitement until Tuesday February 16, 2010: my first Olympic event.
Coming up next: my Olympic schedule.
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