9 DAYS!

I would like to welcome everybody to my new blog, and show you my journey of a month during the Winter Olympics. I am psyched to have been chosen very early on as a volunteer, and unfortunately a lot of my friends didn't make the cut. I was even very close of letting it all go if I wasn't picked for the Canada Hockey Place but - I got that position almost right away, in the early summer of 2009. I got red mittens right when they were available (Thanks Marie-France) and I seem to be very enthousiastic about everyone else showing their red mitten pride - therefore I'm dedicating this blog to my mittens and me, going to Vancouver and discovering the ''Olympic Magic''.

I will be leaving in exactly 9 days to take a plane from Ottawa to Edmonton, and from Edmonton, board on the train to make my way up to Vancouver. Why the train you may ask? Well, basically I won 500$ gift certificate from VIA Rail at the Telfer School of Management Golf Tournament, and figured to use it here - 26 hour train ride through the Rockies with access to the bubble train where I can view all of the beautiful mountains while on my way up to Vancouver, and having free expensive meals and a bed is definitely worth it as well!

I haven't really been too excited about the Olympics until now, realizing how close they are. I have been really busy with student related activities at Telfer, heck, I am even going up to Chicoutimi this weekend for a conference. But I'm starting to be extremely excited, and figured this would be the best time to start a blog, and share this experience for the next month, and keep it as a memory forever.

My brother Steph is coming with me and we'll be staying at my friend's Dad's place, seperate room and all. He hasn't said anything about charging money yet, but we'll definitely pay him something, at least to cover utilities and more. He's already been very generous and can't wait to meet him and live with him, for about a month! My brother on the other hand, will be volunteering at Cypress Mountain, hopefully where they can have enough snow in time!

During my stay, I will be going up to Whistler on March 1st to experience that one mountain I've been meaning to snowboard on. I'm an avid glades rider, and I've been snowboarding a lot at Jay Peak lately. Mont Tremblant is definitely becoming too commercialized for its own good, and Jay Peak has the perfect balance. Next up: Blackcomb!

That's it for now - clearly I'm not the best writer but I will most certainly share beautiful videos, pictures and thoughts during February right here!

Gen & friends with the mittens