Back to the real world...

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Well, some of my last hours in BC. I believe a tally of sorts is required:

-- Total Tim Horton's coffees consumed while in Canada; LESS THAN 20. Who knew that Whistler is a whore for Starbuck's??? I was NOT impressed by this fact.

-- Events attended in person; 2. Bobsleigh, my new passion. Was there when Canadian girls got gold and silver!

-- Events watched live on TV; As many as I possibly could, even through the curtains while treating clients! (hehehe) Kudos to CTV for their exceptional coverage of the Games.

-- Athletes met/treated; tons, and lots from wee countries I didn't even know existed. Have learned sooo much.

-- Friends for life made; more than I thought, and they continue to amaze me, even though the Games are over.

-- Epic nights out in Whistler; Nearly too many, I'm probably a candidate for a liver transplant right now. But between seeing Usher (not that I'm a big fan, but ya gotta do it), posing with the Olympic Rings/bobsleigh, seeing the flame lit, laughing so hard I couldn't even stand up, great food, even greater company and just being out in the town with a hundred TV's so you didn't miss a moment it was all worth it. So what if I'm a slight shade of jaundice?

-- Seeing the mountains everyday; Priceless, and I never got used to it.

-- Sense of Canadian pride; Has increased exponentially.

-- Love of live sport and emotional involvement while watching it; see above.

-- Dealing with Nodar's death while in such close quarters to it; Still working on it. There are images, sounds and feelings that I will never be rid of. Perhaps that's not a bad thing. It's been a while since a death hit me quite like that did, and it totally caught me off guard. Having to watch his teammates and family be told the news and hearing their devastation in the hallways of the clinic will haunt me forever.

-- Kindness from friends and strangers; Never-ending. The volunteers of these games are all stars, and the friends I have re-connected with and those I've just met never hesitated to help me in any way they could. These Games weren't just about the spirit of sport or the athletes themselves.

And last, but not least--Money spent; Oh dear god, I am not even going to check my credit card bills. I am just going to throw money at them until they go away. I don't regret it, but this is going to set me back for a bit! BC really does mean "Bring Cash", and Whistler means "Bring someone else's as well!"

I am so sad to leave....I can't even really watch any of the post-games stuff on TV because I'm in a wee bit of denial. However, I am listening to K.D. Lang's version of Hallelujah...which is not helping!

Goodbye, BC, goodbye Olympic Moments/Dreams. It's been life-changing, I shall never ever forget it.

Am off to continue living the dream.

Love,

S

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