The advertisement has been running for the past two weeks and if you tuned in to any of the Olympic coverage, there is no way you could have missed it. The heart-warming tagline: "Vancouver 2010… you’ve gotta be here!"
And if you tuned in to today’s (Sunday) US vs. Canada hockey game, you may have turned off the television with the same feeling: "You had to be there."
Regardless of your nationality or NHL franchise affiliation, it was a well fought and well played game… down to the very final and bitter puck in the goal. And even despite the United States’ loss to Canada by a score of 3-2, it’s been quite some time since I’ve _______
I am grateful that there was very little televised gap between the final hockey game and the Closing Ceremonies of the 21st Winter Olympiad.
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And isn’t that what the Olympic Games and competition are about? Isn’t it about reaching inside yourself and grabbing hold of that hidden hope that states confidently, "You can do it"? Isn’t it about that defying and defining of that one moment in your life? 
As for 2014, the Olympic Winter Games will find their ultimate home in Sochi, Russia. And not to worry. I have already purchased and have worn my Sochi 2014 hat. But four years I will need to wait and relive the moments of the 2010 Games. And yes, I will relive and remember them. I will let them energize me and motivate me. And I will let them reinvigorate the child within me. For, again, isn’t this what the Olympic Games are all about?.JPG)
I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have been asked over the past two days, "So, how was Vancouver and the Olympics? Did you have fun?" In all honesty, there is no statement that can ever adequately capture the emotion and excitement of a personal attendance to the Olympics. And to say it was "amazing" is simply an understatement. It may seem silly for me to say (having attended four Olympics), but it truly is a "once in a lifetime" feeling. As I stated to a friend, "I have just been very lucky to have lived four lives.".JPG)
But what will stand out in my mind most about our shared time in Vancouver? The U.S. women’s hockey victory over Sweden in the semi-finals? Walking the downtown celebrations of Vancouver and the Olympic Village at Whistler? No, it will always be the most subtle of moments along our journey.
If there was ever a time to relish a pivotal sporting moment in time from a hometown perspective, it would have to be that balmy Sunday afternoon on February 21 in Vancouver, B.C. And if you only had the option to watch it from your living room, it would still be exciting. A fevered pitch was running high across the greater Vancouver area as Canadians from near and far took to every bus line, ferry and Sky Line route to find a seat at a local downtown Vancouver pub by early morning. The puck was going to be dropped at 4:40 pm local Vancouver time and every Canadian man, woman and child planned to witness it. After the fact, the Canadian news reported it was the most televised sporting event in Canadian history.
As the sun set over the ridges surrounding Whistler, murmurs had spread up the bobsled route: the United States struck first and scored early. A subdued congratulations was shared among those from the lower 48, as they were surrounded by a sea of red maple leaves.
It was a similar mood when my son Leo and I attended Monday’s hockey semi-final between the United States and Sweden women (photos on right). Washed in a sea of red, the game erupted with a collective audience cheer, “Go Sweden go! Go Sweden go!” Leo asked me, “Why is everyone, including the Canadians, cheering for Sweden?” The answer quickly came from two local couples sitting near us, “Because we are afraid of playing the Americans in the gold medal match.”
Amidst the overwhelming cheers on the street, “It’s our game (hockey) and no one is going to take it from us!” the Canadian community didn’t seem to absorb the importance of Monday night’s gold medal victory of the Canadian couple in ice dancing. Ice dancing is a sport that has been overwhelming dominated by USSR (Russia Federation) and can be claimed as "their game." But no one told the Canadian couple that and they took home the gold.
Awakening to Day 10 of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, my son Leo and I set out for our second day of Olympic competition. But this particular day was much different than yesterday. It had a very pensive edge to it; as if the fate of the world depended on its outcome. And then I realized the somberness and anticipation in the air: Canada Men’s Hockey would be playing the United States at 4:40 pm local time.
Having never witnessed a bobsled competition up close but always wanting to compete in such an event, I was speechless and ecstatic at the same time. To mix Olympic competition among the spruce, snow and vistas of British Columbia is simply intoxicating.
For those considering Vancouver during the non-Olympic time of the year, it is most definitely an area to visit again and again. As for our Canadian friends in the greater Vancouver area, you couldn’t ask for more friendly volunteers and hosts… just be sure to catch them on a day when they haven’t lost a hockey game.
Hello from Vancouver and the 21st Winter Olympiad! After four years of planning and preparing, my son Leo and I are finally in this beautiful city of the 2010 Olympic competition.
"I have only sent her one email since she left for Vancouver," she stated, "and it was only to ask about the weather and to tell her that I am proud of her." As a concerned mother, she was not very happy with Canada’s pounding of Sweden in the February 17 match. Ranked fourth in the world coming into the Olympics, Sweden and Eric (No. 13) – and her mother and father – will face the United States team on Monday. And Leo and I will be present as well… it’s a very small world these days.
Literally being on a plane and on our feet from 6 am until 12 am (Central Time), my son Leo could only last two periods. We took the next Canada Line ride back to our hotel as Belarus (the crowd’s favorite underdog) went on to beat Germany 5 to 3. And Leo didn’t stay awake long enough to hear me say "good night." It’s a great day at the Olympics when you’re with your son and your best friend.
Friends and Family:
The Winter Games of the 21st Olympiad continue on, full of surprises, disappointments and most assuredly, drama. The 2621 athletes from 82 countries competing in 84 different winter events came to Vancouver, B.C. with a singular mantra: Citius, Altius, Fortius.
