a sad night

Montreal is one of my most favourite cities in Canada, possibly the world. I have been looking forward to the time I would spend here for weeks and I was lucky enough to have a day off in this great city. I had a fantastic time in Montreal but there was one thing that happened that made my heart hurt. The Olympic Torch Relay planned to have their community Celebration on my last night in Montreal. The setting was magical with the beautiful historic buildings and Christmas lights as a backdrop. Unfortunately twenty minutes before the show was supposed to begin the atmosphere was ruined; there was a protest. I love Canada and I appreciate the right to free speech but this demonstration was upsetting. I will not get into too much detail since I don't think that I am allowed to but I would like to say a few words. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion and I believe that all Canadians should be able to express these opinions but I do not believe that one person's opinion should take precident over another. That is, we are a country based upon free speech and equal opportunity and unfortunately I did not witness that on Thursday. The people that were supposed to go on stage in Montreal have been planning their Community Celebration for over a year. There are adults, children, Community groups and organizations that have been preparing for their one night of fame for the past year; these people did not get to showcase their hardwork on Thursday since the show had to be cancelled. There were torchbearers on Thursday that did not get to run because the protesting prevented it. I get to see the Olympic flame everyday and I generally get to see 2 Community Celebrations every day as well, but there is only one Montreal Community Celebration. I can appreciate that some people do not support the Olympic Torch Relay and ultimately the Olympics but I do not appreciate taking away someone's opportunity to be a part of history and generally speaking allow them to express their opinions and beliefs. Perhaps I am more hurt by the events on Thursday because I am emotionally attached to this program but regardless it was a sad night when there was not 'room' for 2 different view points in Old Montreal.

the poutine debate

I have eaten about 5 poutines in the last 2 weeks, maybe 6. I ate this much poutine for the sake of research; I was trying to find the best poutine in Quebec. The good news is that I did not tire of the delicious meal that is poutine. The bad news is I did not come to a conclusion on where the best poutine in Quebec is. It is hard to say what makes a good poutine per say, but ultimately it is the combination of cheese curds, poutine sauce (not gravy) and crispy french fries that make this Quebec dish so perfect and wonderful! Over the last 2 weeks I have eaten poutine in chain food restaurants, small town jems, for brunch, for lunch and even as a very late night snack; this was all for the sake of research. While researching I concluded that Quebec poutine is the best, hands down. It didn't seem to matter when or where I ate it in la belle province, it was delicious anytime and everywhere. The Quebecois just know how to properly layer the fries, sauce, cheese and then some more sauce on top. I may have already known this and I may not have needed to try quite so many poutines but I sure enjoyed all the exploration and it was a great excuse to eat one of my guilty pleasures. I will miss you Quebec and most of all your poutine.

With Glowing Hearts

To say that it is an amazing experience to carry the Olympic flame is an understatement; it is something that I will never forget. There are only 12 000 Canadians that have the privilege of carrying the Olympic flame for Canada before the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and I was one of the lucky few. There was this incredible feeling of energy and pride that ran through me as I was waiting for the flame to come around the corner and when I finally got to light my torch the feeling was so unbelivable that I can't even put it into words. Although the experience only lasted 300 metres I have never felt so proud to be a Canadian as I did during that moment. The pride and emotions that ran through me were unexpected as I ran through the tiny town of Le Bic, Quebec. I had lots of new friends from the relay cheering me on, my family had flown [and drove] in just to watch me run and I have been told that quite a few people watched online as well. I didn't expect to be so touched by the spirit of the Olympic flame but I honestly was. The same flame that was lit in Olympia, Greece on October 22nd and that has been transported through Vancouver Island, The Northwest Territories, The Yukon, Nunavut, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and now Quebec was passed onto my Olympic Torch and I had the privilege to carry the flame for Canada. I can say firsthand that the Olympic Torch Relay is something amazing that is truly bringing Canadians together. Everyday I am lucky enough to see thousands of Canadians come together and show a united front for their country and that truly is an amazing experience. Thank you to my family for travelling to see me and to all of those that watched me online. It honestly was a highlight of my life and I am happy that I had the opportunity to share it with you. Talk soon!

When on the East Coast

For those of you that know me well you are about to be shocked, for those of you that don’t you might not really understand why the following is so significant. In the past two weeks I have eaten mussels, salmon, halibut, cod, seafood chowder, shrimp, fish cakes, crab cakes, lobster and scallops. The most shocking part of this endeavor is that I was not forced to eat any of these things and that I enjoyed them (for the most part). I could have done without the fish cakes and the scallops but they were definitely manageable. You know the expression “When in Rome”…well when on the East Coast you must eat seafood. Maybe that isn’t entirely true, but I found myself thinking I had to eat it when it was on a hotel buffet and even more I found myself ordering it when I went out to restaurants. Mind you, it is pretty easy to narrow down your choices when you take the seafood or fish off of the menu out East. I am still not crazy about fish; I think that is something that I will never really get over. But that being said, sorry to all of those West coasters but Atlantic salmon definitely beats Pacific salmon in my books. My time on the East coast has taught me that maybe I am a seafood eater and at the ripe age of twenty-three I have finally gotten over my fear. Then again, maybe it’s an East coast thing because I don’t see myself running out to the Red Lobster in Toronto anytime soon.

The NFLD Moose

This is a story from Sunday November 15th. Did I ever mention that I love Newfoundland. I truly believe that it is the world of happy, shiny people. Everyone is very nice and my goodness, do they love to chat. I met a lot of Newfoundlanders in my travels but there are three in particular that I want to tell you about. On Sunday my alarm woke me up at 3:35AM, I rolled out of bed and into the lobby to meet the crew. We then drove 5 and a half hours to Channel Port Aux Basques NFLD where we boarded a 6 hour ferry to Sydney NS- it was an awesome day, just awesome [I hope that you sense the sarcasm]. The ferry from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia had the potential to be a low light on this tour, but I soon learnt that I had it all wrong as I met 3 wonderful Newfoundland truck drivers on my ferry ride. The thing about people from Newfoundland is that they love to talk, at least that's what I found in my 4 day experience, and they love to talk about Newfoundland in particular. I soon discovered that I dare not tell a Newfoundlander that I am from Toronto. They get this blank look on their face that demonstrates to me that they are genuinely sad about the fact that I live in 'that place'. I now say I am from Southwestern Ontario, it seems safer and now they smile at me. Anyways I seem to have gotten distracted, back to my truckers...I met them in the terminal waiting for the ferry and I am pretty sure we chatted for 45 minutes. Did you know that there are no porcupines in Newfoundland? There are also no snakes. It makes sense once you think about it, how would they get there, Newfoundland is an island after all. I told the guys that I had seen 3 moose on the drive from the hotel to the ferry and they told me that there are 150 000 moose in Newfoundland. So I had to ask, if a porcupine can't get to Newfoundland how does a moose get there? Well let me tell you I sure am glad that I asked. In fact, the truth is that way back when someone brought 4 moose to Newfoundland and from there the population grew and grew. Oh and in case you were wondering Newfoundland does not have any crime, no not in the way that Toronto does, because as we all know 20 people are murdered every night in Toronto and I would be crazy to walk anywhere alone in Toronto, ever...oh my sheltered Newfoundland truckers you make me smile. Throughout our wonderful chit chat I learnt a lot of interesting things about Newfoundland and the rest of the world for that matter. I am not sure that I am going to take everything that they said completely to heart but it definitely added a little bit of entertainment to my day. As I was saying my goodbyes before boarding the ferry I asked the guys if I was going to see any whales or dolphins, they told me probably not and I went on my merry way. About two hours later while I was eating lunch one of the truck drivers came over to my table to inform me that there were dolphins racing the ferry. I ran outside and tried to take pictures [unfortunately it was too foggy] but I did get to see close to 40 dolphins frolicking in the Atlantic. I thought it was very sweet that one of my truckers took the time to search the ship and find me just to tell me there were dolphins. Another reason why I love Newfoundlanders.

family dinner

As I had suspected keeping updated blogs has been challenging due to a few factors; I am never sure when I will have reliable internet and sometimes I would rather go to sleep than blog..sorry! That being said, this is a story I wanted to share from November 14th in Grand Falls Windsor, Newfoundland.

RBC has an Olympian program which enables current, past or hopeful Canadian Olympic athletes to train and compete, but also RBC hires them on part-time so that they can gain work experience (and money). Throughout the relay we have different Olympic athletes 'popping-in' to sign autographs at our Celebration sites. On Friday, Richard Dalton, an Olympic Sprint Canoe competitor, joined the Torch Relay crew- he will be with us until our stop in Halifax on Wedneday. He actually lives in Halifax, NS but his parents moved to Grand Falls Windsor in Newfoundland which consequently was where our evening Celebration was on Saturday. Richard, or Rich since we decided we were on a nickname basis, had told us that he was heading to his parent's house after the Celebration for dinner...but on our way to the Celebration he extended the invitation to Kat and me. WE WERE SO EXCITED! I know it sounds a little strange to be that excited about dinner, but that meant we weren't eating hotel food that night and we could change out of our uniforms as soon as we got back to the hotel [we are required to wear our uniforms to every meal, as well as, all day].

Kat and I headed to Rich's house with big smiles on our faces and were greeted with three more smiles as Rich opened the door. There house smelled like a home, which was refreshing and wonderful. We had a home cooked meal that wasn't questionable and of course it was delicious. It was great to sit around a table and to not talk about the relay. There was one point during dinner where I was talking to Rich's mom, and Kat to his dad- Rich was just sitting there all alone. I had to laugh at this because Kat and I are so starved for 'normal' chat that we hogged his parents and wouldn't let them go. We chatted through dinner, dessert and tea. It was pretty clear that Rich was falling asleep mid conversation but Kat and I weren't ready to give him his family back just yet. I went out to the car and grabbed a torch- we had family picture time with the torch and the Dalton's were pretty excited. It was a really great night and it was wonderful to spend some time in a home for a change...I would love to tell you more but I have to get going. Have a great day and miss you all!

snow

Hello from St.John's where it is snowing! After a very early wake-up call and a long flight I am finally here on the East Coast- my first time ever! We arrived at about 1:00PM and were told that we didnt have to meet until 6:00PM which in my mind meant that I could go explore the sights of St.John's NFLD but no dice. Today is Remembrance Day and although most businesses still operate in Toronto on this day, most do not on the East Coast. With that I will say that St.John's will still be here tomorrow so I sure hope that I can squeeze an adventure or two in. Lest we forget.

4 down, 102 to go

Hello friends, greetings from seat 17F aboard a plane that is taking me home to Toronto for a few days before I head over to St.John’s NFLD. The flame is in Whitehorse tonight with a much smaller crew and although I was disappointed at first that I wasn’t going to be able to experience the Territories I am very thankful for the fact that I just woke-up from a nap and that I have a few days to work hours that are a little bit more normal, comfortably from my desk at the GMR Office. I have also come to the conclusion that keeping my blog up-to-date and with as much detail as I would like is going to be quite the challenge but luckily I am a fan of challenges…so here we go again for my second official blog ‘from the road’ or I guess from the air.
As I wrote a couple days ago I spent day 1 of the relay as a promo rep. It turns out that since I did such a wonderful job smiling, waving and cheering and since we were still short staffed I became an honourary promo rep for the duration of Vancouver Island. It is now safe to say that I can’t wait to have my real job back when we hit-up Newfoundland. Don’t get me wrong I actually had a good time with this job and I am so grateful that I was able to experience what it is like to be a part of the convoy, but the promo reps have a tough job and they have to be happy and ‘on’ for hours and hours every day. My start time was usually 4:45AM and I didn’t end my day until 8PM- that is a long time to be happy and smiley no matter how optimistic you are. Because the convoy is on such a tight schedule that has been planned well in advance we were lucky if we had time for lunch, let alone a pee break. Let me tell you, I will now bow down to the promo reps when I see them because my gosh that is a tough job and I am pretty confident that I couldn’t do it for 106 days straight. That being said, since I am not a promo rep and actually have my own job to do, my day didn’t usually end until about 10 or 11 so let me tell you I look absolutely beautiful right now [oh sense the sarcasm]. In fact our whole team looks pretty hot; we are quite the sight travelling together since we all look like we’ve been partying Vegas style for 4 days straight.
Something that was beautiful however, were all of the communities I travelled through during my time on Vancouver Island. Some of these places were so small that the whole entire town must have come out to see the flame and to be part of history. People lined the streets no matter what time of day it was and whether it was rainy (and it often was) and cold or sunny and warm. Proud Canadians were everywhere to be seen and I promise you the majority were very proud. The only thing that got me through the endless hours of having to cheer were the smiles that greeted me as the convoy passed through town after town. We went through Mennonite communities, Native communities, small villages and large cities, but no matter where we were I saw endless people, smiles, cheers and even tears. My favourite part of being in the convoy was that I got to see each torchbearer before they ran. Some of the torchbearers were so nervous that they could hardly speak and others were so excited that they could hardly stand still. It was really inspirational to see these people waiting to carry the Olympic flame for Canada and to see such a large amount of people coming to watch them do so. This job has thrown some tough days and some long hours my way, but I am really happy that I get to be a part of this because it truly is a memorable event. Actually with that being said, I wanted to give a shout out to all the people that I saw wearing Calgary Torchbearer uniforms. How cool is it that people who ran with the Olympic flame in 1988 came out to watch their fellow Canadians run with the torch for the 2010 games. If you ask me I think it’s pretty friggin’ cool. I wonder when Canada will get another Olympic Games and if I will be fortunate enough to watch the flame run across the country once again. Maybe I will even wear my torchbearer uniform too.
If you have managed to keep reading through my novel of a blog entry I commend you and I will give you a reward of not having to read anymore because I have a nap that I need to get back to. Thanks again for reading and I will be ‘talking’ to you soon. Goodnight :)

Wow

Wow is pretty much the only word I can think of to describe what I have experienced today. I have literally seen thousands of people cheering on the Olympic flame and it was one of those experiences that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. So warm and so fuzzy that I am pretty sure I am going to keep these memories on file for when I am having a bad day because they are just that good.

First things first, I went to bed last night seeing coverage of the Olympic Torch Relay all over the news and then when I woke up this morning there was even more coverage. Maybe it is because I am in Victoria that I saw so much about the relay, but it was pretty freakin' cool to know that I have something to do with such a big thing. When I walked out of my hotel this morning there were crowds, barracades and police everywhere. The Legislative Lawn {where the kick-off and evening Celebration took place} is right across the street from my hotel and there were hundreds of people waiting in front of the stage to see the first torchbearer run from a canoe onto the stage on the Legislative Lawn; the flame had landed on Canadian soil from Greece, just about an hour beforehand.

From here my day took an interesting turn- I became a promo rep! Since we only had one Celebration today, I was technically supposed to be 'working from the hotel'. It became evident that we needed more people in the convoy cheering, dancing and hyping the crowd-up, and thus it was decided that I was returning to my days as a brand ambassador. To be honest I was a little bit disappointed because that isn't what my job is at all, but to be fair after about 20 minutes my mind had changed completely. It was amazing to see so many people line the streets just to catch a glimpse of the Olympic Torch. When I say that I saw a lot of people cheering on the flame, I mean more like thousands and thousands of people. Everyone was so excited and so happy that the flame was about to pass through their town that you couldn't help but to keep smiling, cheering and dancing. I smiled, cheered and danced for 9 hours straight- 9 hours! I am pretty sure I sound like a man and it definitely hurts to smile but it was really a great to experience what it is like to be part of that main convoy since I will probably never have the opportunity to do so again. That being said, this event is bigger than I ever could have imagined and please if you do have the opportunity to come out and cheer on the flame you should; it is an experience that will definitely make you smile.

Oh hi there, I've missed you

Hello blog, it's been quite awhile...I have missed writing on your shiny torquoise-ish wall. I think it's fair to say that my life is beyond crazy as of late and that to quite a few people [and my social life] I have been MIA. That being said, I don't think that there is a person in this world that could have been prepared for how much work actually goes into executing a National 106 day program! As we are all well aware, Canada is one of the biggest countries in the world and as some might not be aware, this is the largest Torch Relay in the history of relays...ever! The last couple weeks have been a whirlwind and I am being honest when I say that I don't really remember all that occured. I do know that I finally got to see all of our vehicles, all of our transport trailers and our entire footprint. I had the pleasure of meeting ALL but 2 of the RBC Torch Relay staff and I got to see all elements of the uniforms- things that I have seen on paper for months and months are finally coming to life! Half of the vehicles are on route as we speak for Victoria and when I arrive on Wednesday they will be waiting, the final shipment of uniforms is coming tomorrow (gotta love the down to the wire suspense) and then it's time for me to hit the road. Okay, I am sad to say this entry is short and sweet but I need to say goodbye. I just wanted to touch-base with my blog so that it didn't feel neglected. P.S I leave in just 3 days, woo-hooo!

Run with the Torch

Good news friends; I got a torchbearer spot! I actually found out last week but things have been so busy around here that it completely slipped my mind. So yes, I am one of 12 000 Canadians that get to run with the torch. The glorious date when I will set foot onto the icy road and jog a daunting [kidding] 300 metres is November 29th. I filled out all of my paperwork so I am just waiting to hear back from VANOC on the exact city. To be honest I could be anywhere and I would still be happy. I do know that I am running in belle province, Quebec. That being said, I guess that no one I actually know will see me run but c'est la vie, I still am a torchbearer and that's good enough for me! That is all for this kid tonight, thanks for taking the time to read my blog! Have a good one :)

Olympic gear revealed

Today the Hudson's Bay Company debuted their official clothing line for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. I was curious to see what they would look like and I am happy to report that I am impressed. HBC received a lot of slack for their Bejing outfits so good to know that they've redeemed themselves. There is definitely some love for the authentic Canadiana wool sweater from this girl but it's fair to say the rest of the pieces are on target too! Thanks for going back to what you know HBC and delivering a great line. Way to hit the vintage/modern mix and of course the classic red and white- also thanks for letting Steve Yzerman be a model ;) I'm thinking after work, I may just wander across the street to the Bay and check them out in person!
(click on the title of this entry for more info)

Found!

I am glad to know that there are still good people in this world. Today I received a phone call from a nice man in Courtenay, BC to tell me that he had found my wallet. Unfortunately we are playing a bit of phone tag so I haven't had the chance to talk to him 'in person'. I am curious to know what exactly is still in place since I have already started the process of replacing everying...but more than that I am just happy that someone had the decency to go out of their way, 411 my phone number and give me a call. I'm telling you karma comes back around, keep smiling!

Peace out BC

Woo, what a relief I am safe and sound on the plane. I am now on route from Vancouver expected to land in Toronto in a few hours. With all the excitement and concern that I may not be able to get home, I completely forgot to write about what a wonderful time I did have while I was in British Columbia. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever been, without a doubt the landscape is so breathtaking that I caught myself saying “Wow” out loud more times than I count. The people in BC just seem happier, and I’m not surprised. The air is fresh and the view, no matter where you are is gorgeous. I did so many interesting and fun things this week that it is going to be hard to write about them all and not lose your interest. I am going to give it a go so bare with me and if I lose you then I apologize in advance.

Like I said I was in Richmond for the Torch Relay Test Event, I flew in Monday morning and spent the next 4 days absorbing as much information and meeting as many people as I possibly could. I loved the experience but oh my goodness did I ever welcome my next 4 days of vacation. So on Thursday afternoon, I embarked on my first ever BC Ferry ride [one of many to come] and hit the open to sea for Nanaimo. Perhaps that’s a bit dramatic seeing as though the ferry ride is only 2 hours, but I was kind of fun to have this adventure all by myself. First things first, I headed for the top deck of the ferry. What can I say I wanted the best view that I could get and I was hoping to see some whales- I didn’t. Instead I saw numerous people on the top deck taking photographs of the mountains in the distance. I couldn’t understand why these crazies were taking pictures of a foggy mountain landscape and it was freezing up there, like not a little bit cold but ridiculously cold. It was so cold and so windy that I went downstairs and figured that at least I gave it a try; it was another one of those things I can say I did. When I went to find a seat I asked a nice looking man with an ‘I love Jesus’ hat if the seat beside him was taken, he said it was. He explained that a woman was sitting there but she had gone upstairs to take pictures of the whales- figures. From there I had a nap and waited for the ferry to arrive at the terminal.

Two hours later I was in Nanaimo. I had gone over to Vancouver Island to stay with a really close friend of mine, Brian. He works for the Canadian Air Force and is now based in Comox. I couldn’t see any reason not to take the opportunity of being in BC and having vacation days not to visit him, so I did. He picked me up at the terminal and I felt really bad for the guy because I was so tired and I am pretty sure I couldn’t even carry on a conversation. If I did, I don’t remember what I said. When we got to Comox, we had a really delicious dinner overlooking the harbour and called it a night. I know, I sure am super company.

The next 3 days seem to have flown by as I did all those touristy things that tourists do. We went to Coombs, where Brian informed me there was a market with goats living on the roof. I’m sorry, what? I totally overanalyzed the situation and tried to figure out how exactly the goats got onto the roof. Come on, did people put them up there and then leave them there forever? Or maybe they are put up there every morning as a tourist attraction, some kind of gimmick and then at night they are taken off of the roof and put into their pens? And if they live up there forever, what happens to their, you know, poop? Well needless to say, I got there and I walked around the entire building only to conclude that I have absolutely no idea how the goats got onto the roof and I have absolutely no idea how or if they get down. We then drove to Port Alberni, had a lunch overlooking a lake which apparently is ocean fed. Am I so crazy that I am the only person in the world that did not know there are salt water lakes? I probably am, but I blame growing up in a province that is absolutely nowhere near an ocean and everywhere near tons of freshwater lakes, that I was so intrigued by this lake. Brian laughed at me.
From here we went to a touristy spot, Qualicum Beach. I was on a mission to see a seal and I did not see a seal at Qualicum Beach so we moved on to Comox harbour. I spotted lots of starfish, and it was pretty cool to see them there, but let’s be frank they are not seals. We wandered over to the dock to see the fishing boats come in. It was cool to see the locals line up for the boats to return so they could buy fresh seafood. Did you know that one guy got 3lbs of shrimp for a bottle of wine and 4 beers? It made me laugh, but it wasn’t a seal. And that’s when I met Jack. Okay, so his name may not be Jack and while he might not even be a he but I saw a seal and I named him Jack. I took a picture of him. I liked Jack; I would yell his ‘name’ and he would look at me and stretch for the camera. Oh how Jack made my day. I think he made Brian’s day too; I think I may have stressed him out a little bit because I was so insistent on seeing a seal. Brian is not a seal whisperer so how can he promise an eager tourist that they will indeed see a seal on his watch?
After all of that we did even more touristy things and it was good to get away from the city life. I went hiking and swam in a glacier fed river...umm ok, so I put my feet in up to my shins and Brian swam. I know, I know but seriously it was some cold water [hence the glacier fed part] and there was no way I was getting in there. There were many more adventures had but if I haven’t bored you yet and you actually made it this far then I am going to count my blessings and cut it short. All in all I had a great time in the beautiful province of British Columbia and I look forward to my time there again in less than a month. I am thankful that this job allowed me the opportunity to visit and to take the time to explore. Until next time, peace out BC.

lost and found?

Well I claimed to be living an adventure and yesterday was no exception- my wallet went missing. Don't ask me how it happened, I want to think it was lost and not stolen but who knows. Regardless of where it is or how it got there, I no longer have any form of identification which ultimately means I have no way of getting home, or so I thought. Needless to say there was a minor freak-out yesterday when I realized I might be stranded on Vancouver Island [no hard feelings islanders] but it is pretty imperative that I get home. There was some serious re-tracing of steps, asking anyone and everyone if a wallet had been turned in but no dice. I was feeling pretty helpless and I like to think myself a pretty independant person but I didn't seem to have a good plan. In some situations you just have check-out all your options and I am glad that I did. My wondeful sister called a friend, who called her mother, who worked for the airline that I am flying and figured a way around the situation. Mind you, I am still having a minor freak-out considering I am flying again in less than a month and I need to re-apply for all my documentation but at least a crisis was diverted for another day. I learned two valuable lessons yesterday; I am not crazy for diagnosing myself as OCD and always double and sometimes triple checking I have my wallet; and two I learned that asking for help is sometimes a really good thing. Thanks Kimi, love you! :)

treasure hunting

Since I was in Vancouver I decided to use some vacation days and extend my visit. Today I went beachcombing in Comox, Vancouver Island. Before this week I had never put my feet in the Pacific, I guess it isn't much different than any other Ocean essentially, but at least it is something I can check off of that life list. I loved exploring the left-behinds after the tide went out. Do you remember when you were a little and anything could be a treasure to you? I know that I was that kid, I would find the weirdest things and I would love them like they were a precious treasure. I was really on a mission to find a live crab- I didn't, I found a dead one so I took a picture; I figured it was better than nothing. There were thousands of seashells, I opted against taking any, they seemed too avaliable. The thought crossed my mind to collect Oysters, since I don't eat them and I don't know what the going rate for them is I decided against them. Instead I focused my energy on sand dollars- it seemed like these were harder to find and I was a little bit excited when I found one; I collected seven. I am pretty proud of those sand dollars. I really liked combing the beach, it was some of the simplest fun I have had lately. It was great to act like a kid again, even if just for a half an hour.

I cried

This entry was written September 23rd- I am in Richmond BC right now, headquarters to the Vancouver Olympics Organizing Committee. I have taken myself away from the Olympic Torch festivities to write a quick blog; if I don’t do it now, I am pretty confident that my head might explode. I have been in BC since Monday morning and I think I have slept maybe 15 hours in those 3 days. I have spent those days learning all that I could possibly learn about the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. I am exhausted but this week is one of the most amazing things I have ever done and I know that all the sleep in the world couldn’t make-up for that. Monday and Tuesday, although informative and inspirational, are not exactly high up there on the entertainment value scale [there were hours and hours of meetings]so I am going to skip over them and tell you about today.

Wednesday September 23rd 2009, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, Test Event. My day started at 4:25AM, it was a 16 hour day for all 200 plus people; VANOC, Coke, RBC and the RCMP. I saw it finally- the big picture, that goal that we have all been working so hard to achieve, finally come to life! From the Torch handover, the Torchbearers running, the Media frenzy, the Celebration sites, the cheering, the excitement and even the tears, I saw it all. I know that I have said it time and time again but this event is literally a mobile unit of happiness throughout this Nation. There is absolutely no way that I can put the experience into words. I know this because people that have worked on previous relays have told me over and over just how amazing and emotional this can be and I had no idea what they were talking about until today. Let’s just put it this way, I cried today- twice. It wasn’t because I was sad, but because watching the final Torchbearer come into the Celebration, run that torch up onto stage and light the cauldron is indescribable. Mind you I am a little bias because I know how much time, work and energy has gone into taking this plan on paper and transforming it into reality. But looking around me and seeing all the teary eyes confirmed that it truly is an inspiring event. Reflecting on it now, I find it hard to believe that I was that touched by the moment but I was and I think that you will be too. If you have the opportunity to come to the Community Celebration when the flame comes through your town, please do, there is no way I can put into words what it is all about so it is something that needs to be experienced firsthand. Thanks so much for reading and if you have the chance, please click on the title of this entry to read an article attached.

Thirty-Four Days!

As of today there are only thirty-four working days until the Relay begins and I couldn't be more excited, more scared or more nervous! The stress level is high and there is a never-ending 'To Do' list, but in thirty-four working days that isn't going matter to as I embark on this crazy journey that I can only imagine will be life-altering.

This week I helped present RBC Torch Relay 101, to all of the current RBC Relay employees, as well as a lot of the new hires. For me it really put a lot of things into perspective; it helped me realize just how close we are to executing this event. It was really good to meet all of the new hires [as of now, only 11 of us are full-time] and it was refreshing to see their enthusiasm. I am noticing how easy it is to get wrapped-up and forget about the overall goal. That being said, meeting these 'fresh faces' reminded me of the excitement and questions that raced through my mind when I was first hired. In some weird way it was a reflection period as I realized how much I have developed and grown in this role. And with that thought I better get going; that 'To Do' list isn't getting any smaller. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

Pass the Karma

Do you know what the best part of my job is? The reaction and enthusiasm from mere strangers! After having a…umm…let’s just say ‘reflective period', I have decided that as corny as it sounds, I am making people happy and that is a good enough reason to stick with it. I know, sounds lame, but I kid you not, it is a good feeling and makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside when I hear the excitement. Whether it's excitment in a person's voice when I talk to them about their Community Celebration, or when they e-mail me to ask me a simple question; I can tell just how much they are looking forward to this one day. The torch may only be in their town for 20 minutes or a couple of hours but that's all seems relative because the Olympics are coming to them and celebrating in their community. I love the reaction suppliers give me as soon as they find-out what they are helping us achieve, there is an extra ‘bounce’ in their voice and they get excited to help with such a large nationwide event. I am not oblivious; I am very conscious that many people are anti-Olympics and that even more are anti-Olympic Torch Relay, but I think the positive outweighs the negative. I have read a lot of post-relay quotes and realized that people don’t easily forget this kind of thing and that the experience stays with them and I like that, it's encouraging to me. So the next time that I'm having a ‘reflective’ period, I am just going to think of that one person that is smiling because the Torch is coming to their town and I think it will help me smile too.

What did I get myself into?

Approximately 100 days until I officially hit-the-road and begin touring from one coast of the country, to the other and back again. The novelty is starting to fade; instead I'm thinking what did I get myself into? Looking at the map I think it's amazing that I get to travel to so many places in Canada, that I get a once in a lifetime experience that many Canadians can only dream of but then I have to pinch myself and remember it isn't going to be a luxury vacation.

I have been through the 106 day route close to one-hundred times, at least on paper. I have familiarized myself with how many days I get off in 106...that would be 6. I know that almost every morning I will leave my hotel before the sun even thinks about rising and that almost every night I will be pulling into a hotel well past the time the sun goes down. I have come to the conclusion that winter in Toronto (which I was convinced was the going to kill me) has nothing on the rest of Canada and that, in fact I will probably be cold for 106 days straight.

I am confident that this job is going to be one of the toughest things I will ever do and that it's going to test me both emotionally and physically day after day. To be honest I am terrified and excited but I wouldn't have it any other way. I will admit that I didn't fully know what I was signing up for when I accepted this job but I am very happy that I did and in some strange way I am looking forward to being cold for 106 days straight.

The job...

I am beginning to realize that most people don't actually know what my job is. On a daily basis I am asked if I'm the person that's going to be running with the torch, the answer is no. Technically speaking, the title on my business card reads; Advance Manager, RBC Olympic Torch Relay. I'm going to be honest with you, I am still trying to figure out what that actually means. For enlightening purposes I will tell you what I do know.

Torch 101:
* The torch relay will travel through over 1100 cities within Canada
* The relay will go through all 10 provinces and all 3 territories
* The torch itself will travel through anywhere from 3 cities a day to upwards of 20
* The convoy consists of over 250 people
* Almost every day there will be 2 Celebrations, 1 around lunch and 1 in the evening

Danielle's Job 101 (Prior to the Relay):
* It is my job to know the route inside and out...now when I fall asleep I don't dream about Curtis Stone, I only dream about the giant Easter egg in Vegreville and the logistics of travelling through avalanche zones in January
* Myself, along with the other 2 people that have my job title are responsible for liasing with RBC branches within Canada, as well as the people in the cities where Celebrations will take place (kind of like event planning times 200 Celebrations and approximately 300 RBC branches)
* I do a lot of other things within a day- put together a lot of documents,work on all the logistics and operations[executing a National event/tour], attend meetings and all that jazz but I will spare you, as those aren't as exciting

Danielle's Job 101 (During the Relay):
* I am not part of the convoy that travels with the torch, I will only go to the Celebration cities
* There are 2 other people with the same job as me. We will rotate daily; 1 person will do the lunch celebration, 1 will do the evening celebration and the 3rd will spend the day in the hotel/driving planning for the next day
* During the 'day off' I will call ahead to my Celebration cities for the next week or so to make sure that we are still on the same page and that the 'venue' is still standing etcetera
* During my 'on days' it is my job to ensure that the Celebration goes off without a hitch; I need to make sure that each city is upholding their contracts. I need to make sure there are no opposing financial institutes, I need to flag any potential protests, remove any marketing materials that are not Olympic Torch kosher, make sure things are set up correctly and the list goes on...essentially just the event marketing basics

So my friends, this is the nutshell of what my job entails. I am sure I am missing some things, in fact I am certain of it, but this covers the basics! Thanks for reading :)