Ok, so I may have just slept the entire day away, but my thoughts today are centered on the unusually lively spirits of Vancouver locals. When I responded to the ‘Team Head Up Grouse In The Middle Of The Night Outing’ call from Emme, I thought we would be struggling to find anyone interested in having fun with us. That was not the case! At 3:00am, there were close to 100 people at the base of the mountain waiting in a long line, and despite the fact that the coffee shop was closed, none of them were grumpy! People were even smiling and cheering loudly for the drunk party mountaineers as they watched them unload from the gondola. Usually, I can’t even get a smile from Vancouverites when I say hello on the street! I was amused by the different outfits I saw that would normally be considered too silly to wear in public.
Our experience on the top was even better. Spontaneous kisses for Emme, stories from unknown great athletes, Canadian flag cape-wearing skaters, and free expert snow tips for our own novice Mario were some of our most pleasant surprises. We even got our snowshoe guide to do ridiculous yoga poses on top of the mountain (Well, our ‘top’ was only half way since Emme kept slipping and giggling, my water bottle kept falling out of my pocket and rolling way back down, and Mario was just trying to breath.) Everyone we met was more than willing to participate in our shenanigans and held back nothing in the quest for a good time.
I’ve noticed this new Vancouver spirit spilling over to my regular daily interactions at the kids’ school, stores, banks and the lines I’ve been standing in to party at the different Olympic houses. I’ve made more instant friends this week than in my entire time living here. Perhaps it’s the infectious attitudes of our international visitors, or maybe it’s because we all feel united as Canadians fired up to win, but whatever it is, I hope it lasts. Please keep the love alive Vancouver, and don’t go back to sleep!
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