Whistler living...

Well, I pretty much experienced the best day of work EVER yesterday! We arrived to Whistler on Monday night after some training in Vancouver and my new roommate, Nathalie (from Montreal...yes, I will eventually ask her to translate some Celine for me!) moved into our sweet little condo in the Bay Shores area. It's pretty sweet, I'm not going to lie! A nice kitchen and living area -- leather chairs, a couch, a real fire place and three rooms downstairs. We'll have to share a room at times during the Games but right now, we each have our own room and our own bathroom! SaWEET! :)

Yesterday we headed to the Athletes' Village and it was SO COOL! Security is quite high already and each vehicle and delivery truck is stopped and cannot come in unless your name is on the guest list or if someone is expecting you. We sign in and sign out each way and now have a special accreditation that we have to wear everywhere to be allowed to walk around the village on our own. This accreditation is good until January 22nd when the VPD and RCMP and Canadian Army come through the village and do a 'sweep' to make sure there is nothing suspicious. If want want to have anything on site (like food or snacks) for the Games, we need to bring it in before the 22nd...otherwise, it'll be quite a challenge to get through security for our shift! We had a really sweet tour of the village yesterday and went into the different rooms where the athletes will be staying...rooms from condos to townhouses and even a hostel style place. And everything is BRAND NEW!! I mean EVERYTHING! It is really quite something to think about all that goes into the Games and if only from the housekeeping side of things! New beds, frames, sheets, towels, mops, toilet brushes, vacuums...you name it...NEW! Today we moved all the boxes of cleaning supplies to the cupboards and storage lockers...yay, that was fun! ;)

The sponsorship stuff it crazy too! Coke is everywhere! There is an entire lounge area dedicated to Vitamin Juice...and in the Athletes Dining hall (which is in a massive tent..and the inside is super cool -- no one is allowed in there but we've snuck in twice already) is a full fledged and soon to be operational McDonalds!! Like, full on! The other food is set up in a market place style and it looks really classy -- and did I mention that Chef Michael Smith (you know, the taaaaall guy from the Food Network..."Chef at Home" etc.) will be the chef for the Whistler dining hall?!?! No big deal! :D

Hmm...well, I think that's everything for the first three days of work. Trust me, though, it's going to be CRAZY once the Games get closer but it's so exciting and probably one of the cooler things I've done in my life! I do imagine myself on the beaches of Maui quite regularly, however...it was a cold one today! I'll do anything to imagine my feet being warm! :)

Until we get closer to opening the Village (which so happens to be on my birthday!), we'll be working Monday to Friday, 8:30-5...which leaves weekends open for me to ski (debating a seasons pass...but whoa is it expensive!)! It's either ski or go down the luge course on the skeleton (head first!)...I'll be doing the later on Saturday!!

Woo!