Today’s Monday Meeting post has been postponed until tomorrow as I want to talk about the Olympics!

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I am so sad the Olympics are over. I’ve absolutely loved watching them for the past 17 days.

I know a lot of people hate the “I Believe” song (I actually really like it) but you can’t argue with this line:

“I believe in the power that comes from a world brought together as one.”

To me, the Olympics are one of the biggest symbols of peace. Sure, it’s all about competition, but it’s also about sportsmanship and teamwork.

Speaking of competition, what a game yesterday!

I remember where I was eight years ago when the men’s Canadian hockey team won gold at Salt Lake City. I had just finished my own hockey tournament in Hudson Hope, B.C. and a whole bunch of us were crowded around this teeny tiny TV in the arena lobby watching Canada and the USA play the gold medal game.

We erupted in cheers when Canada won the gold.

Yesterday, in the same situation but eight years later, I was in a local pub with the lovely Meghan, slugging back caesars and surrounded by people in red and white jerseys watching the USA and Canada play the gold medal game.

I’ll never forget the moment that Crosby scored the winning goal and the entire pub exploded.

I have always been incredibly proud to be a Canadian. But the last two weeks, well, it’s hard to describe in words how I’ve felt watching the Olympics happening in my country and my province.

The goosebumps I had when I saw fellow Canadians cheering, dressed head-to-toe in red, waving our flag and breaking out at random moments singing our national anthem.

The tears that welled up when I watched Joannie Rochette skate, when Jon Montgomery took his infamous walk through Whistler, when Alex Bilodeau brought home the first gold, when the Canadian Women’s hockey team won their third gold medal in a row and when Sidney Crosby scored that O/T goal.

The anger I felt when international media bashed our athletes for celebrating and “underage” drinking (the drinking age in Canada is 19 – and 18 in some provinces), called the event the worst olympics ever and got mad about the weather (which is obviously so out of our control).

The spotlight isn’t on Canada very often. We have a very small population compared to other countries of this size and we’re very often grouped into a category with our neighbours to the south.

We broke world records these last two weeks. With 14 gold medals, Canadian athletes brought home more gold medals then any other country has at the Winter Olympics ever.

Right now, we’re in the spotlight. And you know what? We deserve it.

I am remarkably proud of all the Canadian athletes that competed over the last two weeks on behalf of our country and, as always, I am so, so, SO proud to be a Canadian.

We were meant for this.

PS: How freaking beautiful is this province I live in and grew up in? You’re all welcome to come visit anytime

Morgan does this meme on Thursday’s and since I’m on the SLOWEST LAPTOP KNOWN TO MANKIND right now I needed a post that was short and sweet.

1. On that last note, my laptop IS in Kamloops but is currently being held hostage by FedEx. I will be procuring it today. Can’t wait!!!

2. F ya, Team Canada. F ya. Not only did we clean up with medals in the last couple days but our men’s hockey team KILLED Russia last night.

Watch out USA, we’re coming for you in the gold medal game

3. Exactly two months from today Eric and I will be jetting off to Europe! I have a feeling it’s going to sneak up on us real fast. Which kind of makes me nervous because I have a lot to do before then.

What are your three things this Thursday?

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So, if you’re anything like me, you spent the majority of the weekend watching the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games (Go Canada). I still cannot get over the fact that they’re not only being hosted in MY country but in MY province! Four hours south of me in a city I’ve been to several times! Amazing. Don’t even get me started on how excited I was last night when Alexandre Bilodeau won gold. The first gold medal ever to be won by a Canadian on Canadian soil. Omg, what an amazing and exciting moment for Canada!

I just love watching the Olympics!!!

Moving on, I thought we’d stick with the Olympic theme this week and talk about what kind of Olympic athlete we’d like to be?

Most of us do some kind of sport in our free time or played sports growing up. I think that being part of a team is so important for a child/teenagers development. It really is an amazing feeling to be a part of a team and to be involved in a sport. And, for the ones that have the dedication, talent and skill to grow up to be an Olympic athlete? Well, in my opinion, that’s amazing!

So, if I was an Olympic athlete I would want to be….

For the Winter Games, a hockey player. Easily. I’ve talked before about how I used to be a hockey player. I played the sport competitively for six years and one year I played very competitively and was chosen to be a part of Team North and go to a tournament that included all the best female hockey players in B.C. It was an amazing experience.

I will never forget what it felt like to be part of a team. It was an amazing experience and even though playing hockey basically dominated my life for six years, I don’t regret it at all.

For the Summer Games (which I’m not nearly as interested in as the Winter Games), a swimmer or a triathlete. Confession; I had to Google what all the different Summer Games sports are because I had no idea.

Anyways, I’ve swam for as long as I can remember and it is one of my absolutely favourite forms of exercise. Swimming is so meditative for me. I also chose triathlete because even though I’ve never done a triathlon it combines two things I love, swimming and running. I would just have to learn the biking part a little better! I actually plan on competing in a triathlon one day!

So if you could quit your day job and become an Olympic athlete what kind of athlete would you be for the Winter Games and the Summer Games? And did you dream of being an Olympic or professional athlete when you were a kid?

Oh, and once again, GO CANADA GO!