Guest blogger, TJ Greco

Now that I have been back in the states for less than 12 hours, I thought that it was time for a little retrospective while it was still fresh in my mind.  My time at the Olympics was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  As I had mentioned before, I had always wanted to go to the winter games, but being able go "behind the scenes" was something I will never forget.

The Olympics in Whistler was not all about the sport.  There is something about that town that is very "Euro-Chill".  People from all walks of life and from many different parts of the globe meander around the town in their aprez-ski attire soaking in the scenery and downing a few beers.  This all seemed to come together to create such a great vibe that I never even made it back down to Vancouver as planned.  There was just too much fun to be had in Whistler.

Occasionally while walking through town, you could run across a medal winner or two.  While getting some breakfast one morning, I happened to come across Amy Williams, the gold medal Skeleton athlete from Great Brittan. 

While Sheila did a good job of letting you all know about the Swiss (or Suisse as they say in Whistler) and their fondness for cowbell, she missed what happens when they turn it up a notch.  That's right folks....not only cowbell, but they love their alpenhorn too.

Throughout the village, there are many stages where the Olympic organizers arranged for popular bands to entertain the crowds.  You could ski down the mountain to grab some lunch just in time for one of the bands to kick off an hour long set.  Over the course of the week, I got to see many great bands.  While I did not see all of them, the Whistler Village played host to the Barenaked Ladies, Devo, Damian Marley, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, The Fray, and Usher.

Walking around the town, you quickly recognize just how many countries are represented at the games.  By the looks of it, I am pretty sure that not a single country left their fans at home.  I got to talk to three ladies who came to British Columbia from Germany in 1975 and loved it so much that they never left, an American truck driver from Oregon who hauled freight for the American teams and stuck around to watch the games, three German teens from Munich who skipped out on school to be at the games, the mother of a Canadian Bobsledder and many others.  The one universal truth that I uncovered is that no matter what the sport, Russians love their mullets.

....And no trip to Canada would ever be complete without the obligatory picture of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police....

I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.  It truly was the vacation of a lifetime.  The sport, the night life, the boondoggles, and the skiing were absolutely amazing, but it wouldn't have been half as fun if I was there by myself.  Thanks Sheil!