London 2012

Right around my two year anniversary of moving to London, and just a few hours after Special K was born (see previous post), another great event of 2012 happened: the Olympics came to town.

Now, in order to appreciate just how great it's been to live in London while the city has been hosting the games, you have to understand how far I've come from my total and utter disdain for the whole idea to begin with: 'What? The Olympics? In LONDON? Ugh! Don't they have perfectly good stadiums elsewhere? It will be so crowded! I'm gonna leave the city for the whole thing, meh..." Something like that.

As often happens, Hus was on the other hand totally correct in his assessment of the situation: it will be something magical, unique, once in a lifetime...so to set the record straight, it was indeed all of those things.

When the Olympics came to town, there was an overflow of clever, cultural, engaging, free art in the streets and public spaces of London.

When the Olympics came to town, there was this electricity in the air - people were glued to the media for updates on medals and everyone walked around with shining eyes and smiles on their faces. When the Olympics came to town, London's transport systems were eerily smooth, the city brimming with energetic, helpful Games-Maker volunteers in their bright uniforms, and Londoners were demonstrating unprecedented goodwill and patience to both tourists and fellow Londoners alike. One day I even personally witnessed - I kid you not - two unacquainted local commuters striking up conversation on the tube. If you're a Londoner, you'll understand what an utterly bemusing and totally bizarre experience that was.

All that to say, it's been a pretty special few weeks here in the big smoke, and I feel extremely privileged to have been able to see the games up close, having attended the beach volleyball (above), Paralympic athletics (top) and wheelchair basketball (this weekend!). I've found the displays of sportsmanship and athleticism both moving and inspiring and have at several points been on my feet, on my knees, wiping my eyes and vowing to start training for a triathlon/bike race/marathon/sprint/etc.

I sense that once the games finish there will be a feeling of the party being over, but oh my, what a party it has been!