Heading Home

So, here I sit in the Media Village passing the time until I leave. It's 1am here. 3 hours til I head out. It's pretty crazy to think about. I can't believe it's all over. Everything that I've been working towards as far as 4 years at Asbury goes is completed: Los Angeles Film Studies Center and the Olympics. Now, I am done with Asbury. Weird. Being here at the games was absolutely amazing. I really don't know how else to describe it. You had to have been here to really know what I'm feeling right now. Television does not do it justice. My advice to you is this: If you ever get a chance to go to the Olympic Games, GO!!

Highlights from the last day of work are: I ran into Vince Vaughn in the Silk Street Market, I worked closing ceremonies, and danced my feet off at the wrap party after closing ceremonies.

Tim, Megan, and I were on our way out of the market yesterday before we had to go to work, and out of nowhere, here comes Vince Vaughn down the escalator. Totally random! Tim spotted him, and then tried to play it cool and not approach him. I said to myself "Heck! This is a totally crazy opportunity to talk to Vince Vaughn. I'm going for it." So I did, and Megan followed. I said "Hey Vince!" and proceeded to shake his hand and ask him what he was up to and whatnot. He asked what I was doing, and I told him I was working the broadcast of the Games. He said that was cool! Haha. The look on his face when we saw him and he saw us was "Oh shoot. Americans." We never asked for his pic or his autograph though, so hopefully he thought we were cool for that. Who knows? He looked like he was ready to get out of the market though. Understandable. I started to follow him down the next escalator because I wanted to continue our conversation, but Megan pulled me off of it because she didn't want him to feel like we were stalking him. Psh!! I didn't care. I wanted to talk to him more. Oh well. I laughed about it all day long as it continually crossed my mind out random it was that I met Vince Vaughn in a market in China. Especially since I spent 4 months in LA this year and never met an actor of his caliber.

Closing ceremony was pretty cool. It definitely was not as good as opening ceremony, but I still enjoyed it. I'm pumped about the London Games in 2012. I hope I can go. I'm going to at least try to apply for the Vancouver Winter Games in 2010. That would be sweet. After the closing ceremony ended, I spent the entire long walk back from the Bird's Nest to the IBC trying to find a volunteer worker to trade shirts with because I had been wanting one of their shirts since day one. After being turned down by like ten guys, I finally found an awesome guy named Journey (yes, that is his chosen English name. it's stinking awesome!) to trade with me. I gave him two JH Ranch tshirts and a pin because I was so happy that he wanted to trade. I told him he was my new best friend. In fact, I yelled it out loud so that all the passersby could here me. Haha. 

The wrap party at the IBC was intense. They had DJs and free drinks. I didn't drink, but I did dance the night away. It was a lot of fun. I said all my goodbyes to the producers, camera ops, and loggers. My goodbye to Hank was probably the hardest. He's my brother. I'll miss him. Maybe I'll move to Taiwan and work for him on his travel show. Anyway, I gotta finish of my last bit of packing and whatnot. I hope you all enjoyed my Olympic blog. I might post one more blog once I'm home, but after that, I will probably cease my blogging for a while. I'll do my best to let you know when I resume. Thanks for reading, and for you prayers and support. Love ya'll! God bless!

AND THANK YOU CHINA!!