The Olympics are upon us.  There are thousands of unique exciting, adventurous people here from around the world to celebrate.

I hear some people find this upsetting. Some have fled and others are planning whining about it non-stop.  But whether we like it or not, it is happening so how about making a choice to enjoy the festivities.

Everyone’s biggest concern is transportation and not being able to handle the influx of people.  Well, I was lucky enough to live in Calgary for the 1988 games.  If Calgary, the city with the worst public transit system in Canada made it work, Vancouver can too.

I’m excited to explore new ways to commute. I work downtown and live in kits and I’ve been too chicken to try to bike: I don’t know if I have the cardio for it. I plan to take my 100-dollar sea foam green bike and see what happens. If I run out of steam I’ll throw it over the Burrard street bridge and jog the rest of the way.

So now that we’ve gotten traffic concerns out of the way, what are the other benefits? We’re showing off our beautiful city to the rest of the world. This city is lush and green with mild winters, gorgeous parks, nude beaches and fresh ocean air.

The games are highlighting some not so great things about our city.  We have issues with homelessness and drug addiction. This is an opportunity to acknowledge all the great work already being done to help those in need and is a chance to explore what more we can do.

Vancouver has so much diversity; you can eat pho, dim sum, sushi and a vegan creation all in one day and that’s barely scratching the surface.

“I plan to take my sea foam green bike and see what happens”

For the athlete there are outdoor pools in the summer, sailing, skiing, and kayaking. For entertainment there are live bands, street performers, stand up comedy, or burlesque dancing just to name a few.

My favourite part of Vancouver is the people. We say thank you to drivers when we get off the bus and we help strangers who are lost – this does not happen other places.  Vancouverites are relentlessly approachable, caring, and open-minded to new concepts and ideas.

To me it is the perfect city, a fusion of two places I’ve lived; it has the natural beauty of the Okanagan with an eclectic mix of people reminiscent of New York City.

I’m proud and excited to share what we have and who we are with others and to those who are worried about and extra hour in traffic, enjoy your whining – I’ll be at Robson Square.

What are you Olympic Plans? Let us know in the comments.

- Kate Leinweber. Kate left a successful broadcasting career in the Okanagan to move to Vancouver and pursue her dreams. She is currently a freelance writer, actor and singer. She is also an editor with Elated News. Kate can be reached at 604 988 8876 x 24 or Kate@elatednews.com