greetings from the other side

My first Olympics was the 2006 Torino Winter Games, and that was when this then-new blog really found its footing as a place to share travels and observations of random stuff I found interesting. That, of course, was before Twitter or Facebook or Instagram - and today those are easier ways to share those - so the blog still exists as a section of my website, but it comes and goes in spurts. If you don't already know, I'm in Sochi for the upcoming Winter Games, so its time to initiate another spurt of posts. Things are obviously different with this one, so sharing will probably be less than in the past, but I'll do what I can.  I've been here a week now and overall, its a lot like every Olympics. Entering the IBC (International Broadcast Center) and reuniting with a lot of the same crew felt a bit like a homecoming. I work with a great group of people and getting to be with them for a few weeks every two years is really awesome. The setup is generally the same every time, so even the temporary walls of the massive NBC complex feel familiar, even if the location has changed. The air of excitement at most Olympics is a little tempered with a general sense of apprehension, but overall, things seem the same as usual. There's no shortage of work to fill our time with and I think the broadcast package we're working on may be one of our best. It's true that a lot around the area is still unfinished, but that is typical of every Olympics.  A few of us did venture out into downtown Sochi (which is a half hour north of the "Coastal Complex" in Adler) after work on Friday - I'll post more about that next time.  But for now, back to work...