Day 21 – Wednesday 8th August

Today was exciting as I was able to see my friend Amy, who’d come down from Cambridge to have a look around.  It felt so strange taking a different journey to the trip that I’ve been taking every day for two weeks, going to a new place in my uniform, feeling everyone’s eyes on me all the same.  We met at Tottenham Court Road for lunch at a burrito place I love called Chipotle.  It’s an American chain with only a few restaurants in London, and was one of my favourite places to go after many of my training sessions over the six or so months leading up to the Olympics.  After I had converted her to Chipotle (it didn’t take much convincing) we headed up to Stratford, making a bee-line for John Lewis’s to take a look at the famous view of the Olympic Park.  I’ve been working for the Olympics for almost 3 weeks now and I just cannot get bored of seeing the Stadium every day, standing tall like a giant white crown.  John Lewis’s also had many Lego structures, which always amaze me.  There was a Dalek, a C3PO and a giant Lego Olympic Stadium, with the stands full of lego characters such as Darth Vader and skeletons.  I always admire people who can do that.  We also popped into Hornby, where they were selling figurines of the different events and the Stadium.  The woman in there told us that it’s going to be strange going back to normal after the Olympics and Paralympics have finished.  I admit, I have to agree.  I don’t want to think about it right now.

All too soon I had to head to work.  I really wish we could bring guests into the Village, just so everyone can see it in all its glory with all the athletes roaming around.  I’ll have to wait for it to become a real neighbourhood to show people.  I can’t wait, but I can’t help but wonder how different the atmosphere will be.  Sometimes if I’m alone I try to imagine how it will be.  It’s difficult.  It might be hard to see.

Today was slow again at work.  On the other hand I love chatting to the Venezuelans, improving my Spanish, getting to know them more and more.  They’re such lovely, normal people.  At the end of the day I returned to John Lewis’s to buy some merchandise I hadn’t had time to queue for earlier.  Tomorrow I get to see Mum and Alice for the first time since I started working.  I can’t wait!