Korea, Day 10 (last day of competition)

me with a Korean drum

We made it!

We finished the last day of competition as strong as we could (being geeks stuck in rooms at computers). Actually, by today many of the venues had finished so some were able to float around to watch some competition. I spent the first half of the day in the IT Center, with Reuben, as we worked to finish things on our end.

By the afternoon, all of us had finished. We took the time to tour the observation deck and cafe at the top of the ski jump tower, at Alpensia Stadium. There's also a ski museum on the second floor (where the above photo was taken).

That evening, we dragged our exhausted selves back to our hotel to pack. Reuben treated us all to dinner by ordering pizza. This was much needed as we were all looking for something hot and that was similar to back home.

I had a chance to spend some time at the cross country venue to watch athletes receive awards. It was heartwarming to see athletes from all different countries cheer for each other as they all stand on the awards podiums. Definitely serves as a reminder to why I love what I do.

Sharon and I parted ways at the end of the day. She said that she really enjoyed being my translator, and that she will look to volunteer at another Special Olympics event (in Korea) soon. I'm happy to hear that. She handed me a couple gifts and a thank you letter as I left. She is a sweet girl, and will do well when she graduates school.

Michelle and I only had chances to talk by phone during these past couple of weeks. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to get over to her venue (about 30 minutes away from where I was stationed). There's a slight chance we can meet up in Seoul, so I'm hoping for that.