Home

Shopping
Community
Travel Info


Free Newsletter
Friends & Resources
Travelogs
Surveys
Join Our Crew

What's New About Us Packing List

Travelogs

Here is my SINGLE WOMAN travel story..brief. 

By Barbara G.,Woodland Hills, CA. 

 A SOLO OLYMPIC ADVENTURE.
 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

 I am a lover of all things Olympic. Since I threw out my  T.V. about 8 years ago, what else could i do but go to the games up  close and personal? The fact that the amount of money that I spent doing this would have bought me a few six packs (at least) of today's largest  plasma T.V.'s, is of no consequence.  I rented a wonderful old house from a wonderful Salt Lake  City elementary principal and went alone. Never alone for long, I met and talked with many people from all over the world during my three week stay. 

I e-mailed many friends back home about my adventures and they often wrote back with envy. Some requested those sought after ROOTS berets, but I was not about to stand in line in the snow and cold for up to 8 hours. My two outstanding incidents are as follows: One night, after a downhill slalom event, I was in Park City. We were all standing around a warming fire and i started to talk to a big group of people. Then we found ourselves walking towards the  same hotel restaurant. They promptly asked me to join them and then insisted on 'treating me' saying, "Anyone who comes to the Olympics alone, deserves to be treated." An outstanding evening, all around. 

Next incident...I did NOT have a ticket for the Women's Finals in Ice Skating. I planned on going very early to the venue, with my little sign that said "I need one ticket". I was determined to not pay scalper prices so I took only enough cash (plus a bit more for a hot dog and coke) to buy a top price ticket, which cost $345. When I got to the venue, there were about 50 of me (!) all vying for the coveted ticket. My heart sank, but I perservered , asking and walking from door to door in hopes that someone would answer my 'ad'. No one did. It was ten minutes away from 'game time' and I decided that PLAN B might have to go into effect,which was rushing over to a close hotel and watching the event on the lobby T.V. 

Suddenly,I see everyone who was looking, just like me...swarming around a very handsome couple. The woman had a ticket in her hand. "OH, I am too late...", I thought. But then I figured what did I have to lose? I had no ticket anyway, so I might as well REALLY not have ticket. I fanned my bills out in my hand and walked over to the side of her and asked if she had a ticket for sale? Yes. She looked at my money, took it and handed ME the one ticket. I never looked back and never knew how angry those other people might be at me. I just rushed in to my seat which was tenth row, dead center, above the ice. 

Later, I saw the woman in the lobby. I asked how come she sold the ticket to me, when so dozens of others had gotten there first. "You were the only one who showed me the cash and did not try to get the ticket for less then face value."  Sarah Hughes won the gold medal that night. I felt like I had won one too. 


Copyright © 1997-2008 Christine Columbus, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Contact Us! | Site Map