My Journey to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018
In partnership with Procter & Gamble
The word Olympics means a lot to every single country because it is the perfect and most exciting way to represent your town, your people, and your flag. When presented the opportunity to go the Olympics Winter Games with Procter & Gamble, I was excited beyond words, you cannot even imagine! This would be my first Winter Olympics and I would get to experience it in another part of the world: PyeongChang, South Korea.
When I was a child, I used to dream of being an ice skater but because I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic where ice rinks weren’t easily accessible, I never had a chance to learn and pursue skating, even as a hobby. Having this once in a lifetime experience to travel and watch the world’s greatest athletes with Procter & Gamble was never something that I dreamt would be possible but you know what they say, dreams really can come true! To top it all off, I had the chance to bring my mother which made this experience all the more special to be able to share it with her!
While my journey actually began on Wednesday, February 7 when I took a direct flight from Texas to Seoul, South Korea, there was so much that went into the trip beforehand. Preparing to travel internationally and to be gone from my home for 2 weeks was more challenging than I had initially thought. Thankfully, Downy and Bounty made my preparations a lot easier.
As you can imagine, packing to be away from home for 2 full weeks can be time consuming and requires A LOT of laundry. I can’t even count how many loads I had to do to prepare for my trip. Keep in mind because my husband and son stayed behind at home, I also wanted to make sure that I did their laundry to make their lives easier while I was away. I used Downy Protect & Refresh Active Fresh Liquid Fabric Softener as it has 24-hour odor protection and it is truly the best product to keep clothes from stretching and fading.
While I was waiting for my laundry to be done, I kept myself busy around the house tidying the house. Though I try my hardest to keep my house as orderly and clean as possible, having a 3-year old son makes this very hard. As he is very active, he is constantly running around and knocking things over. Bounty Paper Towels are truly a life saver as they quickly absorb messes, so you can clean up and move on without wasting time (which in this case, I really have little of).
Fast forward to Wednesday, February 7. From the moment I took my first class seat on the planeto the competitions to talented athletes, everything about my trip was magical- full of emotion, curiosity, and pride. When I arrived in the airport of Seoul, I noticed the cultural change instantly. Modernity and technology truly is felt all around- from the bathrooms, to the food stores, to the high-speed train that took us from Seoul into the heart of the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.
Our hotel was located in the coastal city of Gangneung with the most fabulous view of the water that I have ever seen. From my window, I could see the Sea of Japan and the charm of the small town. I felt so welcome thanks to my host with P&G. They had a ton of amazing goodies and products waiting for me in my hotel room upon arrival – including some of my favorite beauty brands like Olay, Downy, Secret, and Pantene and some amazing Team USA clothing.
The first day was a total rush! We went to Opening Ceremony for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at PyeongChang Olympic Stadium. We cheered on Team USA – including our P&G sponsored athletes like Jamie Anderson, Gus Kenworthy, Aja Evans, and more – alongside the P&G family. I was so excited to witness the 23rd celebration of the Olympic Winter Games in person with my mom. There were 35,000 spectators that accompanied us that day, over 2,900 athletes paraded represented 92 countries of the world, and of course, our awesome country United States with 244 athletes (109 females and 135 males).
I was so impressed with the technological and digital presentation that South Korea showed with so many colors and lights. I really loved watching how the ceremony represented the culture of Korea and bringing together all of the countries with unity, with hundreds of dancers on stage and the participation of Korean singers and Olympic representatives. The Opening Ceremony lasted 2 hours – and while I have to confess that the temperature was pretty cold, it was incredible! The presentation was so impressive that it made me completely forget the temperature.
Every day was a true adventure, from the food to the athletes that I would get to meet and get to know that day. I had the opportunity to meet so many talented and kind people. In addition to the privilege of interviewing Michelle Kwan, one of the most incredible ice skaters with two-time Olympic medalist and an ambassador for P&G’s recent “Love Over Bias” film – stay tuned for more on that later in the blog.
There is so much to tell you, that I must divide this post into three parts ... It was such a unique experience, that everyone should have the chance to do it. The adrenaline of watching live competitions is priceless. It was a dream come true, completely beautiful. Seeing our country in action and winning medals was incredible. For example, I love being able to interview Olympic Gold Medalist Jamie Anderson, the only woman to date who has won two gold medals in snowboard slopestyle - she represents us with such dignity and strength! As a fellow Downy ambassador (like me!), we got the chance to talk about her tips on staying fresh, from her clothes to the slopes
I only have to thank Procter & Gamble family for giving me the privilege and the opportunity to have a unique experience with my mother. It was an amazing experience to see first-hand what brings together all countries with a single purpose, and to represent our country with pride.
