The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics have been an amazing experience.

People walking the Downtown during the Games mostly described it as “electric”, and I certainly felt it.

I saw the stunned surprise and glowing delight of international visitors from every continent as they took in Vancouver and reveled in the excitement.

Sitting in the German Fan Fest beer garden, sharing a conversation with Australian visitors was truly special; so was the bratwurst and sauerkraut btw.

There were dozens of free venues, so as long as you didn’t mind a line-up there was something for everyone.

The zip-line across a city block was extremely popular although I passed on that.

The TV interviews of visitors also captured some priceless spontaneous reactions. I particularly enjoyed the lady from San Francisco responding that she was surprised to see so many tall buildings and thought Vancouver was a very sophisticated city.

By hosting the Games, Canadians learned a lot about themselves, and this video essay by Stephen Brunt helps to explain how we are feeling right now:

2010 Winter Olympics Montage - Stephen Brunt Video Essay.