vancouver arrival

Yesterday was my first evening in Vancouver, and I must say this city is gorgeous. There are trees! And I can breathe the air! I have two roommates at the hotel who are very sweet, one of which is hopelessly devoted to the Olympic swimming races--so much so that our trip to the pub across the street was made not so much for a pint, but a peek at NBC on the flat screens. At this point, though, I'm up for any distractions--the alternative is picturing myself standing in front of a classroom of eager Japanese students.
After the pub, we girlies met up with the fellas in our training (nice, but sadly not contenders for the Japan romance) and compared notes on Japanese proficiency, preparedness for training, etc. and all realized simultaneously that we were sure we would be the individual who was least qualified. I couldn't help but think I was more prepared than I thought.
We left the pub, had a quick struggle with "to jaywalk or not to jaywalk?" in a foreign country, and got back to the room just in time for a few more swim races. Then to sleep. As I lay in my firm Ramada bed, I reveled in my surprising saneness over the whole thing, and just as I began to drift asleep, I realized my jaw was locked tight and my hands clasped close to my chest. I think they call that anxiety.