That Time I Worked At The Olympics: London 2012 (Via Instagram)

Hey team!

For some the Olympics may be over, but with the beginning of the Paralympics just around the corner I am taking a few moments to reflect on my week working in London, serving all those hungry people who were lucky enough to score tickets to 'the greatest show on Earth'. 

Let it be said that I had an amazing time down in London. There's nothing more rewarding than being recognised for having done your very best and I was absolutely loving being able to meet fellow employees from all over the UK, and a handful from all over the world. I'm not going to lie and say that it was easy, I salute all of the lucky people that live and work in London full time, because it's truly tiring being on the go all the time, and that's just the Journey into work! 

I was fortunate enough to stay in the Lancaster London hotel at Lancaster Gate, with Hyde Park for a neighbour, Paddington just past Sussex Gardens and Marble Arch just up the road it's safe to say we were in a pretty fabulous location (and it was a direct 12 stops to Stratford on the Central line!).

Ta-ra Durham/Let's go to the games!/Part of an amazing team/So proud of this name badge!
Free phone/Quiz on the first night/Staff room relaxation area in the hotel/Staff room chill out area in the hotel.

The Olympic Park itself was incredible, I really was not expecting it to be that big. To get from my restaurant to the other side of the park where the Velodrome was situated would have taken 30 minutes to walk! I was due to meet up with some family one day after I had finished an early shift, but the hour commute from my restaurant to where they were, and then on to the station, was just too much after the overwhelming experience of being on the tills on front counter over a busy breakfast and lunch period! (Little did I know that I was also about to experience an impacted wisdom tooth, so now I can appreciate why I felt so rough.) I was amazed at how many people could fit inside the park too, there were queues for absolutely everything so I was very grateful for my work pass so I could skip the long lines at security. I also managed to skip the lines getting into the Olympic Stadium. Macs gave us all tickets to an event and I was so excited to receive tickets to Athletics, which meant I got to sit, cheer and sing inside the stadium I walked past everyday to get to work!

What even is this?!/My restaurant/The gates at 05:30, no-one around!/Stadium at night
I liked this floor/See how small that person is, yeah we're a big restaurant/I had athletics tickets!/I like this pic.

I am fortunate enough to know London quite well, usually I would take the tube everywhere to make sure I'd know that I'd got to a certain place, but for my week away I decided to walk everywhere and get familiar with London on foot, because it's sometimes quicker than getting the tube, especially if you realise you're only going one stop. Naturally my love affair with shopping got the better of me and I wound my way round Carnaby Street, Liberty's, Selfridges and Harrods. If only I had more pennies...

Topshop Oxford Street/Glittery Krispy Kreme at Paddington/John Lewis/Mini cupcake from Harrods
M&Ms/M&M World/Excited to have a Snog ;-)/I love Selfridges!

I also managed to take a few snaps of some famous landmarks, because you know, when in London, make do like everyone else and be a tourist - in your own country! I discovered, much to my delight, that you can walk from Embankment by the London Eye and the Aquarium to Trafalgar Square (via 10 Downing Street & Horseguards Parade), through Covent Garden and up to Picadilly Circus. I was most impressed with myself for that day's discovering!

Beautiful Horseguards Parade/Aquarium/London Eye/Saw Wicked for the 2nd time
You all know it as Big Ben/I had to buy pink M&Ms/Hyde Park/Me looking horrendous in the new Macs uniform :/

So that was a little insight into my time working at London 2012. I know of a few people who will be glad to see the back of the Olympic hype, but I will be sad as I think I'm suffering from a case of Olympic fever. See I was never the sporty one (I'm still not), I was always picked last for teams during Rounders on a Thursday afternoon, and I never once qualified for school sports day, yet there was something about the amount of sport and excitement surrounding London 2012 that made me so excited to be part of it, and now it's back to the day to day grind...

Did you get stricken with Olympic Fever?
Were you even lucky enough to get tickets to anything?
As always, let me know!