Arnold Classic Brasil 2013

I’m on the final leg of my travels home and after a few hours of much needed sleep, I can finally catch my breath and reflect on the unbelievable journey I just experienced in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.  Just thinking about the past 6 days is triggering a yawn:p

My adventure started in San Diego on Wednesday afternoon as I caught my first flight out to Houston, met with my team, then hopped on our international flight to Rio De Janeiro.  This however was no regular flight.  As I settled into my seat, I heard some commotion, so I turned around and saw the man himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sitting across the aisle next to me.  WHAT?  Omg – was this really happening?  I had to text my hubby and tell him the news 😛  Ten hours and two conversations with Arnold later, we landed in Rio on Thursday morning and the real journey began.

After settling into our hotel and getting our work schedules in order, our team set out to experience all that Rio De Janeiro has to offer. First stop – Lunch at BIBI in Copacabana and a walk on the beach.  Talk about beautiful!

After a good night’s sleep, I got up early Friday morning – this marked Day 1 of the Expo and it was complete madness.  The Optimum Nutrition booth was a buzz as we got an early morning visit from Arnold cheering us on and giving us well wishes.  By noon, the floodgates had opened and a sea of excited fitness fanatics filled the Expo floor.  A sold out crowd of 60,000 people made for an eventful show and as Sunday approached and the third day of the Expo wrapped, the long lines, thousands of samples, countless photos and autographs, and 30 hours of work were finally over.  The weekend seemed like a blur…a successful blur.

Monday morning we said goodbye to our extended Brazilian ON family and headed out for one last day of sightseeing.  We soaked in the sights of the Cristo Redentor, Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf), Ipanema, Copacabana, eventually ending in Sao Conrado for an afternoon of tandem hang gliding with the ladies of Optimum Nutrition from the famous Pedra Bonita Mountain. Talk about a perfect way to end our Brazilian adventure!

Now that I’m home in San Diego and slowing getting back to reality, the international flights, long days working, and great dinner out with friends made for a memorable work trip.

Here is a sneak peek of some of the good times had by TEAM ON!

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