KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's a trip they've always wanted to take. And Wednesday they did it.
Kevin O'Grattan and Kristine Janda of Olathe left for the Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
"It was just the perfect combination of location and the Olympics that made us think, 'Hey, let's do this now while it's a great opportunity to,'" said Janda.
And while watching the Olympics on Tuesday night from their home, they couldn't believe they would witness the events first-hand.
"It's really cool to see it on TV and think, 'I am going to be there in a couple days and see this in person,'" they both said.
The Olympic-bound couple says a lot of thought and planning went into the trip. They say they've been planning the trip for about one year.
"We have been really focusing on planning everything, what events, when tickets would go on sale for the window that we would be there, looking at booking lodging and the flights, as well as transportation and getting around once we got to South Korea," O'Grattan said.
Once they arrive in Pyeongchang, they plan to attend several events, including women's downhill, women's curling, women's skeleton, giant slalom and the final for men's large hill ski jump. Both call the final for men's large hill ski jump their big-ticket event.
"I think it will be so awesome," said O'Grattan. "It's one thing to watch it on TV but you can't really get the whole perspective like you can on the ground."
During their trip, the couple also hopes to take in Korean culture.
"Over the past couple years I think the whole Korean wave culture is just streaming across all over the nation," said Janda. "I am just really excited to delve into that and also eat a lot of Korean food."
But what they are most looking forward to is the spirit of the Olympics games.
"The Olympics when [athletes] come together to compete for sport for unity around the world it kind of encapsulates the kind of total human existence," said O'Grattan. "The potential of what we can be. The greatest things we can aspire to. I find that so inspirational."
