Fireworks explode in the sky during a celebration for the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics at a live site in the mountain cluster.

With the opening ceremony to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics complete, we’re now set for two weeks of competition from the best athletes on the planet. To have a front row seat to Olympians accomplishing their lifelong dreams never, ever gets old.

While the opening ceremonies were held tonight on “The Coast” in Sochi proper, the “Mountain Cluster,” where I’m based, is host to many of the Olympics events, and had its own celebration on the street which was attended by a very diverse gathering of people.

I was assigned to cover the mountain cluster street events (featuring a large video screen for folks gathered there to watch the opening ceremony on the coast live) with colleagues JD Mercer, Kevin Jairaj, Rob Schumacher, and Paul Bussi. This was the first night all week where it was uncomfortably cold outside (if you can believe that), but the excitement and energy in the air made up for any discomfort.

Guy’s Russian Word of the Day is ?????, pronounced, “Sput,” meaning “Sleep,” as in, “Guy would like to get some more ????? soon, but that’s not likely to happen.”

Before heading to the street celebration, Kevin, JD, and myself walked down to a nearby set of Olympic rings to see what we could do with them. The rings are situated against a mountainside covered in trees, and from the street, they look pretty bland. I decided that getting behind them and making the twilight sky and mountains my background would be much better.

Unfortunately, to get behind the rings, I had to walk through 100 feet of extremely saturated mud. JD snapped this image of me (at left) carefully trying to pull my feet from the ground without losing my shoes (which won’t look the same until I can get home and give them a thorough cleaning). This is also a great example of how a good background can totally change the way the same subject feels in two different photos.

Back up the street, it was time for the opening ceremony celebration to begin at the “live site” set up in the town square of Krasnaya Polyana.

Women in traditional dress dance while viewing the opening ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on a video screen.

Julya Glubokaya of Russia enjoys the festivities.

It wouldn’t be a Sochi party without a stray dog joining in on the fun! This dog, like many of the strays here, was super friendly and social.

A young spectator uses a camera while watching the opening ceremonies for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics on a video screen at a live site in the mountain cluster.

Vladimir Altukhov of Sochi.

The police and security presence at the celebration was significant.

Revelers wave flags as the opening ceremony gets underway.

As the Russian delegation made their way into the stadium at the opening ceremony, it was easy to see the pride beaming across the faces of all the Russian citizens in the crowd.