Simone Biles’s Winter Olympics Diary, From Figure Skating Finals to a Romantic Valentine’s Day Surprise

The first thing some VIPs notice when checking into a suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Milan, Italy, is the flowers. Depending on the day, it might be a bouquet of hydrangeas; bursts of pink and green pops of color in front of a white bed. Bathrooms also feature hand towels printed with guests’ initials for a personal touch. But there are VIPs, and then you have your goats. Given her status as one of America’s greatest athletes, Simone Biles is probably the most common Summer Olympian with 11 medals to her name. But when it comes to this year’s Winter Olympics in the land of pizza and pasta, she has the chance to truly enjoy an all-encompassing event. Along with her husband, footballer Jonathan Owens, Fashion Join Biles on her journey to the Olympics, Italian style. “You see the best of both worlds in every aspect, and that’s what makes the Olympics exciting,” she said.

Biles and Owens stayed in their brand-new home in the Houston, Texas, area for just a day and a half before heading to Milan. “So this is our first big trip since moving in,” she explains. In addition to juggling the move, Byers said she started packing a week before her flight. “We flew from Chicago to Houston beforehand, so I was prepared.” Yes, she admits to being an over-packer. “I’m pretty organized, though. I like to lay out my clothes and take pictures of them so I know what I’m wearing every day. But I guess what threw me off this time was all the heavier jackets we had to bring.”

However, even Biles isn’t immune to travel hiccups despite his “GOAT” status. “When we arrived in Germany to connect, they said, ‘You’re on a different airline. Our response was, ‘No, we’re not.'” But as it turned out, Lufthansa was on strike and the couple was delayed for 10 hours before arriving at Milan’s Malpensa airport. “It was very hectic and crazy, but it worked out.” Luckily, she felt refreshed considering she could easily sleep on the plane (“That’s a trait you have to learn when you’re traveling around the world competing.”) For those wondering, she opted for a window seat. “Because it can be hidden and more private.”