Millions of people will watch the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia taking place over the next 18 days.

Some will watch because they are die-hard sports fans.Others will watch just because it is on television.For Jeremy Melber, a former native of Jim Thorpe now living in Lower Macungie, watching the Olympics from the comfort of his home was just not enough.So he planned the trip of a lifetime and will get to see the competition first-hand.Melber and a few of his friends are in Sochi and plan to attend quite a few events during their trip."I have always been a huge fan of the Olympic Games," he said via email recently, adding that he attended the summer Olympics in London two years ago. "After that, I was hooked."Melber left for Sochi with a few friends on the evening of Feb. 5 and took an overnight 10 1/2-hour flight into Moscow, where the group is staying.He noted that the decision to pack his bags, buy his plane tickets and make accommodations a half a world away were "last minute," but his first Olympic experience helped when planning for this trip.Melber will be attending the freestyle skiing and bobsled outdoor events; as well as the United States men's hockey team competition while in Russia.LondonWhen Melber went to London two years ago for the summer Olympics, he was impressed, not only by the competition, but by everyone he met."The trip to the summer Olympics in London was by far my greatest vacation and the atmosphere was just amazing," he said. "The cordialness between countries, even having a fierce divide and pride in each person's home athletes, made attending the games much more enjoyable than most I have been to in the states."Melber attended swimming and beach volleyball while there; as well as watched the last leg of the Olympic torch relay and the flame enter Hyde Park the day before the opening ceremonies."I think my best memory of the summer Olympics was watching Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps win gold medals," he said, "as well as watching Misty May and Keri Walsh beat Australia in beach volleyball, while the stadium in front of Buckingham Palace was packed with Aussies and Brits rooting for the Australian team, and us small group of Americans on the southwest corner cheered them on to victory."He added that the group included the family of U.S. Olympian men beach volleyball players Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, who sat two rows away."The entire city of London was electric as people from all over the world converged on the city."I have always watched the Olympics growing up and was usually glued to the television for two weeks," Melber continued. "Attending them only made my interest more intense, and I am looking forward to also attending Rio in 2016."In addition to the Olympics, Melber had a big interest in the community he lived in.When living in Jim Thorpe, where he was born and raised, he served on Jim Thorpe Borough Council and Jim Thorpe School Board.