We have now been at the Games for five days and so far it has been incredible! On my flight, I sat next to a couple who were also going to the games and we both talked about the events we are planning to see. The excitement really started to kick in when we landed because the flight attendant gave a shout out to Team USA before we exited the plane. Although I was extremely jet lagged on the first day, I still managed to visit one of the locations where the Olympic Torch was brought, called Parc George-Valbon. The event was very fun and despite the rain, everyone who attended the event seemed very enthusiastic about the Games commencing.
The next day, we traveled to the USA House where we attended an orientation and got a tour of the house. Seeing the house in person was amazing and Team USA really showed out. I found it very interesting that this is the first year the house is open to the general public. Although the upper level of the house is mainly reserved for athletes and their guests, the general public can still access that level if they are willing to pay the premium price. In my opinion, I feel that the athletes should have a space solely dedicated to them. Allowing the general public into their space doesn’t make it seem like the second floor of the house was made special for the athletes.
Following the orientation, I took some time to see some of the famous landmarks in Paris. One landmark that I visited was the Arc De Triomphe. It was amazing to see it in person, and it even had the Paralympics logo on it. This was the first time I noticed a heavy security presence as there were tons of police stationed by it. I then headed to the official Olympic store where I purchased a few items for myself and my family. The store had many options to choose from and to my surprise, most of the items were a lot less expensive than I thought.
Overall, my experience has been very pleasant so far. Getting around the city has been relatively simple, and transit has been pretty reliable despite the arson attacks on the metro system. Also, I’ve eaten at a few restaurants and most of the waiters and waitresses are very nice! Before my trip, I was warned that some French people are not very fond of Americans but I have not had any issues thus far…