BMX Racing Became an Olympic Sport in 2008 in Beijing....now that I have answered that question, read my post!

This is my post about my observations of the Olympics abroad. Enjoy!

First off let me start that I generally have not been the most avid Olympic sport or world competition watcher before coming to Europe. But being abroad has really made me appreciate not only the competition but the hardwork that people have put into it, the training, and the whole other world that surrounds the Olympics that I never knew. I think the reason that I was never a big watcher of the Olympics was because I found it so egocentric watching it in the States. "Oh there goes America again. Is America in all of these sports? And winning all of them? Boring!" But my friends, that is not the case! They don't win everything, (although at this point in time they have 94 medals and it is day 16 out of 17) to be quite honest, they aren't even in ALL the millions of sports that the Olympics has to offer us, we just think they are!

I started watching the Olympics in Italy. I unfortunately did not get to watch the Opening Ceremony since the kids I was with were watching cartoons.The beauty about being in Europe while the Olympics are on is that....I'm almost in the same time zone as when the actual events are on (although being in London now I am obviously in the same time zone). But being in Italy and watching it live and not have to stay up til 3 in the morning to watch it live has totally made me appreciate the proximity of the games to where I was and am in the world.

In Italy I watched the Olympic sport of Fencing for women although it is not called that. But whatever, it was fencing. Italy took home the gold, silver and bronze. It was pretty awesome to see them kick ass like that. I also watched Fencing for men but did not get to watch as much of that since I was babysitting and Simone, he 8 year old I was watching, didn't seem so in to it. Although when Italy was not in the sport like swimming or running, we would watch anything that had Great Britain or the US in it. But it was really neat to see other sports that the US or GB (that is what everyone is calling Great Britain by the way. Team GB!) I was only in Italy the first two days of the Olympics so I did not get to experience much of the international beauty of watching the Olympics in Italy.

After Italy I went to Ireland. Oh Irelaand! I did not get to watch much in Ireland either because we spent a lot of time in the car driving from once place to another but I did see a lot of boxing. We were watching one of the matches that Ireland won in one of the pubs in Dublin. It was favored that Ireland would win in boxing so it was natural that it was on all the time. It was fun to watch it with the Irish as the boxers advanced into the finals. I would also watch portions of soccer and running in Ireland too but it was more background noise in the pubs. Running seemed to be a common theme that ran (pun intended) throughout all of the countries I watched the Olympics in now that I think about it.

Then from Dublin I went to London. YES! I am in the same city as the Olympics. I was actually there as it was happening right before my eyes. I took a bus from the train station to my hostel and before I arrived we drove by the actual center of the Olympics. There were so many people and it just felt so overwhelming to be so close to the excitement and then fans and spectators. It was just amazing. However that was as close as I got to the O2 arena and other events. Later that night I overheard that there were Olympic events that were free and so I looked them up and had decided that I would go to the sailing one later in the week and just do my touristy things the next day especially since part of the events would be going by the touristy attractions.

So the next day I awoke to go to Buckingham Palace. When I arrived I found out that they weren't going to be doing the Changing of the Guard because....oh I don't know the triathlon would be coming by. Oh well! I guess I'll have to stay and get a good spot to watch the Men's Triathlon. So I watched it live. Only the cycling portion though because to watch it start or end, you had to have tickets for that part of the arena and I unfortunately did not. But what I did get to see was pretty exciting and I got some good video to show my friends and family back home.

During my time in London, I met very few Americans. Wearing my Italian blue jacket around London, I was often mistaken for being Italian which benefited me from people trying to sell me items or get me to try something. However, because I was able to blend in to the not English speaking crowd I was able to meet some rude Americans. As I was waiting for the Changing of the Guard on my second day in London, I was about a foot and a half away from this woman. Granted being an American that is kind of close when you don't know that person but its a popular event and crowds gather so I didn't think I was that close. Since I had my jacket on, the woman I was standing next to starts talking about me to her friends. How I'm too close, what a bitch I am etc. I just completely ignored. So after a while, she starts talking to me like I'm an idiot and telling me I'm in her space and to back up. All I respond with was "ok" because I knew that it would get more crowded. Wouldn't you know it? Two little kids soon come up to her and stand right behind her, so close that their hands are on her back trying to lean in to the bars. All I could do was look at her and the little kids and smile. I wanted to say something but karma was already kicking in and I didn't want to ruin the magic.

And since I had just left Ireland, I was noticing a lot of Irish things and people. The Irish people at the Olympics dressed in their Ireland gear did not represent well. They literally all dressed like leprechauns. I'm not joking nor was it an exaggeration. Come on people, you are coming to a place where you can represent your country and that is the message you want to leave behind? We are a bunch of stereotypes? No Ireland. No. Stop it.
Irish people in London not representing well

In England though, I watched the sports that I never thought to watch in the US as an Olympic sport. I watched the equestrian games. I mean it makes sense. You always think of them riding arond in their riding gear in movies and on TV but I never thought of it as an Olympic sport NOR ever have seen it in the US. But yes, it exists! I also watched a lot of sailing, kayaking and canoeing. I don't recall ever watching that in my life as a precursor to the Olympic games or during the Olympics ever. And I think its because the US is just involved. Although I was glad to watch it because Ecuador (whoop whoop) was represented. Although they did not advance to the finals, it was nice to cheer for them. The sailing and the equestrian games all seemed very British and very White upper class and so it was exciting to cheer for the underdogs like Ecuador or like Mexico who weren't known for those types of sports. I also watched a lot of boxing in the evening because that's all I remember being on when I was at the pubs.

I watched the closing ceremony at the pub I liked O'Neils. There were hardly any Americans there. There were a lot of Irish, Dutch, Brazilians and few English now that I think of it because they could stay home and watch it. But it was cool first of all to see it before all my friends and family but to be in the culture and the area that the Olympics were representing. It was just an awesome experience that I won't ever forget. So awesome I want to go to Rio. I want to make it happen! I don't even need tickets but just being there with the people made this trip to London totally worth it. And if I can't go to Rio, I would like to watch it while traveling through different countries because it was just fun to be with people from all over and get a different experience from them.

But Rio 2016! Let's make it happen.

"When you have eliminated the impossible, however improbable must be the truth." - Sherlock Holmes

I arrived in London and immediately felt lonely. I think its because I had such a good time in Dublin and was with a friend and I won't see someone else I know for a week. My friend Jessica thinks because I felt so comfortable being in Dublin and with Kevin that I felt like I was home. In her words "Good people make you feel like you're home" and I think that's what it was. Kiah thinks its because it feels like home since its harder to think that I'm abroad being in London or Dublin. Whatever the reason is...I'm homesick and feel a little lonely.

But anyway, my flight into London was far from the center of the city. So I took an hour or so bus into the city center. And driving through I was surprised. It's more brown than I imagined. Way more brown actually.

Also, London is huge. It reminded me of New York which was a little boring. With the crowded public transportation, people on the streets walking rapidly, jay-walking, the skyscrapers and all sorts of diversity walking around. And other parts reminded me of LA, at least the part I passed through on the bus totally reminded me of the downtown LA area that were all like filled with buildings and restaurants of immigrants that settled in the outskirts of the area. I arrived in London in the early afternoon at about 5:00 after passing through the outskirts and after settling into my hostel went across the street to get Indian. I had been craving Indian food since Dublin since walking around we saw so many in such a small area but I am glad I waited. I forgot that India was a colony of England and therefore there are tons of Indians walking around. Based on that history, I can only assume that the Indian food in London would be better than in Dublin. But of course, this is only speculation. 

My first day in London was just me kind of walking around and going to bed relatively early because I felt like I had been traveling all day. My second day, I planned to go to Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guard and then grab lunch and eat it in Hyde Park because they are airing the Olympics on big screens there. So I got up, got some breakfast and proceeded to walk from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. I thought it would be nice to walk around and maybe find some things I wouldn't normally see if I hadn't walked. BIG MISTAKE. London is HUGE. I had gotten so used to these small European cities where you can walk from one end to the other in 20-30 minutes. London is not like that at all! I bought and Oyster card which is used for the "Underground" (not just for underground systems but for the buses too) and have been using it since! But anyway, I walked by Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. As I arrived at Buckingham Palace and asked the officer where I should stand to watch the Changing of the Guard, he proceeded to tell me that it would not be happening today. Instead the men's cycling part of the triathlon would be passing through instead. Uh....free Olympic event? Yes please! So I waited for it to start and pass through the Buckingham Palace area. It was pretty fun! And people from all over and each lap of the cycling was different than the rest. Then I tried my hardest, my absolute hardest to make it to Hyde Park to watch the end and see who won but unfortunately I did not and saw the announcement of who won. (More specifics on the Olympics in another blog post soon to come!) 

After I left Hyde Park, I walked down Oxford Street. Even though my friend Hayley told me to avoid it, I just ended up walking on it because they rerouted me to that street since other parts were closed due to Olympic traffic. Hayley told me to avoid it because it would be busy and crowded. WOW, she could not have been more right. It was horrifically busy as people were walking around lost or looking for the next Underground stop. As I got on the Underground, I headed to the next stop that sounded the most interesting to me: Baker Street. For those of you that don't recognize the importance of Baker Street, it is significant to Sherlock Holmes. And walking out of the stop, the walls are tiled with little Sherlock Holmes hats. (Don't worry, I have pictures). Anyway, he lived at 221b Baker Street. I went to the "museum" if you can even call it that. Not worth the money if you have a good imagination and have already imagined what his little flat looked like. I would just go into the gift shop instead because that was adorable. So adorable I considered getting a Sherlock Holmes teddy bear. But I don't need it so I didn't get it, but I'm here for another few days. 

The day ended with me going back to the hostel and booking my flight home!!! I think the homesickness was my final push to finally book it! See you soon my fellow Americans!