From Springfield to Paris for the 2024 Olympics

We arrived in Paris, France late on a Sunday evening. The three of us—me along with my mom and dad—squeezed into one room at a Courtyard Marriott hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower (well, the tip of it)  from our window. Since we had arrived at 1 a.m. and had to get up at 7:30 a.m., the bed was actually the first thing I noticed, before the view.

We had started working on our trip to Paris for the 2024 Olympics way back in late 2022, buying our first round of tickets to an actual Olympic event in February of 2023. My family is big on the Olympics, and we’ve traveled to see past Games too. My mom and dad went to the 1996 Atlanta Games, 2002 Salt Lake City Winer Games, and the three of us attended the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and 2012 London Games.

In March of 2023 we took a trip out just to see the city: To take in the sites and learn about how to get around town. This way, when we arrived again for the Games themselves, we wouldn’t be trying to squeeze in a trip to the Louvre or figuring out how the Metro system works with all the potential chaos going on.

Another thing that helped when it came to prep was signing up to the official Paris 2024 newsletters and following them on social media. This all gave me an idea for what to expect. Plus keeping an eye on some American influencers who live abroad and following their tips (shoutout @americanfille on TikTok). In the city itself, the Paris 2024 committees had tons of signage all around town in both English and French that really helped getting around.

From Monday through Wednesday we attended the Games themselves. The schedule was hectic and there wasn’t much time to enjoy typical French cuisine—we were continuously running from event to event from the second we left our hotel in the morning, often just snacking to get by until we’d eventually be done around 9 or 10 p.m. every evening. Lots of pizza and pasta was had, and we needed the carbs!

Even though I’ve attended before, there’s nothing like seeing the Olympics in person. All three of us are always struck by the environment, the fans and sometimes even a sport we think we know. Olympic table tennis does not look like the game you might play at home. It’s intense and funny, strategic and there are a lot of rules. The fans are also super passionate about the sport (at least the Germans were). Just like there are people who travel the world for basketball or football in the States, it turns out there are people who travel for table tennis.

Speaking of tennis, we also went to a tennis event at Roland Garros, which is where the French Open is held. And I got to see Badminton for the first time! It was so cool to see the athleticism that goes into it and to see just how intense those games can get.

If I had to pick a favorite out of the events we attended, it would probably be the women's volleyball game. It was our first event, I was so tired, and we just showed up to this room packed with incredible energy. There were different kinds of chants for each sort of play—like a chant for blocking where everyone put their hands up and yelled ‘MONSTER BLOCK! MONSTER BLOCK!’ Along with that they played great music. It was 9:30 a.m. on a Monday and we were bumping to nightclub beats. It was a great vibe and a great way to start the first day.

That vibe might be the coolest thing about the Olympics: Being surrounded by different people from so many different countries at all times. One night at dinner we spotted a French dad and daughter, a group from the Netherlands, a family from Austin, Texas and a group from Japan all in the same restaurant. At the Games themselves you’ll be surrounded by people from all different countries, but there’s no competitiveness or rudeness. Everyone’s there to root for their country.

As amazing as this experience was, I do have some words of advice if you’re planning a trip abroad—especially if you want to attend a big event like this in another country. Something to keep in mind if you’re not a frequent or experienced traveler and you use other peoples’ experiences to get a feel for what to expect: On social media you see the highlights, you don’t see the frustration, sweat and sometimes tears that go into all those perfect posts. It might look like you can just sashay through town, but that’s not always the case. You can make things a lot easier by planning ahead, determining the specific events you want to see, signing up for updates and e-newsletters from both organizers and influencers and (if possible) get familiar with the area where the event is being held.

The Olympics are one of the most amazing things you can experience in person, and I encourage anyone to go if they get the chance.