The Winds of Change

It's been six years since London 2012.

(Before I continue, I just need to say... that's insane. Who let this happen?)

London was the first Games I was ever involved with, and it'll always hold a special place in my heart for that reason. But beyond that, it'll always hold a special place in my heart because it's easily the best thing I've ever done.

When I was deciding where I wanted to study abroad, it occurred to me that if the Olympics were going to London, I should go to London. And if the Olympics and I were both going to London, I should weasel my way in. I lucked into a contact at LOCOG who pointed me in the direction of becoming a London 2012 Ceremonies volunteer, so I filled out an application. I spent weeks stressed out of my mind, collecting bank records and driving around Miami to find the office to get fingerprinted and spending literally hundreds of dollars to get my student visa that would allow me to work in the UK. In the meantime, I applied for a study abroad scholarship meant for non-academic costs, telling the interview committee, "I'm studying abroad in London because I'm trying to work for free." (That worked.) Once I arrived in London, I had an interview with L2012C at which I said, "I'm studying abroad in London literally because I want to volunteer here." (That worked too.)

After I got my volunteer bib, I was like a kid in a candy store. I signed up for every shift I could get my hands on, prioritizing it over my schoolwork (which, let me tell you, was a massive first for me). I spent hours upon hours standing in the cold in an east London TV studio, sorting bibs and handing out Oyster cards and inputting performer information into the system and watching the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies come to life before my eyes.

It's still the coolest thing I've ever gotten to do. By far. And maybe the coolest part was that... I did it. Me. And I did it solely because I wanted to. Sure, I hoped it would help me professionally. But I wanted to be a part of the London Games, so I did it. I freaking did it.

That's obviously not to say I didn't have help. My mom's friend Caron knew a guy at LOCOG that got the whole ball rolling. One of the L2012C staffers flat ignored the rule that said all applicants need a UK visa good for six months after the Games in order to be allowed to volunteer; mine expired almost two months before the Games, but they accepted me anyway. There was definitely an element of luck and good timing and having the right people around me and enabling me.

But what I'm really getting at is that I had this slightly impractical idea that got my heart racing, and I was able to figure out how to make it happen for myself. And I'm still really effing proud of that.

I don't really remember the last time I had that feeling.

Getting a job is nice, but a) your fate is still in someone else's hands, and b) it's a necessity to live. I've had good jobs, and gone to both Rio and PyeongChang since London, and that's not to say I didn't love those experiences, but... I don't know. It was someone else's decision. And that's not really a bad thing, but it's just... different.

I think the thing about London was that I made a life-changing decision. For myself. For no other reason than that I wanted to experience something that would change my life.

I want to do more of that.

I got really complacent at my last job (which I'm really not proud of). I wasn't super motivated to do much outside of work, and when my mental health started to go downhill, it was all I could do to stay motivated at work. And now that I don't work under the Olympic umbrella anymore, I need to get my fix elsewhere. My job won't be sending me to Games anymore, so I have to start changing my own damn life for myself again.

What does this mean? I don't know. Why am I sharing this? I don't know! Maybe it's to hold myself accountable. Maybe it's because I haven't felt this motivated in an incredibly long time. Maybe putting my thoughts to proverbial paper and out to the universe is a way of opening myself up to opportunity.

Either way, volunteer applications for Tokyo 2020 open in September, and you can be sure ya girl will be ready.

Between London and Rio

I know I said I'd be writing about Berlin today, but I lied. Because do you know what today is?!

Today marks TWO YEARS to go until the Rio 2016 Olympic Games!

We also happen to be smack dab in the middle of the two year anniversary of London 2012. In fact, two years ago today, I was there. In London. Doing all manner of Olympic things. Man, that was wonderful.

So basically, today is gloriously Olympic -- we're at the halfway point! -- and I would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to spend some quality time with my London 2012 memories. Warning: lots of photos. I mean, like, lots of photos. I've already done a London 2012 photo dump before, but I don't really care. I'm doing another one. Because of reasons.

If you weren't around these parts in 2012, here's the skinny on my London 2012 situation: I was originally supposed to go with a friend, but she backed out and my plans kind of went to hell... but a distant relative offered me his flat to stay in, so I booked last-minute flights and a week later I was jetting off to London by myself. I got to put my claim-a-spot-at-the-barrier skills to use at the women's marathon, men's race walk and both triathlons, and my old London 2012 Ceremonies coworkers got me into a day of volunteering and a closing ceremony dress rehearsal.

It. was. the. greatest.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

I only wish I'd taken pictures at the closing ceremony dress rehearsal (the only ones I got are those whiteboard photos, from inside the volunteer break tents). Photography wasn't technically allowed, because they wanted to avoid all possible spoilers, but some people did it anyway and I SO wish I'd been one of them. Sigh. But hey, I guess that's a small price to pay!

London 2012 will forever have my heart... but onwards! Hashtag ROAD TO RIO!

A Peek Inside My Reporter's Notebook

Back in 2011 (uh, how was it so long ago?!), I was on the editorial staff of The Hurricane, the school newspaper of the University of Miami. On one weekend, we all crammed into several cars and drove the few hours north to Orlando for the National College Media Convention. It was here that I was gifted my first ever reporter's notebook.

*heavenly chorus*

Prior to this historic moment, I'd been taking interview notes in a full-sized spiral notebook. How amateur, right? While I'm still a fan of bigger notebooks, this little baby was all too easy to stuff inside a small bag and carry with me 24/7. So I did.

I used it in every session at that conference to take notes, and it subsequently accompanied me on site visits for my classes in London...

Hot mess. You try taking notes while simultaneously walking around a city and freezing your fingers off.

...to any and all UM sporting events I worked...

Also a hot mess. From left to right, basketball, soccer and tennis.

...to the Miami Heat, Marlins and Sony Open press boxes...

Heat game that went into triple overtime, heyyooo. #fundeadline

...to my USA Volleyball internship...

 ...and everywhere in between.

Still two of my favorite interviews I've ever done. :)

Poetically, I finished it off with my last interview for USAV on my last day as an intern. Saaad day.

Needless to say, that little notebook contains some good stuff. I recorded most of my interviews, though, so all of those are just lists of questions. Pretty dull. But I've been to a pretty decent number of conferences, classes, museums, and various other things that I collected info from. And what use is all of that if that stuff just sits there? So I pulled some of my favorite little tidbits to share with the world. (Or, y'know, however many people decide to read this post. Same thing.)

+ "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes."

+"Write about things you're interested in. If you can't get excited about it, don't do it."

+"You can make anything interesting."

+"Do great work where you are right now."

+The top of Big Ben tower is more ornate than the rest of the building because it can be seen from far away, and it not so subtly says "Britain is the most important country in the world."

+Buckingham Palace is a rather nondescript building that was never considered a regal place for the royals to live, but is more about the memory of Queen Victoria.

+"What! You're still looking at 'things' instead of what 'things' are doing?"

+"You are here-ish."

+"The term for a mind at work without the softening influence of the heart is... 'stupid.'"

+"In this house it is not what you see, but what you have only just missed and are being asked to imagine."

+"It matters how you write, not what you write."

+"If you don't say out loud what you want, nobody's going to give it to you."

My personal favorites, of course, from Steve Boyd at London 2012 Ceremonies volunteer orientation. :)

It's kind of cool getting to flip through three years of my life and collecting some wisdom from it. Hopefully my current notebook gets to have an equally cool life! :)

(Info/quote sources: 1-4 ACP/CMA; 5-6 Architecture of London class; 7-10 Dennis Severs' House; 11-12 Her Campus National Intercollegiette Conference 2012)