An Olympic Dream

Being the big sports fan that I am, I was ecstatic when I heard that Los Angeles will be the host city for the 2028 Summer Olympics. The idea of being able to see the world's best athletes compete in my home city had me very excited. Fortunately for me, the excitement of going to the Olympics was brought to me four years earlier than anticipated. That is all thanks to Dr. Gayle Brisbane who allowed me to join her study abroad program that would give students the special opportunity to be journalists at the 2024 Paris Olympics. An opportunity that fulfilled two of my dreams: being an attendee at the Olympics and to travel to Paris. 

After a lot of meetings to prepare for the trip and getting to know each other, we ended up leaving Los Angeles on July 21st and staying until the Olympics conclusion. During our meetings, we discussed what are things we need to look out for and what would be possible intriguing stories we can cover. As we got to Paris, we spent the first week touring the city and getting accustomed to the city. It was beautiful and very cool to see all of the historical landmarks. After a couple days of site seeing, the Games began. 

First Olympic duty was being able to attend the Opening Ceremony on the Seine River which was very cool to witness. During my time there, I created feature stories on Olympians and dug deeper into how Parisians felt about hosting the Games. I was also able to watch tennis, cycling, handball, waterpolo, beach volleyball, and the women's gold medal match for soccer. All events lived up to the hype, but I must say the most shocking was handball. It was a new sport to me and I found myself quickly interested. Another memorable moment from attending the events was the women's gold soccer match. We went to the game as a group and all got to witness the United States take home gold! I was brought the chills when we sang the national anthem and saw our flag raise to the top during the medal ceremony. 

Being in Paris for the Olympics was very special to be at as it gave me unforgettable memories. Although, I think the best part of the trip was how I left to Paris not knowing anyone but ultimately got to grow a close bond with everyone on the trip and create friendships with my colleagues. We essentially lived overseas together for three weeks and lived out our dreams. I am forever thankful for going on this adventure with all of them. This trip was a reminder for me that the two things I love the most are things that I want to continue pursuing in my life. I want a successful career in sports media and want to be able to travel the world. This trip did so much wonders for me and I am extremely grateful for it.

Study Aboard In Barcelona

 Study Abroad In Barcelona 

This summer, I studied abroad in Barcelona with the CSUF: CTVA 360 and HCOM 320 Summer 2024 program. This trip truly transformed my life for the better as it allowed me to indulge in a new culture and develop lifelong relationships. My time in Barcelona began as a challenge since I had never been away from home for such a long time, let alone travel to an entirely different country with people I didn’t know. When I reflect on the person I was before the trip to who I am now, I can say that I have become a better version of myself. 

Living alone with a group of strangers, who are now some of my best friends, posed difficulties as we all had to adapt to a new culture and navigate a place foreign to us. However, we shared beautiful experiences like going to Primavera Sound and traveling to Nice and Paris France. Experiencing “first timers” like trying new foods and visiting enchanting places like The Sagrada Family together is what made our group’s bond stronger. 

I never imagined that I could fall in love with a city’s floral street tiles or its wonderful sense of community. Although I did love the city, I think it’s the people who inhabit it that made me feel at peace with an overwhelming sense of happiness. It was a place that pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to discover parts of myself that I didn’t know existed. Most of all, I feel extraordinarily blessed to have been able to experience such a life-changing opportunity with the people in the program. My study abroad group truly made this trip the absolute best and I don’t think that I would have loved it as much if it wasn’t for them. This trip and the fun memories that it allowed me to create have fostered strong emotions of love for our world, more than I could have ever imagined.