Hosting Goodness: Hosting my bucket list

It's hard to believe that it has already been one year since my Paris Summer Olympics experience.

It takes a village to host the Olympics. This is just the volunteers at the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium that hosted the field hockey. In all, there were over 30,000 volunteers all across France making sure that all athletes, families, and spectators had the best experience ever.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to be a volunteer at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Inisde view of the Olympics?!? In Paris?!? Heck, yea!

There are still no words to describe the experience; the athletes, the people, the lights of the Eiffel Tower that I could see from my balcony. The air was electric every day. I teared up daily as they showed athlete highlights from the day before. This was years of hard work, sacrifice, and discipline on full display. People from all over the world experiencing the victory and defeat; IT WAS AWESOME.

How did I get this opportunity? All I know is that I received an email from Airbnb, not anything that looked important. When I opened the email, it stated that Airbnb was a Global Sponsor of the Paris 2024 Olympics and that volunteers--A LOT--were needed. I filled out an application and waited.

About 8 months after submitting the application, I received my assignment: volunteer at the Stade Yves-du-Manoir just north of Paris in Colombes for the sport of field hockey. Field hockey?!? I knew nothing about field hockey, but I certainly knew that I was not going to say "no."

While field hockey may not be the most high profile sport (gymnastics, anyone?), the USA women's team competed and were visited by Kylie and Travis Kelce. I had an epic daily schedule so I walked from my Airbnb to the Stadium every morning at 7, helped spectators for 2 matches, was served a wonderful French meal for lunch, helped for 2 more matches, finished around 3:30, and then hopped on public transportation for sight seeing and watching other sports such as men's and women's volleyball.

The day at Versailles for the Equestrian was by far my favorite. It was 94 degrees, but I did not move out of the stands even as my suntan became a slow burn. The horses and the venue were breath taking. I just missed seeing Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart at the venue by one day...so close.

When not out in Paris, there were 2 tv stations airing all the Olympic activities so my down time was spent with feet up on the couch with the windows open in the apartment enjoying every moment of competition that I could breathe in.

Common questions:

Did Airbnb pay for your trip?

Answer: No. I paid for travel and lodging and tickets for any Olympic sports that I wanted to attend. I did, however, receive uniform and swag items worth in excess of $1000. T-shirts, pants/shorts, shoes, socks, bags, water bottle, fanny pack, hat, and the best jacket ever; it is a rain jacket in which you can remove the top portion and the sleeves so that it becomes a vest. Tons of pockets. Very clever. Kudos to Decathalon. I am a lifelong fan now.

How about meals?

Answer: One meal was provided per shift. The food was excellent. I happily purchased the majority of my meals from a boulangerie near my Airbnb. For about $6, I could get a large piece of roasted chicken over a bowl of rice. Baguettes? Yes! Only $1.50.

Did I indulge in some cafes? Mais, bien sur! The cafes and restaurants were a vital part of the French experience, and the food and atmosphere did not disappoint.

Would you do this again?

Answer: No. :)

Experiencing the Olympics first hand was on my bucket list. This was not my first trip to Paris, but it was my first time getting to live the expereince, not just be a tourist. I loved every minute of it, so I am happy to check these two items off my bucket list and move on to other adventures.

In case you are wondering, Denmark won the gold (in OT), Germany the silver, and India the bronze. The stadium was packed, and all the fans were boisterous AND well-behaved.