Find Friends

In all my life, I never thought I'd make it to the Olympics. I quit playing basketball in high school and never grew all that tall despite my initial promise. I stopped skiing in college and playing in a metal band isn't an Olympic sport (yet).

But then came the chance of a lifetime.

The chance to compete.

Though English, baby! isn't a nation exactly (though some might argue it's the greatest nation on Earth) and our team missed all possible deadlines for registration, we have heart. We have heart in spades. So bring it on Beijing! We're going to the Olympics, whether or not the Olympics are ready for us.

We have plane tickets, a sponsor (thanks ETS! Take practice TOEFL now!!! a hostel reservation, uniforms, a little press coverage...and that's pretty much it. We're not really sure if I'm going to be able to enter the discus throw, so I'm not practicing. We hope this is the international gathering of a lifetime, but we could, in fact, be the only non-Chinese and non-competitors there (I guess it's really hard to get in to China). If we want to see any events, we will buy tickets on the street or charm security or athletes.

But one thing's for certain. I will return with gold. Whether it is won, earned, stolen, or on my teeth, I've come this far, and that's too far to stop. Victory will be mine...