Last Words Before I Leave...

You have all pretty much summed up the entire trip. I don't think anybody that went last year or this year can say they didn't enjoy the different cultures and most importantly, Professor Ryan's accompany. I have never traveled to Europe before and this Olympic Odyssey trip really made me broaden my horizons. The different foods, getting lost in every country with Olivia, and spending my last moments with Syracuse University abroad: these will always be the memories that I will never forget about SU. It has brought me day and nights of laughter, a bit of tears, and an experience that I will never forget. We stepped foot on the grounds of the Ancient Games, the very first Olympics to the recent modern stadiums to the upcoming 2012 London games. Wow! Just typing this made me realize how elaborate and meaningful our trip was.

The meetings that we had with Mike Gillespie at Faraday House in London, Paul Deighton, the CEO of LOCOG, WADA, Timo Lumme, the VP of IOC of Marketing, Christine Moy, Head of Broadcasting Unit and James Moy, the Manager of Business Development and lastly Robert Pitt, our tour guide in Greece. There are a few people that I left out but they won’t be forgotten because they all made a special impact on this trip.

Not a lot of people can say that they traveled four different countries in three weeks. And not a lot of people can say that they have met any of these people in their lives. I am very honored and glad that I signed up for this trip. Being able to experience something like this will be a lifetime remembrance. Although my first intentions were just to travel to Europe and let this opportunity be an excuse but it really made me learn and respect the Olympic Games. I am excited for the 2012 London Games and hopefully with my background knowledge, I will potentially work for the Olympics in the future.

While everyone look through our three-week excursion, I hope everyone thinks about each moment and realize how unbelievable the experience was. With that being said, I am still going to transfer to Penn State but I will never forget that Syracuse was my first home.

Angelis