I’ve always had an interest in things outside of the world I live in. My parents introduced me and my brothers to different cultures through food, having missionaries from around the world in our home, and even putting us in ethnically diverse schools.

I was first mesmerized by the Olympics in 1992. I decided I wanted to be an Olympic figure skater, after watching Kristi Yamaguchi’s gold medal performance:

I became obsessed with the Olympics with the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. Not only did Kristi Yamaguchi win the gold medal, she was the only figure skater from the United States to win any medal. After the 1992 Olympics, I couldn’t get enough.  These are regular people with extraordinary talents, and they come from all over the world to get together every four years in the name of sport. Countries set aside their problems and are able to compete, regardless of background or political affiliation.

Every four years (or two, if you differ between the Summer and Winter Olympics), I become a hermit during the Olympics. I watch any broadcast I can – from table tennis to curling, or track and field to ice skating.

Becoming a true Olympian is not in the cards for me. I’ll never earn an Olympic gold medal (or any medal, for that matter, and that is okay). Instead, a dream has been to visit all the Olympic sites. After years of talking about it and thinking about it, this year is the year.

First up: Athens, Greece – the site of the 1896 Summer Olympics.