The road to Paris has officially begun. However, I am still unsure just exactly how far down that road I am going to go.
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee sent out the e-mail for press to apply for credentials earlier this week. On Tuesday I completed the form and sent in my application for the Paris Olympics, but did so knowing that if I choose to, I can pass on the opportunity and allow them to go to another journalist.
My concerns leading up to Paris have nothing to do with the fact that it's the Summer Olympics or even that it will be less than two years since my most recent Olympic trip. My concerns are almost completely financial.
As some people may know, I work part time at the Yum Yum Shop in Wolfeboro. While I started doing this during the pandemic when I got laid off from my writing job, I've kept doing it as a way to pay for the trips that I enjoy taking, be it to the Olympics or Survivor events around the country.
Sure, it leads to me being tired a lot, but I chalk that up as being part of the experience. If I want the chance to go to great places, there might be a small price to pay for that. However, it's the monetary price of things that is causing me concern as I think about Paris and Milan in the next few years.
The price of everything has been going up and it's no different in my life. My grocery bill continues to skyrocket and with the amount of driving I do to cover games, the price of gas, even if it has gone down a bit the last month or so, is still a lot to take (we do get a mileage stipend, which helps). And to top it all off, earlier this week my landlords let me know that my rent will be going up again. I have lived in the same apartment for 20 years and my rent is pretty manageable, particularly given the sky-high prices I see on other rentals in the area. But, my rent increase is just another bill to add to the pile. It's a pile that seems to keep growing.
Of course once the details come out about the Paris experience for journalists, I will get the chance to see how expensive the media lodging is and then there is the price of the flight to take into account. I am sure most of the costs associated with Paris 2024 will likely be more expensive than previous Olympics (not counting the expensive flight to Beijing) for the same reasons that my bills keep going up, as the cost of everything is increasing.
There's a lot to think about over the course of the next few months when they start to send out approval e-mails and I am sure it will all be in my head. The concerns are there on my part and I will need to alleviate those concerns before I make the official decision for Paris.
The goal is to be there in the summer of 2024. Let's see if things work out the way they need to.
Paris will take center stage for the 2024 Summer Olympics. (photo from Olympics.com)
