Last weekend, I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in the Rose House dining room. In the past, I’ve experienced the olympics rather peripherally—I’d usually hear about them from others as they were happening, and catch the highlights for the events I was interested on YouTube later on. I never really made an active effort to follow them as they were happening, so this was my first time really experiencing them, especially the opening ceremonies. I genuinely enjoyed it a lot.

Since coming to college, I’ve become increasingly fascinated in other cultures. One of the first university courses I took freshman year was called “Major Works of Eastern Literature,” and it really opened my eyes to just how diverse the world is. Watching the opening ceremonies really reaffirmed that for me. I thought it was fascinating the way each country chose to enter—be it stoic, or full of energy. Beyond that, the more Korea-focused sections of the ceremonies were really intriguing. I really loved the choice to follow children as they grew up, which in a sense allowed them to grow with our understanding of Peyongchang.

My favorite part by far was the aerial shots of the different scenery. As someone who is in love with backpacking and camping, it really made me want to visit (which I suppose is, in part at least, the point of hosting the Olympics). I’m decidedly uncultured, having only really left the Eastern Standard Time Zone maybe once in my life, so I feel like there are always so many things I need to and see. This has certainly made visiting South Korea an important part of my list, however.

I will say, however, that I wish that the commentators would talk over the ceremonies less. It made it difficult to focus, and I think I would’ve enjoyed it much more being able to watch on my own. All things said though, I’m glad I had this experience.