In 1992, I was seven years old. The world was still new. My family still used our old Zenith television; one of those old wooden cabinets, back when you didn’t put your TV on something, rather put things on your TV. But it was on that old television that I watched my first Olympic Games.

My very first Olympics took place in Albertville, France. And it was mesmerizing. So many different people, so many colorful outfits and bright flags, wide smiles. The medals were inlaid with glass, which years later I would learn paid homage to the city’s glassmaking heritage. But none of that mattered to me at seven. What mattered was how much it all mattered to my parents. They made it clear to me, without having to say it, that I was watching something important. A symbol of peace. A pure expression of humanity, at its best. And I fell in love.

Much like the love of my parents, it was a love that lasted. Barcelona later that year. Lillehammer in ’94. Atlanta in ’96. Nagano in ’98. Sydney in 2000. Salt Lake in 2002…that one was my favorite. And It went on from there, through Athens and Torino and on and on to this very day, as the youth of the world has gathered in Paris for the Games of the Thirty-Third Olympiad, with many more to come. The Olympics have become one of my great passions. I often joke that since 1992 I’ve lived my life two years at a time. Waiting for the torch to burn again.

As tends to be the case, I’m a very different person now than I was during the last games. I’ve changed a lot, my life has changed. Now, I find myself poised before some of my most audacious undertakings, including seeking publication for my first novel. Novel writing season is also fast approaching for me. The coming month will be busy and grueling. But I know I will be a better, stronger, more complete person on the other side. And that makes this Olympic moment all the more poignant.

Throughout my life, the Olympic Games have been a source of hope and inspiration for me. Given the moment, I’ve decided to share this part of me with my readers. As I prepare to begin querying, and begin writing my next novel, I will resume posting here by writing about the Olympics: the current games, past, and future. I will share my knowledge and appreciation for the most incredible thing that happens anywhere every two years.

Let the Games begin. And dare to dream. – MK