The flame is lit and my 1st Olympics have officially begun. Now ...

Vanna Blacksmith · CBC Sports

· Posted: Jul 27, 2024 1:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

At the world's biggest sporting event, it can be the little things that really make the difference.

Earlier this week I flew into Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris feeling both happy and scared. This Olympic assignment will be the longest time away from my dog. It will be the farthest I've ever been from my home in Mistissini in the Eeyou Istchee territory in northern Quebec. It was also my first time stamping my passport.

Local time was around 8 a.m., but for my body it was 2 a.m. I needed coffee. 

I lugged my baggage from the train station to the hotel. 'I'm here'', I thought to myself. After settling in, I added a new sim card to my phone and set out for some sight-seeing.

I made my way to the heart of the city, which was mostly closed off due to prepping for Friday's opening ceremony. I couldn't contain my excitement, I had to see the Eiffel Tower. 

I turned a whole 360 and really took it in. "I'm in Paris. I'm at the Olympics," I thought to myself again, only this time, I got to see the Olympic rings on the city's most known architecture. 

It was touristy, as we're all here for the same reason, to be part of something bigger than ourselves. The Olympics is the embodiment of competition, representing where you're from and connection to one another. 

I have been keeping my ears open for accents, I've chatted with a few Australians, Britons and local Parisians. I've had a few people ask if I speak Spanish, I tell them I'm not hispanic, but I am Cree and Ojibwe from Quebec and Ontario. 

I grew up in Quebec, so I'm testing my French skills, but locals respond in English when I struggle to speak the right vocabulary. C'est la vie. 

Paris is huge, and I walked almost 20,000 steps the other day to see Le Petite Parais and l'Arc de Triomphe. The streets are narrower, the road signs are shorter than back home.

I adore the Middle Age and Gothic architecture. I wonder what it looked like 100 years ago, the last time Paris hosted the Olympics. It's a beautiful city. 

I watched the opening ceremony from Canada House, surrounded by fellow Canadians rooting for their family and friends. Most people wore red to represent our country's pride. 

Awestruck by the lighting of the cauldron, I was reminded about my first time watching the opening ceremony. The cauldron really symbolizes the start of the Games. 

But as a journalist, the start of the Games happen much before that. I am still catching my footing, from important things like having the right security passes, to little things like leaving with extra sets of batteries. 

Since visiting Canada House I have been meeting more of my colleagues from across the country. I didn't realize I felt like I was holding my breath since I landed. I felt a sense of relief and at home here at Canada House. 

Some colleagues have been covering the Olympics for years. They have been sharing their stories and knowledge about all the behind-the-scenes secrets to us younger journalists. 

Hopefully I'll have some of my own after my first Olympics. 

But before I prepare for each day, before I interview athletes, before I write stories, or hit the record button, I need coffee first.

Vanna Blacksmith is part of the CBC's team covering the 2024 Olympics in Paris.