Olympics: Olympics: A Look Back at the Athens Games

Written by: By Adam and Jessica Dailey.

Athens 2004 is over. That much is a reality. The rest of the month of August feels like a dream. The Games were a 16 day celebration of culture and sport that served as a landmark of the Olympics returning to Athens.

In the months leading up to the Olympics, most of the media was focused on the faults of Athens 2004 planners-the venues not being completed, security concerns, the smoldering hot weather, millions of tickets going unsold and the outrageous prices.

These controversies, however, were faced head-on by Athens organizers, and the Summer Olympics, by all accounts, were a success.

Events typically went into the late hours of night, making Plaka (Athens' tourist center) a bustling area at all hours of the night. We went out to dinner one night and felt bad when we turned down one of our friends (who competed that evening) for another. To look around, you would think it was the middle of the afternoon. Thousands of people filled the sidewalk, and there wasn't an open table in our restaurant. Why were we so tired to make one more drink? Could it be we were in the middle of working 16-18 hour days non-stop for the past two weeks? No, it happened to be the fact that it was 3:00 a.m. I suppose this is when things get rolling in Athens, especially during the Olympics.

As you walked through the streets, Athens was filled with people from around the world. You could walk and not only hear different dialects of English, but of every conceivable language. People were at the Olympics to see everything from canoe to beach volleyball to athletics. The entire process was a bit overwhelming, to be honest.

The Olympics are supposed to be a contest. It's about sports, but it's also about sharing. Sharing cultures and competitions. It's the culmination of competition every four years, while some people's careers are made, others end in disappointment.

We had such a great time with our first Olympics. We saw some races that I'll never forget, and we also got to see some of our best friends compete and fulfill their Olympic dreams. All in all, Athens 2004 was everything it should have been. While the rest of the world doubted Greece and the type of showcase they could provide, Athens put it's head down and kept plugging away…right until the last minute.

Now they have an amazing city to show for their troubles, complete with beautiful world class venues and a much needed public transportation system. Athens is more than it's ever been, and we are grateful to have been able to see it right before our eyes.