The culmination of a year of waiting, training, phone calls and emails was a week in UCD Belfield as a Special Olympic volunteer.
My volunteer section was Website and Publication; my remit to produce interesting, colourful and upbeat news stories for the World Games in-house paper, the Games Gazette. What a week - between early mornings, late nights and endless bus rides, it has been an emotional time!
But I have survived to tell a tale of warmth, enthusiasm and friendship.
It all began with an early morning start in Belfield on Saturday morning, where I was introduced to the Games by a South African "rain dance" performed before their opening match of the Games.
Then after being awestuck by interviewing big Packie Bonner himself for the Gazette, I had to race over to Croke Park in time for the main event.
My duty at this point was to sell programmes but turned out to be much more as I got to watch a spectacular performance that I will never forget: the opening ceremony of the 2003 Special Olympics. The highlight for me was (to my surprise) the Corrs who really lifted the spirits in the stadium as athletics and volunteers danced the night away.
Sunday was uneventful except for a chance meeting with Brian Kerr. But the most significant thing that happened at this time was that I began to build a bond with some of the athletes and teams. Close to my heart was the Croatian team, a well-built team who knew how to play football.
The exciting Barbados teams were always good for a game as they had in their ranks the most confident player at the Games: their prodigal number nine, Joseph Browne.
Many images have struck me as encapsulating the Special Olympic spirit: such as the Aussie player asking me how the Irish teams were doing in their match just before he took the pitch for his own match.
Little things made these Games worthwhile: watching China in the basketball, or Barbados in the soccer, over the week and up until they collected their medals on Saturday, was a special feeling. The opportunity to get to know the players, who responded with warmth and gratitude, was evident at the Games.
The final day's competition - the elite stages - will be remembered for the quality of sport on show, both on the basketball court and on the football field. This is when the feel-good factor of the Games really kicked in. The sun-drenched lunchtimes when the athletics and volunteers would dance to pop tunes in the open square at Belfield is one memory I will take and hold from these Games.
On the other hand, the referees' match one memorable lunchtime was funny for the lack of skill on show and the constant sneers from the crowd of "Referee!"
The Irish, of course, always put on a good show and our soccer teams produced some heroes of their own. John Murphy will always be remembered for his hat-trick, as will Kathleen McMeel for her grit and determination throughout.
The closing ceremony rounded-off an uplifting experience.
I know something on this scale will not be seen again in Ireland for a while, so to play an active part in these World Games was a privilege.
It was the athletics themselves that shone this summer; volunteers merely helped bring the focus on them.