How I did it: As a swimmer, I've always looked up to Michael Phelps and, of course, wanted to see him swim live instead of on TV. My parents were willing to compromise; they wanted to go to China in 2008, during the same times as the Beijing Olympics.

We planned almost a year ahead, knowing that tickets would be difficult to purchase. China ended up holding back a lot of tickets for locals, but we managed to snag tickets for one day of swimming events via online retailer.

The problem with ordering tickets online is the risk of fraud. We ordered tickets to see some gymnastics events only to find out that we'd been part of a major internet scam. Thankfully, the credit card company refunded our entire money. In other words, don't pay with cash because there's a chance that you may not get your money back.

In the end, however, it was definitely a worthwhile experience. All of the hassles and mishaps led to one historic moment -- watching Michael Phelps win gold.

Lessons & tips: It's also easy to buy tickets from locals once you get there. A friend

of ours went to Beijing with no tickets at all but met a man selling

them in a bunch at very reasonable prices.

Even though you can always purchase tickets on the spot (someone has to have them), hotel spots don't always come as easily. We learned this the hard way and got stuck in a mediocre hotel. Lesson learned: make reservations early.

Jan 18, 2009, 11:06PM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer