Two Years in the Making

I am sitting at an airport in Orlando, FL. For in 9 hours time I will be on my way to another stage in my life. Adulthood.

I have been playing soccer everyday for 6 years. Training in hopes that one day I could become a professional. I've worked tirelessly for hundreds of hours to get this chance. Now it is time for my work to pay off, because I'm about to get on a plane bound for London, bound for the soccer capital of the world.

It was about 2 years ago. My family and I were talking casually about how we loved europe so much, so I proposed an idea. Why don't we move there so I can play soccer? We were all enthused, but obviously there are a lot of logistics involved that don't just happen at the drop of at hat. Though it was clear that it was a long term goal, it didn't seem very real at that moment. But as the days sped bye we started drafting scenarios on different ways we could make it work. I often dreaded these talks because they would present a lot of problems and all I wanted was to go.

When I was training on the field day in and day out I would always think about England. If I made a shot I would think to myself, "Would that have gone in on a professional keeper?" Or if I missed a shot I would think, "I have to make that better if I want to play in England." So I was constantly thinking about England, and how to make myself better.

Early this year we started drafting up scenarios again, but this time it seemed possible. All we had to do was make the decision and do the work. However at that point it hadn't sunk in yet, it was still an idea to me. That all changed when we bought the tickets, then it became more than an idea. It became a real.

About a month ago we started to move out of our apartment. It was long and arduous work, but we got it done because we wanted an adventure. The last couple of days weren't the easiest. Saying bye to people is never fun, but I want to go to England so I have no regrets.

Now I'm here sitting in the terminal, waiting for my life to change. It's the end of one journey and the beginning of the next. But no matter what happens at least I can say I gave my heart and soul to do what I love. Play soccer.