The first time I experienced the phenomenon of soccer was when I was 13 years old, visiting my father for the summer in Bogotá, Colombia. Long story short (if that’s ever possible from a 1st-person narrative writer), he’d force me to play against my will with my quadruplet brothers and the local teens and young adults, who’d meet up at the same makeshift concrete field at the same time every day for matches.⁠ ⁠ I remember my resentment towards him at first and my surprise when I began to enjoy myself, waking up in the morning eager for the afternoon’s game arrival. My brothers and I barely knew anything about any of our fellow players, but we all acted like lifelong friends (or nemesis, depending on which side you were on). ⁠ #linkinbio, if you're interested in reading more.