February 1st was my first day of soccer practice with my new team Cambaceres. Cambaceres is a team based in the nearby town called Ensenada. They play in the 3rd division of professional soccer in Argentina. I have practice monday-friday from 9 am to around noon. I leave the house everyday at 7:30 and pass by Lucas' house. We take a bus into our city's downtown and from there we take a bus about a half hour to Ensenada. Ensenada reminds me of northern Michigan. Acre of farmland after acre of farmland. We pass by a huge field filled with upwards of fifty horses every morning.
This week will be my fifth week of practice. In the first four, we did a lot of running. We call our coach Bocha and we have a fitness coach named Luis. In the first four weeks we rarely worked with Bocha. Lots of running.
My chapter with Club For-Ever is over. Luis resigned, and the new coach is making the team practice at a field that is too far to bike to. Lucas and Tobias quit, as did most of the other kids. After I made Cambaceres I was secretly hoping that I wouldn't be able to play in For-Ever. With practice every morning I doubted I would have energy for another team. This is a logical place to break it off, as the new coach doesn't even know who I am.
I play futbol cinco (5 on 5 indoor soccer on a small field) with Lucas and some neighborhood guys once or twice a week. We usually have to round up a team at the last minute, and always call on a kid who lives across the street from me to play goalie. We always seem to find enough players.
This is my last week of summer vacation. I'm changing schools to a school called Numero 2, which starts at 1 pm everyday, so I can continue with Cambaceres. My host dad's best friend since childhood is the director at Numero 2, and he suggested we send me there. I will meet with my AFS counselor and the school one day this week to make it all official.
I often think about how the littlest things have the biggest impacts. On the way back from my first training with For-Ever, way back in October, I was walking with my dad because I still wasn't comfortable enough to go places alone.. anyways as we approached the door I hear "Werner!" from across the street. It was Lucas. Lucas introduced me to Tobias and Tobias' older brother Joaquin. Through Joaquin I met a bunch of local college kids who get together every week to play soccer. Lucas also introduced me to Dante who is now a close friend. Lucas and Dante got me to become a fan of Racing Club and now we all watch the games together every weekend at Lucas' house which is just two blocks away.
If Lucas wouldn't have been across the street, or if he didn't see me.. my entire life here would be so much different. I would rep a different team, I would play for a different team, I would be going to a different school, and I would be spending all of my time with the other exchange students. Now I have Argentine friends and it is from Argentine people that you pick up the culture and language.
I don't know if it was fate or what, but I am very happy that things worked out the way they did.
