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I am a soccer nut.
I love the game and playing it is truly a spiritual experience for me. In 1994 a strange sequence of events (It all started when I was reading "The Celestine Prophecy") led to what can only be called "a spiritual quest" to Santa Cruz Bolivia, home of the famous Tahuichi youth soccer academy.
Though 33 years of age at the time, I trained and played just like one of the guys – mostly high school seniors and college
age players. I stayed for a month and while there I lived with a wonderful Bolivian family. I played soccer twice a day and traveled with the team to play games against teams from surrounding villages.
Just to add a little spice to the trip, I hired a guide to take me into the Bolivian jungle, which borders the Amazon – the
sights and sounds were incredible. I also met a really cute woman who happened to be visiting the academy at the same time to write a story for the Chicago Tribune – we called ourselves "two gringos in
paradise".
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