"We don't want to tell our dreams. We want to show them."

- Cristiano Ronaldo

"I am living a dream I never want to wake up from."

- Cristiano Ronaldo

The Time I Stood On A Train In Rio And Announced That I Didn't Like Soccer.

Due to the 2014 World Cup, there are very few people who haven't heard of Maracanã. They may or may not know it by name, but perhaps they know that it is where the final match was held. The winning goal was scored by Germany in this very stadium.

And I went there. I went into the locker room. I stood on the field.

Our tour included seeing the press box, the VIP seating, and rooms available for parties (25th birthday celebration, perhaps?), the locker room, and then going out onto the field. All for the low price of $20. If you happen to find yourself in Rio, I highly recommend checking it out--Maracanã Official Site.

The goal in which the winning goal was scored

The tour was cool, don't get me wrong. But it was no baseball stadium. Had it been, say, Jacobs Field, there many have been actual tears running down my face. Even to me, it elicited feelings of awe and amazement.

A feeling which I expressed, loudly, to Caitlin while we were riding the subway home.

Caitlin: "That was SO cool!"
Me: "I know! I don't even like soccer and I thought it was awesome!"
...crickets chriping...
Caitlin: "Maybe you don't want to shout that on a crowded subway in Rio de Janeiro."

The struggle to filter the things that I say is real, folks.

Nenseeee!

Vivi took us to our first, and probably only, Brazilian soccer game. Fluminense was playing Botafogo, and we were cheering for Fluminense. The fans were wild, the engery was contagious, and the atmosphere was like nothing I had ever experienced! The game wasn't all that important to Fluminense, so they weren't playing their best players and the game wasn't as intense as it might have been. But it was still crazier than anything I had experienced in the States.

Oh you know, just cheering on the team.

Might have been a little bit excited.

Me, Amanda, Brittany, and Claire outside of the stadium.

Claire and I at the beginning of the game.

The stadium

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the game ended in a 1-1 tie.