6 of the 7 Continents For The Budget Traveler: Brazil World Cup Withdrawals...

It hasn't even been a month since the World Cup ended, but already the feelings of withdrawals have hit me. Instead of checking the news on my phone every morning about the day's games, match stats, and tournament news I find myself reading about shootings, plane crashes, and the ebola virus, you know, all the happy news. It will be over a year until qualifiers start for USA, maybe 2? Of course we have the Gold Cup, and Copa America to look forward to, but nothing is like the world cup.

It's just amazing how long it takes for the 4 years to pass and how quickly it goes by. I still remember sitting in an airport in Peru during an airline strike in 2013 and meeting travelers from Brazil and letting them know I would be there for the cup. I remember the hassle of the ticket process, but the rewarding feeling of scoring tickets to see Italy vs Costa Rica and Mexico Croatia. The early 3am wake ups to be on CET time zones, the forums, the trip planning, the tears of joy, etc.

It was such a thrill to see the games I went to, as well as the excitement of the fan fests, and talking with other football fans for a month straight! Now that I am back in America I find myself correcting my vocabulary and saying "soccer" instead. I watch some youtube replays of the matches we went to, and look at my pics from the trip.

Just 4 more years I tell myself... 4 more years... The best way to explain the World Cup to someone who is not a fan, is this, I have been in NYC for when the Yankees won the World Series (multiple times), I have been in NYC for when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup, I have been in Phoenix for the Superbowl, and Phoenix for the Phoenix Open. All of those events combined... Does not even scratch the surface of the World Cup! I decided while I was down there that after following this sport now for over 20 years, I am not going to just make it about every 4 years. I am going to try to hit one MLS game a year, and see the national team as much as I can, be it friendlies in AZ or Cali, or the Gold Cup/Copa America if I am lucky! And more importantly, I know what I went thru on the planning of this World Cup and the ticket process, so for Russia 2018, I plan to share my knowledge and crack out an ebook for the masses to enjoy! I think you make around a quarter an ebook or something like that, so who knows, if I sell a million copies it may just pay for Russia 2018!!!