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Children with an Alive & Kicking ball

I feel like I need another 10 days

Written here on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 by Andrew Aris

ball clock

I feel like I need another 10 days to really be ready to travel but I have another 1.5 days.

Why does the taxman come calling in my weakest hour? Why does my roommate illegally download a psycho-thriller from the internet — and why does a lawyer in Berlin have to find out about it and bill me (my name is on the internet connection) a few days before the biggest trip of my life?

Why do I suddenly just now realize the millions of little things that need to be taken care of? Why am I so disorganized? Ask my ex-wife –- she’s been telling me for years! Why is it so difficult to get a Nigerian visa? And why is it that I have to fall in love right before I leave?

And, above all, how do I say goodbye to my most treasured friend, my 3.5-year-old son? What the hell am I actually doing, going on the road to the World Cup? Suddenly, I begin to appreciate how sorely I am going to miss my son and how impossible it is for him to understand my being gone.

The doubts have been rising this last week: am I really going to be able to do this? Will I be able to keep the mosquitoes at bay? How am I going to be able to deal with the journey financially, physically, emotionally? What happens when I come back? Am I going to come back? What happens if I am attacked? How will I defend myself?

Can a football really help me through those tricky situations?

2 comments on “I feel like I need another 10 days”

  1. I feel for you, Andrew. Good luck and better luck

    Karin , Christian’s mother

  2. Hallo Andrew, how are you? Where are you? I wish you beautiful journey. I hav no doubt,you can that. Don’t let the head hang. We are proud on you. We miss you, but Rick also correct.
    Goodbye! Se you soon! Ulrike frome the Enlish-course

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The 2010 Route

The 2010 route

The Ball 2010 left Battersea Park on 24th Jan 2010 is heading to the Opening Ceremony in Johannesburg for the 11th June 2010.

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  • The Ball said:

    Mystery solved by our friend Mark via our Facebook page – apparently he sells water.

  • The Ball said:

    Because none of us speak Arabic :-(

  • John said:

    Why didn’t you ask him?

  • Reloveution said:

    I already bookmark this post, I might get back and will read your new post… bye for now

  • Miles said:

    Great work Gentlemen. Thank heaven someone had the ball to do it!

The Ball 2006

The 2006 Route

The Ball 2006 (Teamgeist) travelled from Battersea Park, London and headed to the Opening Ceremony in Munich, Germany.

The Ball 2002

The 2002 Route

The Ball 2002 (Fevernova) was carried 7000 miles across Europe and Asia to the World Cup finals in Korea & Japan.