My friend starts his summer the same way every year and travels to Denmark, but this year became different, when his parents invited me to join them.  On the second morning there, we rode our bikes to a soccer academy. We planned to borrow a soccer ball once we got there, but to our surprise, there weren’t any laying around. When we asked someone if we could borrow one, we were given an orange and blue select ball.  After we practiced for hours we headed back to return the soccer ball, and we saw the junior team getting coached by the same person who lended us the ball. As we called his name and gestured that we’re about to pass the ball back, he yelled across the field “Keep it!”.  At our Airbnb, my friend was showing his parents the soccer ball, telling them how the owner gave us a free soccer ball, and that’s when it hit me: The coach of a pro club gave us this soccer ball.  A soccer ball, a blue and orange select ball with cleat markings, which lives on a shelf until Saturday morning rolls along, keeps a distant trip memorable. A reminder of the late nights in Copenhagen, the bike rides before breakfast, the boat we rented, and how every memory is shared with the same person. 

– T.Z

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