In case you somehow missed it—though by now you really should know—the World Cup is in North America this summer.
I’m not a huge soccer (football) fan, but I do love watching the World Cup. There’s something special about seeing nations compete against one another that makes it so much more compelling than your average match.
That said, the best part of having teams from all over the world here hasn’t even been the soccer itself. (Team Sweden was literally in our backyard.) It’s been experiencing America through the eyes of the fans who’ve traveled here to support their countries.
Before the World Cup, it felt like America just wasn’t getting along. Every headline seemed to be another argument, every conversation turned into a fight, and everyone appeared to be picking sides. Maybe that wasn’t the whole reality, but it certainly felt that way. I know I was exhausted by it, and I imagine a lot of people were.
Then the World Cup arrived.
Suddenly my social media feeds were filled with visitors experiencing America for the first time. Instead of anger, I saw excitement. Instead of division, I saw people marveling at the friendliness of strangers, the size of everything, road trips, national parks, diners, tailgates, and little moments that most of us barely notice anymore.
It reminded me that sometimes it takes someone seeing your home with fresh eyes to help you appreciate it again. In my case, it also reminded me that I hadn’t been to a Waffle House in years—and that I should probably fix that. Watching fans from around the world celebrate not just their teams, but the places they’ve visited and the people they’ve met has been one of the unexpected highlights of this tournament for me.
As the tournament winds down to the final four and more of our new friends begin heading home, I keep thinking about something I saw on social media. So, to all of you who came here to cheer on your countries while reminding us what makes ours special: can our friends come back for another sleepover next summer?
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