Biz 2 Market, llc

I was 10 years old, playing on a competitive indoor co-ed soccer league. We lived in Salt Lake City, Utah at the time.

In 1993, our team — literally named #1 — won the Utah State Championship for our division. Huge moment. Especially when you’re ten.

Those long-sleeved bright-yellow jerseys? Heavy, hot, and unforgettable. You could sweat through them just by looking at a soccer ball.

I was a right striker, playing year-round — competitive teams, school teams, you name it. Soccer was everything. Varsity would come later… and tennis… and eventually golf (we’ll get there).

But back to the story: we won — yay team #1!

Our coach took us on a surprise trip to a little town called Lava Hot Springs, Idaho — about an hour and a half north on I-15.

To 10-year-old me, it was pure magic.

Steam rising over hot pools.

Snow falling.

Laughter echoing.

Freedom.

Team joy.

Childhood wonder.

I talked about that trip for months. Looking back now, I finally understand why that simple moment mattered.

It was humbling. Rewarding. Quietly transformative.

That trip planted something in me — a spark of possibility, curiosity, and connection to tiny towns with big hearts. A feeling I couldn’t name then, but recognize deeply now.

So yes — cliché or not — that childhood moment shaped a piece of who I am today.

Thanks Cassie.

Thanks Javier.

Thanks Coach Cassie’s Dad — nurse, soccer dad, and championship-winning coach who unknowingly changed my life with a weekend road trip.