2026-09-06, 11:02 AM - Word count:
Daily life. Routine. Habits. It had taken a few months from the time Joe arrived in Hungary before he really developed anything resembling a proper daily routine. Gradually walks around the city and its parks had become a near-daily routine, he had started frequenting a few different restaurants, gotten to know the faces of the staff at the hotel at which he was staying. Most importantly, Joe had gotten to know his way around Rapid Magyar. It wasn’t quite the same as it had been at Victoria Falls Eagles where all of the players lived together and were almost forced to become close; here, they had freedom to do and go wherever they wanted after training. Another thing that was different was the players’ circumstances. At the academy, they had all been more or less the same age, and at the same place in their lives. Here, some players were young upcomers like Joe, while others were established stars. Similarly, some had families of their own, while others were practically still children experiencing life for the first time. Even so, in Joe’s estimation, the mood at the club was great, at least considering how the results in the SSL had been going since the first two wins. Then again, he didn’t have much to go by in terms of comparison.
Joe had joined the club at the same time as five other youngsters coming from different academies around the world. He knew a couple of them slightly from their academy time, and that had probably played a part in creating an atmosphere that suited Joe. It was more the time spent away from the club that took a while to adjust to. He did go out with some of his teammates, especially his fellow teenagers, to places like the cinema, shopping, or the occasional shared meal or coffee. It was apparent that it was a little strange for all of them. After all, they were all strangers to the city, and there were many things they couldn’t quite do; playing other sports was prohibited outside of very casual play out of a concern that they get injured, and although one of them had invited the rest over to play video games on a console, it had felt rather unusual being a bunch of people over at their host family’s house. That experience hadn’t been repeated since.
Joe’s father, Tok, had at some point urged him over the phone to ensure that he explore the city while living there. To grasp the gift that he was given by making the best of it. To make sure he would not be another tourist in his own city of residence. With a decent amount of free time, Joe had tried to heed his advice. That was why he had started walking around the city to begin with; to get acquainted with his neighbourhood and the city that would be hosting him. Hearing an older player talk about connecting with the fans had further contributed to this sense of needing to get to know the city. Having long given up on the idea of learning Hungarian, Joe instead tried to learn Hungary. Not thinking to purchase a guide, or to look things up online, he sort of just picked out directions to walk in, and took in whatever he found there. He’d found several parks, a couple of cathedrals, and some old buildings he could only take to be castles. He was content to take it easy and get to know the city and the country as time went on. There was no real rush; it would be a shame to learn everything immediately. Running out of things to do would be the worst with years to spend in this city.
Good thing there are still lots of things to do and places to explore, Joe thought as he put on his hoodie and headed out to his go-to café.
Joe had joined the club at the same time as five other youngsters coming from different academies around the world. He knew a couple of them slightly from their academy time, and that had probably played a part in creating an atmosphere that suited Joe. It was more the time spent away from the club that took a while to adjust to. He did go out with some of his teammates, especially his fellow teenagers, to places like the cinema, shopping, or the occasional shared meal or coffee. It was apparent that it was a little strange for all of them. After all, they were all strangers to the city, and there were many things they couldn’t quite do; playing other sports was prohibited outside of very casual play out of a concern that they get injured, and although one of them had invited the rest over to play video games on a console, it had felt rather unusual being a bunch of people over at their host family’s house. That experience hadn’t been repeated since.
Joe’s father, Tok, had at some point urged him over the phone to ensure that he explore the city while living there. To grasp the gift that he was given by making the best of it. To make sure he would not be another tourist in his own city of residence. With a decent amount of free time, Joe had tried to heed his advice. That was why he had started walking around the city to begin with; to get acquainted with his neighbourhood and the city that would be hosting him. Hearing an older player talk about connecting with the fans had further contributed to this sense of needing to get to know the city. Having long given up on the idea of learning Hungarian, Joe instead tried to learn Hungary. Not thinking to purchase a guide, or to look things up online, he sort of just picked out directions to walk in, and took in whatever he found there. He’d found several parks, a couple of cathedrals, and some old buildings he could only take to be castles. He was content to take it easy and get to know the city and the country as time went on. There was no real rush; it would be a shame to learn everything immediately. Running out of things to do would be the worst with years to spend in this city.
Good thing there are still lots of things to do and places to explore, Joe thought as he put on his hoodie and headed out to his go-to café.
