From Watching the World Cup With Dad to Living the FIFA Experience.
Some opportunities are more than just opportunities. Sometimes, they connect your past, your present, and even the next generation in ways you never expected.
For me, my FIFA experience started long before I ever put on a volunteer uniform.
It started with my dad.
Growing up, soccer was always part of our home because my dad is Guatemalan and a true soccer fanatic. But when the World Cup came around, it was different. There was an excitement about it that I still remember today. Watching those games with my dad became part of my childhood and created memories that stayed with me.
Years later, I received an opportunity I never imagined I would have: the chance to volunteer with FIFA in Miami.
Knowing that around one million people applied and approximately 65,000 volunteers were selected made the opportunity feel even more special. Out of so many applicants, I had been chosen to be part of this international experience.
Of course, one of the first people I wanted to tell was my dad.
When I called him, I could hear how excited he was. I really wanted to bring him with me and share the experience together, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to.
Still, there was something emotional about knowing that the little girl who once sat with her dad watching the World Cup was now going to be part of a FIFA experience herself.
My First Day Starting With Something Fresh
My first day began with another part of my life that has become very important to me: food. I stopped at Soul Fresh, located at 124 NE 2nd Ave in Miami, where I had a waffle topped with fresh berries. It was simple, fresh, and exactly what I wanted before starting such an exciting new adventure.
My relationship with food has changed a lot over the years.
About six years ago, I became vegetarian. That decision became even more meaningful during my cancer journey because I started paying closer attention to my body and how the foods I ate made me feel.
For me personally, eating differently felt like the reset my body needed. I noticed that I felt less bloated, lighter, and more energetic. It helped me become more intentional about listening to my body and taking care of myself during a time when that became especially important.
So naturally, discovering vegetarian and plant-based places became another part of my journey.
And FIFA gave me plenty of opportunities to explore.
10 Days Turned Into Three Weeks
Originally, I signed up to volunteer for 10 days.
Those 10 days somehow turned into three weeks. My official title was Host City Ambassador Transport Volunteer, and I also had the opportunity to work at Fan Fest. Getting my limited edition FIFA volunteer uniform was one of those moments that made everything feel real. Putting it on made me feel like I wasn’t simply standing on the outside watching the excitement anymore.
I was part of the action.
The experience also gave me the opportunity to work alongside other volunteers and meet some amazing people. Everyone had a different background and a different story, but we were all there sharing the same experience.
That’s one of the things that made doing this in Miami so special.
Miami is such a beautiful combination of cultures, languages, foods, and traditions. Being there for the FIFA experience allowed me to experience the city in a completely different way, surrounded by people from all over the world who were brought together by the love of soccer.
From My Dad, to Me, to My Daughter
Then something happened that made this experience even more meaningful.
I got to work alongside my daughter.
Suddenly, I realized this wasn’t just about me anymore.
I grew up experiencing the excitement of soccer and the World Cup through my dad. Now I was standing at a FIFA event creating those memories with my own daughter.
It felt like something had been passed from one generation to another.
From my dad, to me, to my daughter three generations connected through one experience.
My dad gave me those first memories. Years later, I was able to live the experience for myself. And now I was getting the opportunity to pass a piece of that excitement on to my daughter.
That’s something I’ll always treasure.
Experiencing Miami Along the Way
Of course, Candy Vela Journey wouldn’t be complete without discovering a few places along the way.
One of my discoveries was Veganlitaly, a 100% plant-based Italian restaurant located at 3808 SW 8th St. in Coral Gables.
Italian food and vegan food together? I had to try it.
The food was really good, and it became another little memory attached to those weeks. That’s something I’ve learned to appreciate about trying new places: sometimes the food isn’t just about the meal. You remember where you were, who you were with, and what was happening in your life at that moment.
I also loved seeing Bayfront Park during the FIFA experience. The park looked beautiful, especially around the fountain, and there was always something happening around us.
One of the coolest parts was seeing the dance performances from different countries and
cultures. The music, movement, costumes, and energy of the crowd made the whole experience feel like an international celebration.
And then there were the Jet Ski shows.
Watching the riders perform on the water added a completely different kind of excitement. Between the soccer, music, dancing, entertainment, and everything happening around Bayfront Park, there was always something to see.
That’s what made Fan Fest so memorable for me.
It wasn’t only about soccer.
It was about people, cultures, food, music, entertainment, and connection.
For someone coming from Jacksonville, it gave me the opportunity to experience Miami in a completely different way. Everywhere I looked, there was something new to see, someone new to meet, or another memory being created.
A Certificate, a Uniform, and a Lot of Memories
At the end of the experience, I received something else I thought was really cool a certificate recognizing my volunteer service.
I have the certificate.
I have the limited-edition uniform.
But what I really walked away with were the memories.
I went into this thinking I was volunteering for 10 days and ended up giving three weeks of my time.
I met amazing people. I experienced Miami’s diversity in a completely different way. I discovered new places and new foods.
I got to be part of Fan Fest.
I watched dance performances from different cultures.
I got to see Jet Ski shows on the water.
I got to wear that uniform and feel like I was truly part of the action.
And most importantly, I got to share part of the experience with my daughter.
The Journey Keeps Coming Full Circle
When I think about everything I’ve experienced from building my business, to going through cancer, changing the way I take care of myself, becoming vegetarian, and then finding myself volunteering with FIFA I realize that life has taken me places I never could have planned.
A Special Thank You
Throughout this journey, I also want to take a moment to thank someone very special whom I had the opportunity to meet during my FIFA experience in Miami. What started as an unexpected connection became another meaningful part of my journey. I truly believe that God places certain people in our lives for a reason, and I’m grateful that our paths crossed.
For a long time, I had dreamed of creating this website and sharing my journey, but I never found the motivation or guidance I needed to finally make that dream a reality.
Thank you, Alejandro Cuadra, for believing in my vision, encouraging me, guiding me through the process, and helping me turn something that was once only an idea into something real.
It has been a pleasure working together, sharing ideas, and creating meaningful projects along the way. I’m truly grateful for your support and for being part of making this dream a reality. 🙏
And that’s really what Candy Vela Journey is about.
It’s not only about the big moments.
It’s about appreciating the little experiences along the way: a waffle with berries before your first day, meeting someone new, discovering a restaurant, watching a performance, standing by the water, putting on a uniform, receiving a certificate, or looking over and realizing your daughter is experiencing something with you that once began with your own father.
I started as a little girl watching the World Cup with my dad.
Years later, I was wearing the uniform, standing in the middle of the excitement, helping create the experience for someone else.
And this time, my daughter was there too.
My dad gave me the memory.
I got to live the experience.
And I got to pass a piece of it on to my daughter.
Sometimes life doesn’t just bring you full circle.
Sometimes it gives you the opportunity to make that circle a little bigger for the next generation.
Comments