Life Down Under

The American Pastime

Baseball season is in full swing. No pun intended. And so also is the time of year that I feel the twinges of homesickness, as I know full well what is going on in those 29 ballparks across America - and therefore know full well what I'm missing out on all the way out here. Baseball is as much a part of the American culture as rugby is in the New Zealand culture. It's just part of being American. And for those of you who knows us well, you will know that Aaron and I were no strangers to Kauffman stadium in our Kansas City days. (Now those were the good 'ole days!). And you will also know that I absolutely love baseball.

So we do the best we can with what we've got all the way out here - between ESPN live games (Red Sox/Yankees series!), and mlb.com, we've got it pretty good. But it still isn't the same as sitting in the stadium, eating a ballpark hot dog, and standing on your feet, screaming loudly when your team is down by three runs, has bases loaded, 2 outs, and the count is full. And screaming even louder when you hear that 'pop' off the bat, knowing that someone has just hit a grand slam. You gotta admit - that's just fun! (Or, speaking of the Yankees/Red Sox series, when your team is down by 3 runs and then hits 4 home runs in a row, to tie a major league record of most home runs hit consecutively. That's gotta be pretty awesome, too).

So, all that to say, I wistfully look forward to the day when maybe someday I'll be back in one of those 29 stadiums (preferably one belonging to a team that I like!), drinking in the sights, sounds, and smells of baseball. And hopefully it will be sooner, rather than later.