The Epitome of Perfection

I'm helplessly and permanently a Red Sox fan. It was like first love...You never forget. It's special. It's the first time I saw a ballpark. I'd thought nothing would ever replace cricket. Wow! Fenway Park at 7 o'clock in the evening. Oh, just, magic beyond magic: never got over that." - Art Historian Simon Schama

In a moment of impulse, I bought a plane ticket, joined Redsox Nation, and decided to escape the Pacific Northwest for a few days of baseball bliss before settling into “Wedding season”.

Let me start off by saying it was the perfect vacation...Seriously, it could not have been more ideal. Of course I almost missed my flight, but it wouldn’t be a “Tayler vacation” unless some sort of fiasco almost happened. I thought I was being very travel savvy, I didn’t check a bag, had my ticket sent to my smartphone, even had the perfect spot in long-term parking. I arrived at the airport in plenty of time to get through security, buy a cup of coffee, and take a Dramamine, or so I thought. Of course after getting through the line, there was a problem with the ticket sensors and I was sent back to the check in counter, only to be informed it was too close to my departure time to get a boarding pass. Long story short, I demanded one anyway, waited in line again, (the whole time muttering & fidgeting about karma and vacation, and of course this was happening to me) ran through the terminal, and was the last person to board the plane. For a split second I also thought I left my ID in one of the plastic totes at security. (which thankfully I did not, but I spent a few minutes in full blown panic, not worried about how I was going to get on a plane to come home, but more concerned with how I was going to buy beer once in Boston).

Lately I’ve been struggling with life happening around me, and not being able to fully embrace what it is I want in my life. So a mini-vacation doing exactly what I wanted to do was a huge step in the right direction. It was incredibly refreshing to be on MY vacation. It was fantastic to get up at my own pace, wander around at my own pace, see what I wanted to see, eat what I wanted to eat etc. To be perfectly honest, I was there for the baseball, and so long as that happened I was happy, and pretty much everything else was an added bonus. I spent my first morning in Boston wandering around the Museum of Fine Arts. Their Egypt section was spectacular, as was their Etruscan section. I loved meandering around taking everything in at my own pace and not having to worry about rushing someone else, or slowing everyone down. I got to hang out in a room with works by Monet and Picasso, and just study the paint.

It was also totally refreshing to be in a totally strange city by myself and just figure out where I was, where I was going, and what I needed to do next. I’ve traveled quite a bit, but on most trips there is usually someone familiar meeting me at the airport, and I don’t have to worry about navigating to my final destination. It was fun to explore and to get from point A to point B unassisted.

And then there was Fenway. What can I even say about it? This happens to me every time I am in an awe-inspiring, and dare I say life changing place. I feel like words (at least the words I have) are not adequate to describe the experience. A few years ago I had this same feeling when I was visting Tintern Abbey in Wales. A poem that I wrote while there describes it as "the epitome of perfection" and I have to admit, that my new epitome of perfection may very well be Fenway Park. It is the coolest feeling in the world knowing that 39,000 other people are having the same experience, and are all gathered in a place where, for just a few hours, you all want to same thing. I was grinning like an idiot, and sort of bouncing around pretty much the whole time we were waiting in line (and even after we were inside). Being a members of Redsox Nation the first thing we did was head to entrance C, and wait for batting practice. Red Sox Batting practice isn’t open to the general public, and as a “Nation” member you get to go into the ballpark before everyone else and watch from the Green Monster. Talk about the perfect “first time” experience. I’ll always have that memory of walking up the outfield steps, and the very first view that I had of inside Fenway Park was from essentially the best seats in the house.

Of course our actual seats were phenomenal as well. I probably splurged on this trip a little more than I should have, (naturally I came home with an abundant amount of Red Sox gear, including tee shirts, sweatshirts, underwear, and shotglasses) but I sort of took on the “go big or go home” mentality. First base field box, section 15, box 25, row M, seat 4. AKA first base line, center of the dugout, (right behind the N in Boston) ten rows back. We were sitting directly behind first base, which of course meant an all night view of Kevin Youkilis and a stellar view of Home Plate. Did I mention the constant grinning & bouncing around? I was like a little kid on a sugar high. I’m sure I was actually terrible company most of the time, not only because of the bouncing & radiating excitement, but because I also just sort of went into my own little mental happy place for most of the game. I didn’t talk much, just sort of let the experience wash over me.

Naturally there was junk food and beer, and naturally the first thing I ate was a Fenway Dog… you know, when in Rome. (who am I kidding, hot dogs are like my guilty pleasure food, but as a recovering vegetarian who is still on the brink of a meat free life, I like to pretend that it wasn’t a crucial part of the experience…. Even though it was!) There is that quote by Humphry Bogart "A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz" and I have to agree.

I was actually pleasantly surprised to find Veggie Dogs and Veggie burgers on the menu there, and allegedly they were also selling vegetarian burritos somewhere, though we walked the entire stadium looking for them, and they were not to be found. I wouldn’t have had my Fenway experience any other way, and that of course includes the hot dogs, but it was nice to know (maybe for future reference) that vegetarian options were available.

And then there was Sweet Caroline. Maybe someday I will figure out how to post a video on my blog (then again… its pretty much me singing really really loudly and really really badly, so maybe it’s a good thing I’m not as tech savvy as I like to think I am). Again, it goes back to the whole 39,000 people acting in unison all hoping for the same outcome, and all singing their hearts out. So good, so good, so good.

Varitek hit a home run, Daisuke pitched a great game, and there was much joy in my heart. There was still joy in my heart the next day, even though the game didn’t go quite as well, and our seats weren’t quite as prime. It was all about the experience though. The right field grandstand is not quite as glamourous as the first base fieldbox, and our view might have been obstructed a little by the foul pole, but it was still Fenway Park, still the same feeling… and a much more vocal fan base. Tim Wakefield got his 2,000^th strike out during the game, I got to see the Ted Williams seat, and we didn’t get rained on, so all in all I call it a successful outing. (though we never did find that vegetarian burrito)

Afterwards we decided to see what we could of the city, and walked most of the Freedom Trail. Very cool, very historical (plus I spotted two bull-dogs along the way. Which I am choosing to take as a sign that there will be one in my near future).

All-in-All it was a fabulous trip, involving a lot of junk food, copious amounts of beer, a good buddy, historical sights, lots of fun, and my first time to Fenway. I can now say that I have closed down Boston Beer Works on a Tuesday night, eaten a Fenway Dog, frolicked on the Green Monster, and been close enough to the Red Sox dugout to see the light reflecting off of Kevin Youkilis’ head.

My one complaint… the two sections of Yankees gear in the Red Sox Team Store. WTF? And I didn’t get to see Papelbon Pitch… but considering I did get to see the Knuckleballer, I’m calling it a trade off.

Oh, and I didn’t get the chance to seduce Theo Epstein either,(which is my new backup-backup life plan) but overall it was still exactly what I needed in a vacation. And I’m thinking my first real trip to Boston, will not be my last.