When I got the email that the tickets for Rockies Fan Fest were up for purchase, I felt my heart fill up with joy. I made sure to get those tickets to ensure I got them as soon as I could and the countdown began.
I spent the second-to-last week of January looking forward to it. As soon as I clocked out of work for the weekend, I knew I was free to get ready for the amazing day. My happiness was at an all-time high.
With a bag of long-drive treats, sunscreen, and other necessities in the backseat of my sister’s car, I was beyond ready to complete the drive down to Denver. It was hairy, especially considering the fact that traffic on the interstate was absolutely annoying. We made it to Denver safe and sound, so I am grateful for that.
After getting our tickets, we went shopping for gear, and got some adorable merchandise. Then the fun began. I went down to check out the beautiful locker room. I found it to be so gorgeous and such a fun experience. Considering the fact fans are usually prohibited from entering the locker room, it was wonderful.
I then got to go into the dugout. I was so ecstatic. It was really cool getting to see the ballpark from the perspective of the player. I found it extremely cool to see what the players see whenever they played baseball in the Mile High City. Then I got to go into the batting cages in the stadium and do batting practice. Considering the fact I hadn’t done any batting practice since high school, I did quite well!
Then came a very magical part, autograph time. I got to meet David Dahl, an outfielder. I had gotten to meet him three years earlier, so it was so much fun getting to see him again. David Dahl is literally one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life. I decided to check in with him to see how he was feeling after sustaining a season-ending injury in August. He was doing quite well. I was so blessed I got to meet a player with such kindness and positivity.
The magic wasn’t done yet. I wanted to get to meet the mascot, Dinger, but the line was long. My sister and I decided to go to the social media panel instead. Julian Valentin, the boss of social media, and pitcher Yency Almonte were there. I made it a point to ask Julian if it was true that Dinger didn’t run the accounts. He said that because Dinger didn’t have his own accounts, he did guest posts.
After it was time for Yency to go, I wished him well, and Yency was grateful for that. Julian decided to stay an extra half hour to continue the session. I got to shake his hand and I felt honored. Julian was extremely kind and such a joy to be around. He also introduced us to his coworkers, Tony, Justin, and Nicole. We took a group photo afterwards and Julian walked us all to the exit. I also asked Justin if it would be possible to make a RyMac and Cheese T-shirt to celebrate the very talented Ryan McMahon. He was open to it, which I loved.
I really appreciate Julian walking us out. I feel much safer walking in groups, so I loved it very much. Best of all, when I went to leave, I went to shake his hand, and he hugged me. I wanted to cry tears of joy. I had met a person who makes my day and cares about my mental health. I had opened up to him about my anxiety and he wanted to make sure that I stayed in good spirits at the ballpark.
I also got to meet a wonderful friend of mine from Twitter, Moriah! She is such a fun person and I loved getting to finally meet her in person. Shout out to David Dahl, the social media staff, Moriah, and everyone else who made this day special. You all have made me the happiest girl in the world.
Elephants & Extra Base Hits 