For lifetime bucket list enthusiasts who share a passion for America’s favorite pass time, the baseball fan grand slam is top of the list: visiting all 30 MLB ballparks in one season, taking in a baseball game in every stadium. That’s what we’re setting out to do in 2023.
It started with some bad news …
About 18 months ago, I was talking with a doctor about a family member’s serious health diagnosis. I asked for his prognosis. How much time do we have?
The doctor looked at me and told me that we should live every day as if it was the last. Don’t wait for a health issue to make living our priority. He’s right, of course. And yet, he’s not.
If I knew I were going to die with a year, I might make radical changes in my plans. I might leave work to spend time with family, take trips that I always wanted to take, and cram as much living into one year as I could. Of course, I’d also deplete my savings. Sometimes, it just isn’t practical to live every day as if it is your last.
… but became the beginning of a grand adventure!
So, what is the right answer? I decided that it was to make memories with my family right now, while still working and pursuing long-term goals.
Since my husband and my son are both dedicated baseball fans, it made sense to start with what we quickly started to call the Baseball Fan Grand Slam: seeing a game in every MLB park during one summer.
My husband loved the idea. Ryan, my son was ecstatic. My daughter graciously agreed to stay home to take care of the house and our dog while we travel. And so it began.
In April last year, we bought a 19-foot, 2019 Airstream Flying Cloud travel trailer. This will be our home away from home for almost two months this summer.
We are hoping that our Baseball Fan Grand Slam will inspire you along the way.
I’m writing this blog because I found it hard to find information about planning our trip, and I thought other baseball fans who want to have their own grand slam might be interested. Ryan and I decided to add the Home Runs for Housing fundraiser to the site because we both care about the hidden homelessness crisis. It also added another goal to our trip: making this a home run for families and employees experiencing homelessness, as well.
I plan to cover the planning process for our trip – and the trip itself. I hope you’ll come along for the journey.
