A Night of Firsts

I could have gone to the first Homecoming dance of my high school career last night (yes, I'm a senior and I've never bothered going) but I decided to do something more worthwhile, instead. This decision led to more firsts that I would have encountered had I gone to Homecoming.

1. First Major League Soccer game. Now, I've never been much of a sports person, myself, but for some reason soccer just draws me in. From the county league games that often more closely resemble a swarm of bees than an organized sport to my school games to the World Cup - they suck me in and capture my attention like few other things can. I get so into it that even if I have no personal connection to either team, I find myself cheering and screaming along with the crazy fan sections that are full of guys in spandex from head to toe (yes, I did in fact witness this last night, and it wasn't pretty!) 
2. First time witnessing a guy walking into the girl's bathroom. I felt sorry for the poor guy...needless to say, his cheeks were a little rosy (or, to use one of this week's vocabulary words, sanguine) as he quickly turned around and walked to the correct door. 
3. First time actually seeing a vuvuzela. I head them nonstop watching the World Cup this summer, but I'd never actually been in the presence of one. Surprisingly I didn't find them that annoying until the game was over and kids were using them in the parking lot just for fun. Oh, and just for the record, if you Google the letters 'vu' the first thing that it suggests is vuvuzela.
4. First time I haven't had to wait in line in the restroom at a sporting event/concert/large social gathering. For all you guys out there, that isn't a big deal. But, for a female like me, it's almost unheard of. 
5. First time I truly realized that Americans actually care about soccer. The stands at the Columbus Crew stadium were filled with people decked out in yellow and black. These people dressed their babies up in little jerseys and painted their own faces. They wore hats and scarves and jackets and shorts and shirts that all supported the Crew. It was clear that to some of them, this was bigger than the NFL. And it made me happy! 

 Crazy Fan Section

 One of the players who, after taking a fall, would writhe on the field until he was noticed by the ref and then was miraculously healed, stood up and walked away without the slightest limp. This is my least favorite part of soccer. It's so annoying. 

Mom and I in the stands!