by Alyssa Griffith/Winonan

My first trip to Wrigley Field to see a Cubs game that I can remember was very special for everyone in my family but me. I had a backpack with Tweedy Bird on it that I packed with goodies for the occasion. It had a notebook, some colored pencils, my pink Gameboy, and a puzzle book in it. This backpack kept me entertained while I sat in the uncomfortable hard green seat at Wrigley Field in between my parents and brother who were mystified by what was happening on the field. I just didn’t get it. How could anyone like baseball?

By age eightm I had caught the bug.It was hard not to in a family that planned everything around watching the Cubs play on WGN. When they played determined when we would shop for groceries, or go out to dinner.

Then I started noticing our family vacations were planned directly around the Cubs schedule. We started working towards seeing them play at every stadium. Following them around the country became tradition.

It gets crazier. We started going to Cubs Conventions.

My heaven. It consists of thousands and thousands of die-hard, crazy Cub fans all in one place to meet the players. When I was 11, I met Sammy Sosa. He shook my right hand, and I swore I’d never wash it (Don’t worry, I have washed it since).

Some of our best family memories have taken place at Cubs games. In 2009, we went to watch them play the Padres in San Diego. During batting practice, former Cub Derek Lee hit a ball straight to dead center, front row, where our seats were. My brother wasn’t looking, and it hit him square in the chin. His chin split open, but just a little. The ball bounced right off of his face and back into center field. He was totally fine, which was good because it was hysterical.

At Wrigley in 2011, we were there to see a walk off home run in the bottom of the 13th inning. It was one of the best afternoons of my life. The energy was indescribable.

We’ve been lucky enough to see them play in the Metrodome, Target Field, Miller Park, Petco Park, AT&T Park, Coors Field, Wrigley (duh), Dodger Stadium, and the list keeps growing.

These trips are what led me to fall in love with sports writing and photography. Capturing these really awesome moments (even if it’s not your team) is a blast.

I’ve become a natural at making my way efficiently through crowds, and gotten to meet some amazing past and present players. I’m a stats junkie and love every aspect of the game.

My friends think we’re crazy. Sometimes it was hard to be the only girl I knew besides my mom who loved baseball so much. But when I also started planning my day around when the Cubs were on WGN, I knew I had to accept that it was just a way of life.

Being a Cub fan, I’ve had my share of heartbreak, but tomorrow’s always a new day and next season is always a blank slate.

Getting back to Wrigley every summer is like going home. Except now I’ve traded in my Tweedy backpack for my camera bag.

Contact Alyssa at [email protected]