By now you know Sammy and I are in a long distance relationship. What many of you don't know is why..
Sammy is a professional baseball player in the minor leagues with the Washington Nationals organization. Sucha mouthful.
When we met, I knew NOTHING about baseball. I didn't know the difference between a ball and a strike, I assumed the Washington Nationals were in Washington state, and when Sammy said he was a catcher, I pictured him in the outfield trying to catch the balls guys hit. Told you, I knew NOTHING about baseball.
Sammy played guitar, and that was cool enough to me, the baseball thing didn't get much of my attention... until he left.
We lived in the same area and dated for only two months before the long distance life kicked in. I came to Chicago, and Sammy headed to Florida. He's lived all over the country the past four years, and we live together in the offseason, for four short months out of the year. As awful as it sounds, we make it work, and it's pretty freaking awesome.
During baseball season, I travel to see him, and he's never been able to come home and see me during those 8 months he's away. This year, we had a flight booked for him to come home this week for three days. I've probably never been more excited for anything. He's never experienced Chicago in the summer, he hasn't even been to our new apartment yet, (we moved March 1st- he left for Spring Training February 1), and three days of no baseball sounds like a dream for this girl.
Days before his trip, I was finishing up our apartment, hanging gallery walls, buying new towels and stocking the fridge. I was out for margaritas with some girlfriends when I got a rough phone call, "I have to tell you the hardest thing I've had to tell you yet..."
Now, baseball life isn't easy. The minor leagues aren't exactly glamorous. We've been through a LOT. So those words, mean business, and I immediately feared the worst.
Sammy explained he'd have to play for another team within the organization temporarily, as they were making lots of moves, and he wouldn't be able to come home. As brutal as that is, it could be worse, way worse, so we tried to find the silver linings.
We're really great at keeping each other positive, and are both super determined people. Sammy embraced the opportunity the best he could, and I was proud of his determination.
Two days later I got a crazy phone call. Sammy's team, the Syracuse Chiefs, Triple-A Affiliate for the Nationals, collected money to fly me out to instead go see Sammy. Humanity sometimes leaves me speechless.
So that's why I didn't blog the last couple days. I was busy being serenaded, laying at the pool, going on donut dates and being the proudest girl at the ball park. I got to watch as Sammy offensively went 2-4, with 3 RBIs and called a game in which Pedro Encarnacion went 6 innings only giving up 2 hits and 1 run while recording 8 k's and 0 walks!
Thank you to the Chiefs, for giving us a few days together, they go a LONG way, and mean so much.
XO AJ
