Realizing a dream

I'm an emotional person, this is well established, but this day was another level. Bearing witness to the realization of a dream, one held for over a decade, the dream of a young boy... was a realization of a dream of mine, one that I've held for over a decade as well. Making possible the dream of your child is the stuff of legend, and I treat it as such.

Seeing the expression on Eli's face as we first laid eyes on the pitch at Stamford Bridge will rank as one of my most chersihed moments forever. Watching him get choked up makes me tear up now just thinking about it. My hairs stand on end as I type this.

Tickets to a Premier League match are hard to come by for those that are not members of their club. Our only choices were to take our chances with an online marketplace, risking receiving fakes and getting scammed or pony up the dollars for a VIP ticket.

So I did just that, purchasing the middle level VIP tickets to ensure nothing would tarnish this day. Our tickets included entry three hours before the match to enjoy a three-course meal and complimentary cocktails.

After our delightful pre-match meal, we had to wander only a mere 20 steps to our seats in the West Stand of Stamford Bridge.

The half time break allowed us to imbibe in another couple rounds of snacks and drinks, as we returned to the clubhouse to find them already waiting for us.

I've attended every type of sporting event in the US, and nothing I've seen compares to the atmosphere we experienced this day.The supports never stop singing, trading barbs with the away support, constantly keeping us cheering along.

What Eli and I would honestly describe as a fairly dull match wove its way towards what seemed an inevitable 0-0 draw, up popped Kai Havertz to score the winner at the death, and seal all three points for Chelsea, ensuring we went home happy.

With the win secure, we enjoyed a couple victory drinks before taking a few last photos on our way to the Underground.

COME ON CHELSEA! COME ON CHELSEA!

#upthechels #coyb