Green Bay - On The Way

Monday 03rd September 2007
at 07:42pm

I know I’ve been posting on this site for a while but it all starts now. As lovely as LA was it was just a stop-over en route to one of the most fantastic trips of a lifetime.

The start was really difficult. It turns out all you F1 fans, that Michael Schumacher is out of retirement and still racing. Only he’s doing so in a mini van on runs from Santa Monica to LAX. I’m not kidding this van would have caught Dale Earnhardt Jnr, slapped him on the back and sped off into the distance. It’s safe enough to say to all of you out there that are scared of flying, stop worrying, getting to the airport in one piece can be every bit as traumatic.

So the kids didn’t take too well to the early start and lack of breakfast. 530 was too early to give it them but by 730 they were ready and raring, I mean sreaming to go. By boarding time we’d managed to fill their little tummies and we were off on a 3 and half hour flight to Minneapolis. Excited by the prospect of flying again neither little one decided they were going to sleep on this trip so walks up and down the aisles were our only saving grace.

Arriving in Minneapolis on time was a bonus. We had a little break in what can only be described as an absolutely beautiful airport. Loads of shops, spacious walkways and a great play area for kids like Ben to go nuts. Too bad we found the play area whilst breaking into a jog to get to our departing terminal on time. He’s still reminding us by the way that he wants to play with the rocket. I feel like I’m off-loading tip after tip but here’s another one. When catching the train from one side of the airport to another, make sure you read where and how often it stops. We alighted the train on it’s first stop to find we were only halfway there. Anyway, we got there on time and it was Green Bay here we come.

With all dirty nappies behind us we departed for our 50 minute flight in great anticipation of flying directly over Lambeau Field as we had been told. Sure enough, during descent into Green Bay’s Austin Straubel International Airport, Kelly pointed Lambeau out to me on her side of the plane. I saw it, swallowed the frog in my throat, looked at it again and burst into tears (as unashamedly but as quietly as I could). 

I say the story starts here because this is an emotional place for me. Outside of one or 2 games a season, delayed on ESPN back home, I can only follow the Packers through NFL.com. I know this is difficult for most to understand. Australians don’t like American Football and most Wisconsin natives get it all day everyday Sep – Dec and take it as a given. At least in the eyes of someone like me anyway. Let’s get this straight. I’m not a crazed lunatic or any type of uber-fan. I just like the Packers, who they are, what they they stand for and the way, in such a small town, they hold themselves against some of the biggest cities on the face of the planet. Green Bay to me has always been somewhat of an inspiration. A place that I hold in such high regard. I think more about Green Bay and the Packers than I think anyone here or across the greater US could care to believe. To be descending into this football crazy town with the chance of spending the entire season the way I had always hoped literally hit home like a jackhammer.

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