Skip to main content

Lost in a Sea of Garnet and Black

Visit all SEC football stadiums
     SEC football is unlike any college football found throughout the country.  The toughest conference to play in only makes for the most amazing rivalries & games to watch.  Another ongoing thing that is on my bucket list: I want to visit every SEC stadium (as of 2011).  The SEC stadium I look forward to the most: Tiger Stadium "Deaf Valley" in Baton Rouge and the rivalry I look forward to the most: Alabama vs. Auburn Game!
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainsville, FL| Home of the Florida Gators
     Pictures and/or words cannot even begin to describe this magical place.  "The Swamp" was originally built on a sinkhole and expansion efforts have enclosed the field on all sides, which helps to concentrate fan noise to field level. "Florida Gator fans are both loyal and loud, thus creating a tremendous home field advantage for the Gators.  The size and exuberance of the 90,000 home crowds, when combined with the stadium's close-in design of the seats, makes the Swamp one of the loudest stadiums in America and one of the best game day experience in college football."
     I can't remember exactly how old I was or what game it was, but I have been attending Florida games since I can remember.  My uncle Mike graduated from UF and has season tickets every year so I remember going all the time (especially when we lived in Florida) with him and my dad, grandpa sonny, and my cousins.  You can hear the crowd from miles away (no joke) as you walk up to the stadium screaming ORANGE & BLUE!!! It is such a fun and exhilarating experience!
Florida vs. Georgia Game, October 2007
with Drey Dailey, Dave Dailey, & Megan Carrasco 
 Field Level in THE SWAMP!! November, 2008
with Kenny Walters 
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC Home of the South Carolina Gamecocks Okay, so back to my original thought....Lost in a sea of Garnet and Black.  I went to Williams-Brice Stadium this past weekend for the Florida vs. South Carolina game.  I went with 2 of my best friends who graduated from S.Carolina and it was a fun time.  It was a noon game, which never allots for enough time to tailgate.  I love a college atmosphere, crisp 70 degree weather, and a cold beer. 
     The stadium was honestly disappointing....I expected more! They have plans for renovations and expanding the stadium so only time will tell.  As for the South Carolina Fans: Extremely classy fans! Granted they were ahead the whole game, but they acted a lot classier towards me than I do towards opposing fans in the swamp.  
     It is hard to be a visiting fan, you feel like everyone is staring at you and you always want your team to win, but I REALLY wanted Florida to win considering I could only imagine what the nightlife in a college town had in store for me and my orange & blue jersey.  Besides everyone chanting "It's great to be a Florida hater!" and Megan trying to talk junk to me..."Mandy look at Florida's cheerleader pom pom's they are so ugly..." it was such a fun weekend!! I was a good sport about the loss....and to all you South Carolina  fans: You have beaten us 3 times since you've joined the SEC...so I suppose I don't mind if you celebrate... it will be years before you win again :)  
 with Kenny Walters, Megan Jenkins, and Brent Collins
with Megan Jenkins




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Surprise of a Lifetime

Ainsley's Birth 8.25.2018 I absolutely HATE surprises.  They aren't my thing.  I am a planner and I find comfort and excitement in knowing what lies ahead.  This causes some contention in my marriage because my husband LOVES surprises.  I read the last chapter of a book before the first, I enjoy knowing what my birthday gifts are weeks in advance and I always have to look at the menu and know what I am ordering before I walk into a restaurant.  He has often tried to plan "surprises" and it always ends in an argument.  I need to plan when I'm going to straighten my hair, I need to pick out an outfit, I need to eat salads for two days so I can pig out at dinner.  I need to plan these things and the older I get the less spontaneous I am. My surprise-loving husband had brought up waiting until delivery to find out the gender of our second child.  I honestly did not care either way whether we had another son or a daughter, so I pondered the thought...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Favorite Kiss in the Bahamas

Swim with Dolphins      Rule #1 of Life: Take advantage of the opportunity.  I love to scuba dive, the only problem is I don't have a dive buddy.  I have had several opportunities to dive and have chosen not to simply because nobody I was with was certified.  What a lame excuse! I got my certification when I was 16 and have only been on 3 dives! I finally decided I needed to take advantage of my opportunity while on vacation in the Bahamas.        I originally signed up to go on the "Shark Feeding Frenzy" dive (a month in advance before our trip!) I was so excited/pumped/exhilarated and if you know anything about me you know that sharks are my favorite animal & I have wanted to get up close and personal with them ever since I can remember.  Turns out the night before the dive I was the only person signed up for the dive and they needed at least 4 people to take the boat out.  I was SUPER bumm...
2 comments
Read more

Been There. Done That.

I'm sure that every year that I get older, my priorities will change and thus my bucket list will change too.  I am 25 years old, and life is starting to move a little too fast for my liking.  I'm in no hurry to grow up just yet and my main priority right now is just having fun.  All the things that I've crossed off my bucket list so far have just been adventurous things I've always wanted to do or places that I've always wanted to go. So here are a few things I've been able to cross off my bucket list so far.... SKYDIVING  ...my ultimate #1 adventurous thing to do in life. My dad took me for my 20th birthday in Zephyrhills, FL  It doesn't get any better than jumping out of a plane 12,500 ft. above the ground and free falling at 115mph for an entire minute! Talk about an adrenaline rush!! Some other adventurous things that remain on my list include: Go Whitewater Rafting, Go Zip Lining, Go Bungee Jumping, Go Horseback Riding! GRADUATE FROM...
1 comment
Read more