I wake up on game day. Sitting up in my bed I quickly account for the fact that I’m not in my bedroom but in a hotel room in Tampa Bay Florida. The warm Florida sun shining in through my window and I knew it was going to be a good day. Getting out of bed I take a quick shower, throw on some clothes and go downstairs to join my family. Downstairs I go to the hotel buffet and stuff some pancakes onto my plate, then I find my family waiting for me outside enjoying the sun.
”Good morning!” my mom cheerfully says to me as she takes a bite from her apple.
Not knowing if it was a statement or a question I just respond “Yeah, it is.” In truth all I can think about is the game later today. So I quickly eat my breakfast, not appreciating how good it really is, and ask my mom “So what’s the plan for today?”
She responds “Well we are all going for a swim in the pool, then we have lunch at your Uncle’s house. Then we have to get to the game by 8:00.” I take in the information and decide to go to the pool with the rest of my family.
After the pool I take a quick shower and put on some nicer clothes for lunch. We then drive our rental car to my uncle’s new house which I’ve never been to. I found a hobby of spotting expensive cars outside my window. We finally got there and my jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn’t believe the immensity and overall perfection of the house I was standing next to. Perfectly mowed grass and trimmed bushes, with not a single weed in sight. The gate magically opens and we walk in. If the outside was nice the inside was far superior, the floors were immaculately clean, the furniture perfectly placed and dusted. I’m scared to touch anything for fear or some sort of alarm to go off. My family and I settle down in the T.V. room and we greet all of the people, most I didn’t recognize. I scan the counter of fancy cheeses and other foods that I don’t know the name of, eventually settling with a tasteless cracker and what I hoped to be cheddar cheese. More guest flowed in, and slowly we started to sit down at the table while chefs came and put platters of strange looking food around us. I try some which I thought didn’t taste that bad and then sat down patiently for lunch to be over. My uncle has to get to the arena early and we leave shortly after him.

The game was in 30 minutes, I got my Lightning shirt on and I was ready to go. We leave the hotel and start the short drive to the stadium. And then the worst thing that could possibly happen happens.
Traffic.
The tension in the car was unbearable. We have been waiting to go to this game for so long and only to miss the beginning because of, traffic. After some skillful maneuvering from my dad we make it out and into the stadium parking lot. Amalia Arena shone in the sun. Shivering from the chilly fall air we walk in through a VIP entrance. Getting stopped by a few security guards unsure of who we are, we quickly got inside the stadium.
The sheer size of the dome was amazing. Countless banners were hanging from the rafters. The jumbotron was big enough to pull the entire roof down, yet it hung there unwavering. The inside looked big enough to house an entire city, the entire thing packed with people wearing blue and white. I look at my ticket and find our seats. Expecting for the seats to be at most average I was delighted to find them right at center ice around 5 rows back. We get to our seats just before the puck drops and the crowd is ecstatic. The first period get’s going, the game is evenly matched, back and forth, back and forth. The first period comes to an end and the score is tied at zero. I feel like I just stepped out of a wind tunnel. I could not compare the energy in the arena to any other of my life experiences. It was on a whole different level. We get up out of our seats and walk up and around the tunnel until we find a door guarded by a security women. We go up to her and my mom explains to her who we are. She smiles at us then opens the door. I walk into almost a full kitchen complete with a bar and couches. There was candy, soda and anything else a kid could ask for. I couldn’t believe it! I’ve never been in a box suite before, but I never imagined it to be like this. We greet and thank my uncle for the tickets. He seems happy to be able to share his success with other people. I grab a soda from a cooler and sit down. Overwhelmed by all that’s going on I take it all in while watching the mascot shoot t shirts into the crowd. I might have dozed off because before I knew it my mom was shaking me telling me to get going or I’m going to miss the beginning of the second period. We hustle back down to our seats. I prefer the seats to the box because in the seats you are one with the crowd and you can feel the energy. You feel like you're a part of the energy. In the box suite all you hear is the quite chit chat of the people around you.
The second starts out the same as the first going back and forth no one gaining an edge. All of the sudden the tides turn and the Blackhawks sneak one past our goalie. The momentary disappointment is quickly replaced by the new energy of a possible comeback. The game continues and all of the sudden the arena explodes. Sirens are blaring people are yelling the players are celebrating. The Lightning have scored the tying goal. The arena vibrates with the electricity of the goal. The momentum is on our side and they take full advantage of it. We dominate the rest of the second period but no more goals were to come.
The third and final period looms over the stadium. The puck drops and the action once again picks up. One minute goes by, then another, then 3 more. No one is making any progress, until a Blackhawk breaks away to a 2 on 1 against the goalie. Almost in slow motion the puck flies of the players stick, slicing through the air, right in between the goalies pads straight into the net. Immediately roars of discontent erupt from the crowd, with the faintest cheer from the few Blackhawk fans in the stadium. Twelve minutes left, plenty of time to tie the game back up, but we had lost the momentum. The time flies by and slowly the hope from the crowd diminishes. Are players seemed like they were playing uphill. Two minutes left. If something was going to happen it had to be now. Just like that a Lightning player breaks free and makes for the net. The crowd holds their breath as the puck gets shot through the air. The goalie trying desperately to find the puck and move into position to stop it. It looks like it might go in.
A large ear splitting ring bounces through the crowd as the puck hits the crossbar and flies over the net.
The timer ticks to zero and the crowd let’s go of their last piece of hope. I feel surprised, and a little confused, as if us losing the game never occurred to me. We solemnly leave the stadium not being able to say goodbye to the rest of our family for they were staying there for a while and it was already midnight. When I step out of the stadium I have to catch my breath as the cold, frosty air hit me. The short walk to our car felt like forever. I see the car and grab the ice covered handle giving it a good tug, and get in the back as the rest of my family follows in suite. At that moment all the adrenaline that has kept me awake so far goes away. The lights and cars fly by as my eyes slowly close. My mind reflecting on my overwhelmingly spectacular day. My eyes slowly close and I fall into a deep sleep.

This day really changed my life, it not only provided with an unforgettable experience, but it also showed me how my life could be. I wanted my life to be like my uncle’s. Own a nice house, drive nice cars, own a sports team. This day gave me a goal that I have to reach. A goal that I’m constantly working at.