I’ve been on this earth for nearly 500 months.
I’ve seen more sport, live and in person, in May 2017 than any single month in my life. I did it all in the fuel efficient comfort of my charming, sporty, hybrid beauty, cherry red Kia Niro.
The Kia Niro drives me to happiness.
The Kia Niro drives me to happiness in Philly, Chester, Orlando, Miami and in a few days time, in New York City, Albany and Harrison New Jersey.
My live sports month began on May 6th when I continued my renewed commitment to my hometown soccer club by attending the first of two Philadelphia Union home matches this month.
That early May match against the NY Red Bulls kickstarted the Union’s current 4 game winning streak (the club’s first 4 wins of the season after 8 games split between losing and drawing). I am not going to take full credit for their reversal of fortunes but me and my new Union hoodie surely played some role in their recent success.
I was very, very happy to see Talen Energy Stadium come to life again during a total of 5 goals over the two home games this month.
Next, I zipped down to Citizen’s Bank Park on a gorgeous Wednesday afternoon to watch the Phillies welcome home Carlos Ruiz and his Seattle Marines. My oldest brother and I don’t spend a ton of time together so it was nice to share this sunny midweek day at the ballpark with him, even though the Phillies got blown out. I parked my red Kia Niro in South Philly for free and walked the .8 miles to the game which saved me $18 and made me very, very happy.
A few days later, after the Mom 2.0 Summit in Orlando ended, I borrowed another cherry red touring edition Kia Niro from the fleet on hand to wow conference attendees, and headed downtown for the Saturday night Orlando City home match versus Sporting Kansas City.
I arrived early in the rain to wander around the glorious new Orlando City Stadium, collected two free mini purple scarves, and bought a purple Orlando City running shirt in size XL which not only fit perfectly but fit perfectly overtop of the 2XL Fulham kit I was already wearing.
That made me very, very happy too.
The match was contentious, the action on the pitch thrilling, and the purple wall of the most hardcore of Lions supporters in the safe standing area behind one of the goals was in full throat for the full 90.
It was a marvelous night.
On Sunday, I drove that same cherry red Kia Niro for 3.5 hours down to Miami to see the Marlins play a home game in their curiously strange but very ‘Miami’ ballpark.
Afterward, the Kia Niro drove me to happiness down to the Wynwood neighborhood of Miami where I perused the street art and ate some tasty shawarma from a food trunk.
Getting to check off my 18th current MLB ballpark and then spend the day in the warm sunshine of Miami with a buddy of mine made me very, very happy.
Still not needing to to put gas in the Niro made me happy too.
This past Saturday, after a few blisteringly hot days in the mid-90s, the temps dipped back down into the low 60s so I threw on my Union hoodie, hopped into our cherry red Kia Niro and drove back down to Chester, PA to see the Union beat Tim Howard and the Colorado Rapids.
The Kia Niro drives me to happiness yet again.
This coming weekend the family will pile into the Kia Niro for a NY/NJ Hamilton-themed road trip.
We’ll tour the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, act out the Burr / Hamilton duel in Weehawken, walk around Hamilton Grange and the Trinity Church graveyard in Manhattan, and spend QT inside MoMA (okay, that has nothing to do with Alexander Hamilton).
We won’t need much gas for that road trip either because Niro gets nearly 50 mpg. Happiness.
Finally, we’ll celebrate Mouse’s 10th birthday and see Alexander Hamilton’s favorite* sport as the Red Bulls take on, appropriately for our weekend, the Revolution.
Red Bull Arena will be my 4th MLS ground and the 6th live sporting event I’ll have attended in May, facts that, yes you guessed it, make me very, very happy.
*Hey, he was from the Caribbean and I needed to sell my ladies on yet another soccer match. So yes, A. Ham LOVED the beautiful game. Full Stop.
OWTK is a Kia ambassador. I’m currently in a long term loaner Kia Niro and it drives me to happiness every day. All opinions expressed above are honest and unbiased, as always. I love the Niro and seeing live soccer and baseball brings me unmeasurable happiness.
