A Free Spirit's Bucket List: #1 Attend A Pittsburgh Steelers Game Part III: You Are Now In Steelers Country

"How lucky was I to have played for the Pittsburgh Steelers fans. A proud, hard working people, who loves their football and their players." - Jack Lambert

Attention passengers...this is your captain speaking. Please fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

Becky and I are headed towards downtown Pittsburgh. We should be there in 10-12 minutes. The drive is nice. The sky is a beautiful blue. Fall Out Boy's new song "Centuries" is riding the Sirius Radio Air Waves. We have been hearing this song all weekend. It is has become the consummate theme song for this football weekend adventure. Fate and Perfection. We do not hit much heavy traffic. I am very thankful for that.

Then we see them. The golden bridges of Pittsburgh! I get so excited. This is happening. I feel like I am in this weird dream/reality state. As we cross the bridge and enter the city, we look for the parking garage the fellow Steelers fan we met in the hotel parking lot told us about. We see a sign that says $20 for parking. Is this is? Doesn't seem like it. The directions were a little different. Becky and I say screw it and enter the garage.

The young parking attendent explains to us that we can either walk the bridge over to the stadium or take the T over. Both are free. Becky and I decide we will take the T over and walk the bridge back to get some sightseeing in. (I still have no idea WTF a T is.) The attendent points us in the direction of the T. Becky sees it right away, up the street from us. I stare to where she is pointing...clueless. How does she know that? I am mindblown cuz all I see is what looks like a glass bus stop shelter.

We meet up with two more fans while we are on our walk. They are from Chicago but love the Black and Gold. Steeler Fever is nationwide people! As we get closer to the glass enclosure I notice there are steps. Oh! Duh? Blonde moment. A T is a subway! Pittsburgh has a subway? No goof, they call it a Tube here hence the T. Way to go genius. What...did you think you were taking to the game? A spaceship? The Millennium Falcon? Brilliant. Only took you an hour to crack this code. SMH. Sometimes I really amaze myself.

We walk down the steps to the platform. There are a few scattered Steelers fans also waiting for the Tube. Our Chicago friends are still deciding if they want to walk the bridge or stay here and take the T. The wife wants to see the river views. We tell them we are taking the T to the game then walking back. They think they should do that as well.

A few more fans begin to congregate on the platform. I thought there would be more. Of course we are early. Becky had recommended we get there early so we have time to check out everything in the stadium. She has done this before. She knows her stuff. She is an Eagles fan. She goes to Lincoln Financial Field almost every year. Her brother was a star football player for Syracuse. She has been to many college bowl games including the Rose Bowl. Her brother also played for the Detroit Lions for a little while. She was definitely from a football family. And I trust her with my life. Besides, the faster I get to the mothership, the more relaxed I will feel. I am still a ball of nerves and scenarios of what could go wrong.

I begin perusing the T station to distract myself....from myself. It is immaculately clean. Not a spot of trash or graffiti anywhere. No funky smells. Brightly lit. Toto, we are not in NYC anymore. As I continue admiring the cleanliness of the T station we hear the train coming. As I turn and look at the train, my mouth drops. Car after car after car is just a sea of black and gold and white. Hundreds and hundreds of Steelers fans are packed into the cars. This has to be one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

As the train pulls to a stop and opens it doors to welcome more Steelers fans, I feel a wave of incredible belonging wash over me. I am with my peeps. My breathen. My brothers and sisters of Steeler Nation. My anxiety has disappeared completely and has been replaced with bewilderment and awe. Becky and I take our place in the car. I look around me, eyes wide, checking out all the different jerseys and Steelers apparel. Becky and I both agree, as much as I dislike the black and gold striped bumble bee uniforms on the players, they actually look really cool on the fans whom were wearing them.

As for Becky, she is donning a Steelers shirt just for me. She is a die hard, Fly Eagles Fly fan. She bleeds green. She loves her team. But she also loves football and me. I know it is hard for her but I so appreciate her making my very special day even more special. I will definitely return the favor! I will gladly go to an Eagles game and wear an Eagles shirt to show her support as well! Football is just a fun time.

The T makes it's way slowly through the tunnels. The anticipation in me is growing. I am ready to crawl out of my skin. Becky tells me to look to my left. As we emerge from the tunnel into the bright light I gasp. The stadium is right there. We literally pull right up to the stadium. There are black and gold clad people everywhere. This is the first of many moments where I go sissy and fight back my tears. I have driven past the mothership once before, but I am about to go into it for real this time. I am going to a for real, regular season, home opener Steelers game.

Heinz Field Baby!!

In the past, I have had opportunities to see other NFL teams play in regular season and as much as I was tempted, because I do love football, I would ultimately decline. I've also had a few opportunities to see the Steelers play in pre-season but again....I just couldn't go. It had to be this way. Looking at the stadium and the thousands of fans and the clear blue sky and one of my closest friends by my side just reaffirmed in me that this was exactly how it was supposed to be. It was worth the wait. I know it sounds hokey but I am also so proud that I made one of my biggest dreams come true on my own. I did this. I made this happen. This was all me.

As the train pulls to a stop, oceans of black and gold fans follow the stairs off the platform and onto the street. I am trying to balance my camera, take pictures with my phone and juggle my gallon sized sandwich bag filled with my essentials in my hands. It is a small miracle I don't drop anything. As Becky witnesses this common Chrissy juggling act, she asks me where I would like to go first. I look at her blankly with a silly smile on my face. Yep, I went stupid again. I have no idea. Where do we go? What do we do? Where are we? I think she can tell from the look on my face that the beams from the mothership have penetrated my brain thus affecting my thinking and gently takes the lead.

She suggests we walk towards the river. As she turns to look at me still juggling with my stuff, she tells me to turn around.

And there it is. The segno.

You, my friend, are in Steelers Country.

I start jumping with excitement. OMG! OMG! OMG! I am in Steelers Country. I tell Becky like five times just in case she can't read the sign that she pointed out to me. My camera is flinging around, my phone is slipping in my sweaty palm and my sandwich bag is now all crumpled. I look to her like a little kid but she is already reaching for my camera and directing me to the perfect spot for my photo under the sign. We have to document this moment. CFess has arrived.

Chrissy is in Steelers Country. The sign confirms all of this.

After the first of many photo shoots had finished, we continue walking towards the river. Mother nature has blessed one of my most special, exciting days with some gorgeous, perfect September weather. She just knew. Fans are tailgating in one of the few small parking lots. I smell hotdogs and smoke. Thought there would be more tailgaters to be honest. So did Becky. She mentions tailgating is huge in Philly. Someone had told me once though that Heinz Field isn't one of those stadiums known for their tailgating. It's all good. There is plenty more to see. I just don't know it yet.

As we stroll and people watch, Becky asks me what food Pittsburgh is known for. I look at her blankly...again. Yep, third time in the past hour I have gone completely stupid. She helps me out a little. She mentions how Philly is known for it's cheesesteaks. All I can muster is, there are black and gold pierogies somewhere. I suck. That doesn't count. That's Shendo aka 462 not Pittsburgh. I actually do not know what food Pittsburgh food is known for other than putting cole slaw and fried eggs on sandwiches.

She is down with going to Primanti Brothers after the game. When in Rome...or Steeler Country right? I love that Becky is like that. I love going to different places and experiencing the city's culture and food. I want to experience what the locals do and love. It makes the experience more intimate, more genuine, more to the soul. I may not always agree with the locals, but I wouldn't want the experience any other way. Becky just gets it, like I do. Nothing wrong with doing the touristy stuff, as long as I also get to touch, feel and taste the true heart and soul of a place as well.

Becky and I continue to walk and talk when I notice a big ass truck is sitting all alone in a field of grass by the river. (A van down by the river....not all of you will get that but if you do...rock on Mr. Farley.) It says "Steelers" on the side of the truck in big letters. Well of course it does! I ask Becky if she will take my picture by this truck. I also ask her why no one else is by this truck. I realize she wouldn't know. Why would she? LOL! She is used to me though. Those mothership tractor beams are really doing a number on me I decide.

Becky is now in charge of my phone and camera. I trot through the grass towards the truck like I am in one of those cheesy feminine product commercials. My blonde hair whipping in the wind, so light on my feet like an elegant gazelle. I feel fresh, I feel pretty. More like... I feel like hot wiring this bad ass truck and calling it my own while flipping the bird to some hater Ravens fan while Sevendust's Bitch plays in the background. You don't see that kind of shit in a maxi pad commercial but you should. That would probably be a way more honest portrayal of PMS. That or just setting the entire truck on fire. F@ck yo couch and F@ck the Ravens, Browns and Bengals.

"I can't imagine to be like you. The pain and suffering you put me through.....bitch!!" But I am digressing here people. Writing about this is making my blood pump with excitement and adrenaline. Calm yourself girl! (So much going to a game every year now! Just sayin!)

So this is my photo shoot by the Steelers truck complete with a terrible towel. ziploc bag and Marlboro Special Blend Light 100.