The last time I updated my blog, I was wrapping up the story of my first visit to Australia in 2018, and shared a short summary of Mitch's debut in the Australian Baseball League. I had spent a total of 18 months in Australia and we made so many amazing memories in that time. But quite a few years have gone by, and a lot has happened since then.
Let's go back in time a bit.

On March 19, 2020, the Prime Minister shut Australian borders to all nonresidents due to COVID-19. My visa was good for another 5 months, and I had to make the decision to either stay in AUS with Mitch until my visa's expiration, or head back home to the U.S without knowing how long the border closure would last. I had been away from home for 6 months by then, I missed my family, and was worried for everyone's health. The decision wasn't easy, but I wasn't ready to leave Mitch's side.

In August, after one full year in Australia, I eventually had to pack my bags and make the long flight across the ocean. I will never forget the two days before my flight. I struggled to get all my stuff together, and Mitch could barely stand being in the room while I did. There was a sense of fear of the unknown as the world around us became more and more apocalyptic. We tried our best to stay strong for each other. At times, I believe we both faked high hopes to keep the other okay. "It's only for a little bit, we'll be back together in a month or two." "I'm just going home to visit, I'll be back by Christmas!" I even left the majority of my things there in Perth so it wouldn't seem as though I was packing for a forever goodbye. We did our best in those last few days.

The trip back home was...weird, to say the least. Airports were practically empty. There were caps on how many planes could come and go a day, caps on how many travelers could fly on a single plane. The first flight to Sydney was tough. I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. The sweet flight attendant sat next to me and offered her condolences, encouraging words, and plenty of tissues. Once landed, it was around midnight and there were no Ubers, no taxis, nada. Airport was closed. Roads were quiet. Cities were shut down because of the pandemic. I had a mile walk to my hotel, in the dark, down alley ways and under bridges, alone, in Sydney, Australia (where I had never been before), with a dead cell phone and all of my luggage. Pretty much everything your father tells you NOT to do as you walk out the front door. I was freaking out, trying to breathe as I lugged 2 suitcases and a very heavy carry-on up a hill underneath a bridge. The only reason I knew where my hotel was, was because of their bright sign lighting up the roads around me. I continuously looked up for that sign to determine how close I was getting and which way to turn. I can tell you right now, Mitch's voice never left my head. This guy has prepared me for every scenario possible. And because of it, I, dripping sweat, made it to the hotel lobby where the receptionist laughed at me for the route I took and gave me a moment to catch my breath and call Mitch before working out the details of my room.

The next morning, my international flight, which normally carried upwards of 500 passengers, was down to 50. Due to social distancing, each passenger was spaced out between multiple aisles. Flight attendants only came around to check that masks were up. It was quiet. It was eerie.

Going through customs was a breeze as you can probably imagine. I've waited in longer lines at Dutch Bros! Still, things just got weirder and weirder. As I waited for my flight out of San Francisco, I saw families walking around in full hazmat suites. People walking around in gas masks. Mind you, now, having spent so much time in America during COVID, it doesn't seem that crazy. But at the time, I had just left Australia, where masks weren't mandatory and culturally, social distancing just wasn't a thing that was easy to adapt to because they lack the extreme personal bubbles we have in the states. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons was constantly playing in my head.

I made it home and was so happy to see my family, my pets, and meet our newest addition, Donavin! Mom and I celebrated our birthdays together, and I soaked up all the family time I could get. But the unknown of COVID, border closures, and visas continued to worsen, and this was just the beginning of a rather tough few years.

Until next time,
Tay


Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn

It had been a week since Mitch's surgery so he was switched from the massive cast to a smaller brace. He still couldn't straighten his arm, but he was able to shower and get out of the house, so we set for the Freo markets. The weekend Freo markets are amazing. You can barely hear yourself speak over the music being played by young local talents looking for spare coins to put towards school or trips. You walk in one side to sweet aromas of caramel corn and cotton candy (called "Fairy Floss" by Aussies), and as you make your way through the shops to the other end, you catch the smells of many different cultures from India, China, South Africa, Vietnam, and so on. The mini shops consist of local businesses and artists looking to sell their work, whether it be clothes, soaps, coasters, or jewelry. You are constantly bumping shoulders with people of all ages.

In the afternoon, we met up with Mitch's parents and their friends for some drinks and chit chat. We enjoyed quite a few Furphys (an Australia beer, though a "furphy" means a tall tale), and talked about baseball and life in the States.

The rest of the evening was pretty relaxing and typical. Showered, grabbed some snacks, crawled into bed and put on a movie. It wasn't long before Mitch was twitching and mumbling in his sleep. I was pretty tired myself, but some light stomach cramps were keeping me awake.

Another hour passed and I was getting more and more uncomfortable. I got up and walked to the kitchen to grab a drink of water. Instantly, I started seeing stars and could barely stand. Within seconds it felt like I was standing in a sauna, beads of sweat forming around my face. I dropped to the ground and opened the freezer. And then I felt a pain in my lower back so intense I wanted to scream. I was afraid of waking everyone up as it was already 1 AM, and after a long week of Mitch not getting any sleep because of his own pain and ridiculous cast, I was not going to wake him under any circumstances. So I grabbed a pillow and cried into it.

I started to get sick and rushed to the bathroom where I laid on the floor for what seemed like hours, tears and sweat streaming down my face. The pain in my back and side only kept getting worse, and I wasn't sure how much longer I was going to last laying there squeezing the pillow. I crawled my way to the hallway but I couldn't get myself to stand up. I had felt this pain before when I was 14 and passed my first kidney stone. Because I had a feeling that's what it was, I kept telling myself I could get through it.

Around 4 AM I woke and found myself still in the hallway. I had fallen asleep in a praying position, knees bent and forehead pressed to the wooden floors, hugging the pillow to my chest. I decided to try and move somewhere else and managed to crawl about 10 feet to the guest bedroom. I worked my way into the bed as best I could. The exhaustion was taking over the pain. My body was done.

I felt tapping on my shoulder and suddenly the sunlight was making its way through my eyelids. Mitch was standing over the bed with a face of total confusion. "Why are you in here," he asked me. I gave him a very subtle explanation, "I wasn't feeling good last night." He kept asking why I didn't just wake him and what exactly was wrong. I just barely sat up and started to swing my legs over when it felt like I just took a sledgehammer to my side. I collapsed back into the bed and let out a deep scream. "I need to go to the hospital."

We first went to a general practitioner in hopes of getting a referral or prescription. He sent me home with some pain meds and nausea medication, and I waited it out. By midday, I hadn't been able to keep anything down, I was running a horrible fever, and I was still kicking and screaming in pain. So we all packed up the car and rushed to the E.R.

This moment was scary, and probably more for Mitch than myself. I could barely speak, let alone breathe, which meant Mitch had to do all the talking. He was explaining what was going on, giving nurses all my identification information, searching through my purse for my health cards, insurance cards, passport, etc. He was having to text his parents and my family constant updates because only one person was allowed in the room with me. Nurses were pumping me with all kinds of medication but the pain just wouldn't subside. Eventually, I was taken back for scans. And then, within 10 minutes, a doctor came in and told me I was going in for an emergency surgery on my kidney.

Here I was, across the world, miles and miles away from my family for the first time, and I was being wheeled back to my first surgery, ever.

Until next time,
Tay

Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn

We had such an incredible weekend camping on the farm, but the day we had dreaded was finally here. It was time for Tommy John number 2.

Both our nerves were all over the place the moment we woke up. Mitch needed to be checked in at the hospital by noon, then we would wait. I laid with him in the hospital bed and put on a movie to keep distracted while nurses were in and out. I continuously reassured Mitch that everything would be okay, but this surgery was a tough one for him.

In 2016, Mitch found out he had injured his UCL, requiring reconstructive surgery if he if he wanted to play baseball again. He was only in his first year of college, and had so much to look forward to. This setback was devastating. But in 2017, he went under the knife in hopes of returning to baseball stronger in 12 month’s time.

Tommy John surgery got its name in 1974 when Major League pitcher, Thomas John Jr., injured his arm during a great season with the Dodgers. His surgeon took a look inside, realized the UCL wasn't repairable, and got a bit creative! He took a ligament from the pitcher's wrist and used it as a new UCL, which saved Tommy's baseball career. Today, TJ has between an 82%-90% success rate.

2018 rolled around and Mitch was just a few months shy of finishing the agonizing 1 year of rehab. He had been working hard to regain strength in his arm so he could go back to college. And then the unfortunate happened. His MRI came back with an image that left everyone baffled. The ligament was completely gone. His surgery had failed in a bizarre and unexpected way. It hadn’t just snapped or been reinjured, but his body ate the graft entirely. Nothing was left but a scar.

So here we were, laying in a hospital bed, watching Transformers and fighting back tears. Mitch would undergo a second surgery in hopes that this one would work. He'd spend another few months in a cast along with another year of rehab. Another year out of baseball.

The next morning, I got up at sunrise and made sure to get to the hospital the moment guests were allowed in. My heart hurt as soon as I walked through the door. Mitch was in horrendous pain. He was uncomfortable. He was in a massive cast, and his leg was wrapped up where they removed the ligament. Every now and then all the medications would kick in and he’d slowly fall asleep, but when his eyes weren’t shut, he was screaming in pain. I felt so helpless. All I could do was hold his hand and reassure him he’d get through this.

Mitch spent 2 nights in the hospital, and I was so ready to have him back home. The first week he had to be in this big, bulky brace that went from nearly his shoulder to his hand. It was MASSIVE and could have very easily knocked me out had he accidentally bonked me in the head. The second week, he’d transfer to a brace with different notches. Each notch gave him more and more range of motion, but he could only change the brace every couple of weeks. He’d start at 90 degrees, and work his way up to a somewhat straight arm again after a few months. He was still in pain and struggling at night to sleep comfortably, as you could imagine. He couldn’t drive, shower, and at times I even had to help feed him. He was exhausted and getting frustrated with the lack of freedom he now had.

And then one night, just a week after his surgery, something none of us were prepared for happened…

Until next time,
Tay

Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn

I was terrified. This trip would be quite a few firsts for me. First flight since I was 12 (which was only 2 hours), first international flight, first time on a double-decker airplane, first time in another country, first time officially meeting Mitch's family, and many other firsts that I didn't quite know of yet.

Here I was, headed all the way across the world. We had to catch 3 different flights, and after a dreadful 23 hours in the air, we touched down in Perth, Australia. I was so exhausted from all the flying that most of the nerves I stepped onto the plane with had died down. The first night was nice and laid back. Mitch's family and friends came over for a braai (Afrikaans for "barbeque") and I got to know quite a few people from the start.
The first week was spent sight-seeing, then the weekend called for beach camping! This was my first time camping right in the sand with the ocean next to us. Mitch and I enjoyed the sunset before starting a fire, which took quite a few tries. The views were incredible from the top of the dunes. In the morning, I walked down and washed my hair right there in the water like a real mermaid! It was a great way to kick off the trip!

The next week was my first visit to one of my now favorite little beach towns, Fremantle. Freo is a major port city in Western Australia that was settled in 1829. It's like a mix of Santa Monica and New Orleans. Gorgeous beaches, great food and shopping, and the buildings are historic.

But the highlight of the week was Caversham Wildlife Park - A MUST for every tourist. It's an adorable little zoo with all kinds of Aussie birds and reptiles. They even have penguins and some Quokkas (which are only found on Rottnest Island). But the best part, FREE ROAMING ROOS! I got to feed the adorable little joeys and even pet a koala and wombat. I learned a few things that day: 1. I'm afraid of kangaroos 2. Albino roos exist 3. Wombats are super fat and squishy 4. Koalas are adorbale but stinky.

Weekend #2 was one to remember.
We headed out to go camping on a huge bit of property that belongs to family friends of Mitchell's. This would be his last bit of excitement for a while before undergoing a second Tommy John surgery, so we made the most of it. The plan was for us to go set up camp, wait for his good friend, Alex, to get off work later in the evening and make the drive, and the next day family would join. This evening was pretty interesting! First, I fell off a log into a muddy stream, and then Mitch tried to lift me over a barbed wire fence and I ended up getting caught and fell again. The scrapes and cuts couldn't beat our laughter, though! I also caught a quick little lizard who's name I can't remember (oops).

The sun had gone down and it was getting pretty late when a random car pulled up and someone got out and started walking towards us. It was too dark to make out who it was, so we were a bit on edge. As the person walked closer, the car pulled out and left. It was Alex! He was VERY frazzled. He had taken the wrong turn, got lost in the dark and his car got stuck on a ledge. He walked to the nearest porch light he could see (remember we are in the middle of nowhere) and knocked on the door hoping to find a nice, understanding person. Lucky for him, a very nice person it was, and they even knew exactly which farm he was trying to get to! Mitch and I couldn't help but break out in laughter!

Over the next few days, we caught crayfish (Aussie crawdads), shot some guns, ate some amazing food, and went for lots of hikes. I got to see my first echidna. Echidnas are like sweet little porcupines, or "spiky anteaters". Along with the platypus, they are the only living mammals to lay eggs.


It was also wildflower season which is absolutely beautiful in Western Australia. The flowers covered the hills for miles and miles (or kilometers) and stood almost as tall as me.

One night we set out to go rabbit hunting. I was spotlighting from the passenger seat while Alex and Mitch sat on the bonnet (hood) and Mitch's dad drove. We had one rabbit so far when suddenly the whole vehicle slammed to a halt. Mitch and Alex went flying! We were stuck in some deep, deep mud. The boys were digging and digging for what seemed like hours! They were completely covered in thick, clay-like mud.

The car wasn't budging, and they eventually had to find their way back to camp in the dark and get Mitch's car, in hopes of pulling us out! It was a mess, but makes for a great story!

On our last day, we went to feed some goats and I fell in love with a sweet, few day old kid. He was so precious I wanted to bring him home.

After an interesting yet exciting weekend of camping, we set out for a long drive home.

Until next time,
Tay

Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn

According to my mom, I'm an overachiever. In my opinion I just really like great results. But...she's right. And with being an overachiever, or even just having some kind of goal, comes self-doubt.

Once upon a time I was a brave young girl who had no fear whatsoever. I enjoyed leadership, I was our middle school mascot at a football game, I was loud, fun and over the top. Anything was possible. And then I turned 17 and suddenly, I feared the entire gosh dang world. I was overly cautious of every little move I made. I worried what people thought. I cowered down to every moment around me every day until I felt invisible. And in a blink of an eye I was starting my second year of college, changing my major to the complete opposite of what I had dreamt of since I was 9 years old because of that same fear and self-doubt. I no longer had the ambition, drive, and the heart of a fearless 14-year-old, to 'make it' in the world I had envisioned for myself for over 10 years.
But now I'm 22 and life's getting real. It's time to start living and quit hesitating.

How I overcome self-doubt

1. Avoid social media for a bit. I took a 5-month break from social media at a time when I was comparing my media timelines to my real-life timeline. Someone got engaged or married, what am I doing wrong? Someone had a baby, what am I doing wrong? Someone graduated, they probably didn't switch majors 4 times Taylor. Even when we don't realize we are doing it, it's easy to get lost in the "but she" or "but he" or "but they." Taking a break helps me get back to concentrating on what I actually want for myself, rather than trying to reach everyone else's goals.

2. Surround yourself with people who believe in you. When I think back to the point where I completely gave up on my dreams, I realize I no longer was surrounding myself with boss people who saw my potential or passion. I was isolated and in a situation where my aspirations were just dreams but never a possible reality. If the people who influence your life the most don't believe in dreaming big, you most likely won't believe in yourself.

3. I don't care if it's 2019, I'm saying it... YOLO!! I have to constantly remind myself I get ONE life. I get one chance to do the things I want regardless of what others think or say. Everyone starts somewhere and why waste your chance doubting yourself when you can give it a shot and actually reach your goals! I've been listening to the Podcast "RISE" with Rachel Hollis and in one called "How to Be Brave," she had Reshma Saujani, the author of "Brave, Not perfect" as a guest. This is one of my all-time favorite podcast episodes (and I really suggest you give it a listen). “Be brave, not perfect.” No one expects you to succeed right off the bat. No one expects you to do absolutely perfect your first time around. Instead, they will applaud your bravery, for trying in the first place.
 
Until next time,
Tay

2018
The end of May rolled around and it had been quite a few months since Mitch and I’s last conversation. He'd spent the first part of the year rehabbing his arm in hopes of being ready for a second year in Iowa. I was anticipating the last day of classes. The days were getting longer and warmer. Freedom was just an arm’s length away. Mitch would cross my mind occasionally and I’d be curious how he was doing. But like I said before, no news was good news. We were both living our own lives, and to be honest, I figured our friendship was officially coming to an end.
 
On the 28th of May, my mom and I had just painted a white coat over my once bright turquoise bedroom wall, an overdue makeover. Mom was headed outside to spray the paint rollers off while I enjoyed a quick shower. A minute later she ran back inside. She briefly informed me I had a visitor and should put some makeup on and brush my hair. I didn't understand what the problem was. There was nobody that she would tell me to put makeup on for, and no one that wouldn’t just walk in and make themselves comfortable. I thought, why mom, are you being SO dramatic?! 
 
I threw on some mascara, combed my hair, and walked out to the living room. You guessed it. Standing there was a 4 inch taller, mustache grown, deep voiced Mitch. My heart dropped. He instantly grabbed me and gave me the biggest hug in the world. I couldn’t believe it. The first thing I said was “you’ve grown!” He told me he had planned to surprise me months ago and signed with the local baseball team so we could spend the summer together like we had 3 years earlier. My world started spinning and my heart was fluttering. I had my own issues to take care of this summer. Because we hadn’t communicated in a while, Mitch was unsure of where I was at in my life. We sat on my back porch where I had Facetimed him many of times before. He told me he wasn’t here to cause problems or overstep boundaries. I appreciated that and told him what exactly was going on in my life. We made it clear this was strictly a friendship and just catching up on the time we had lost. Eventually I had a room to finish painting. His best friend had tagged along (hi Jar!!), so with the extra help, we got to it. And that is how I got pink and grey stripes on my wall.

The day finally came I would get to watch Mitch play baseball again. Let me tell you, I was like a kid on the last day of school, waking up, getting ready for classes, knowing once that clock hit 4:00 I’d be headed to the fields to watch him play as if it was the start of summer break. The day seemed to drag on. Finally, mom and I headed to the baseball fields with Gatorades in hand for Mitch and Jarod. I was also carrying a massive grin…

Mitch was next up to bat, and as he stepped towards the batter’s box, his walkup song filled the stadium. I listened close and heard the words that still make me giddy today: “behind closed doors I’m a fool for your love.” And in that moment, I realized what was happening. And so did mom by the look on her face. Very smooth Mitch.

After the game, we discussed the bomb that was dropped. Again, we both agreed that we had things to take care of before seeing what was next in store for us. The next couple weeks, I would continue to go to class and watch his games, and he would spend time with his teammates. It wasn’t long before we just wanted to spend all our time together. It felt like we just picked up right where we left off 3 years before. The connection was still there, and we were definitely still best friends. We eventually got all our ducks in a row (and by ducks, I mean those old habits from Part 2) and decided to take our best friendship a bit further. After 3 years of laughter from all over the world and through so many different obstacles, we had managed to fall in love. This part still blows my mind because it never occurred to me we would be anything more than best friends.
 
Baseball season came to an end and both our bags were packed for Australia. This was my first trip out of the country, and first time on a plane since I was 12! I was insanely nervous yet excited. I was going to finally meet his family and see all the places we had talked about over the years. My life was completely changing and I couldn't wait for what was in store!

Until next time,
Tay

Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn

2016
Mitch was back home in Australia, and we both found ourselves gravitated towards old habits. And by old habits, I mean relationships. I was right back in the relationship that had ended before meeting Mitch, and he was home rekindling a relationship that was rocky over the summer. And so that’s how the next year went. We had little contact here and there, but both decided to work on what we already had, as building our own relationships was far more important than our friendship.

But then springtime came around, and I was single again. This time for good (eye roll). And lucky me, Mitch was heading back over soon for baseball. The countdown was on and I was beyond excited to watch him play again! May seemed to drag on and I just could not wait until June. He planned on coming for my graduation before the season started and we would get to spend time catching up. The breakup didn’t seem so bad because I had something to look forward to. And then it happened. And I don’t mean Mitch arriving. Nope. Instead, I went RIGHT BACK to the same relationship that had already ended twice now! Lesson clearly not yet learned. So the decision was made that this summer, Mitch and I would not catch up, and I didn’t go to any games.. To this day I still regret it.  
 
Fall came around and Mitch was headed to college in Iowa to play baseball. Being in time zones that were only 3 hours apart and not 15 made Facetiming much easier. Lucky for me, I was forgiven for going MIA the few months before. We would chat about school, friendships, relationships, and baseball. I was able to watch a few of his games, including when he played for Australia at the Baseball World Cup in Mexico. He would tell me about nights in the dorms and I would tell him about long shifts at work.

Both of our relationships were in rough places. We would go to each other for advice, which always ended up being “you have to do what makes you happy.” But Mitch and I were both very unhappy. We also understood the comfortability of just working things out. We would always help each other find ways to make things work in our own relationships. If Mitch messaged me about something his past girlfriend did, I put myself in her shoes and explained how maybe it wasn’t as bad as he thought, and vice versa. We were practically On-Call Dr. Phil’s for each other. Plenty of times, I called him bawling my eyes out, and would eventually hang up laughing my head off. And there was a point where, no news was good news, because that meant we were both doing just fine.

2017
Mitch had been enrolled to college in Iowa for around 6 months when he found out his elbow was injured and needed surgery. Back to Australia he went, and our time difference was once again totally opposite. I would wake up as Mitch was going to bed and vice versa. After his surgery, I sent a few checkup messages here and there. He would send me a photo of his massive brace, and I would tell him to get better soon. Because of surgery, he wouldn’t be coming back to the U.S for baseball, which meant another summer I wouldn’t see him. We slowly heard from each other less and less, and eventually we’d only speak maybe twice a month.

Until next time,
Tay

Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn

2015
It was a peaceful summer morning at the Illinois River. The temperature was just right: it was cool enough you wouldn’t stay hiding in the A/C, but warm enough to jump in the fresh river. The sky was a perfect reflection of the clear blue waters, and we were enjoying the last month of fresh air before wildfires would affect our amazing state. I hadn’t planned on spending my day here. At the time, I had just gone through a rough break up, and if it were up to me, I would’ve stayed in bed, curled up in a ball questioning my existence. But family doesn’t let that happen, and so it was insisted I get out and enjoy the sunshine. My cousin was playing baseball against a team from Australia the next couple of weeks, and both teams were spending the day at the river getting to know each other. This surely would take my mind off things and hopefully cheer me up.
 
There were two rocks easing into the water. I was new to the river and not keen on jumping off rocks, so I chose to make friends with the smaller of the two. Standing here with my cousin and her friends, I saw him walking down the path along the side of a steep rocky hill. Right away I pointed him out. As he came closer, it occurred to me he was headed towards our group.
 
There were about 20 of us and we had been swimming and jumping (or getting dragged) off of rocks all day. Being the shy girl I am, I didn’t say a word to him, or anyone else for that matter. On went the day, secretly glancing at this 5 foot 8, brown haired boy, hoping he wouldn’t notice, but also kinda hoping he would. To my surprise, after hours of privately admiring him, he looked at me and said, “there’s a spider next to your foot,” (minus all the ‘r’ pronunciations). I guess he noticed me after all…and there was NOT a spider next to my foot. I rolled my eyes and ignored his comment but allowed a sneaky little grin to let him know I approved.  
 
I heard my cousin was going back for a ‘guys’ day with the team, and I begged to go with, promising not to be that annoying little cousin. I was exhilarated when he agreed! I sat down in front of the mirror where I’d spent so many nights trying to figure out why I wasn’t good enough. But things were looking up, as I now sat there with excitement and hope. Once I got over my nerves, I decided the thought of makeup running down my face while trying to swim didn’t sound very impressive. And so I left the house with a bare face.  
 
We got to the river and I patiently waited. Once he arrived, we were inseparable. We sat in the water and talked the entire day. I don’t think there was ever a silent moment while we were together. He asked all about me, my family, school, sports, etc. At one point we decided to try catching fish with bread and a Doritos bag. I loved how easy he was to talk to, and we instantly became best friends. It was so nice to be smiling again.
Somewhere along the line I learned his name was Mitch, he was from Perth, Australia but born in South Africa, and was clearly very, very good at baseball.

It wasn’t that he told me he was good at baseball, but after watching his games over the next week, it was obvious. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen a better short stop. I was blown away by his talent, and as a former softball player, I LOVED it. I would go on to watch every game he played in Grants Pass and Medford.
 
One evening after Mitch’s last game in town, I begged my mom to let my best friend and I drive to Grants Pass to meet up with him. I had never driven on the freeway, so my best friend (love you Mel) drove my car the 30+ miles. We met the boys at Denny’s for dinner, then a couple of us ran across the way to a mini market. The team had a curfew, so they all raced back to the hotel while Melody and I grabbed Dutch Bros for the late drive home. Once the boys were settled, we met them at the hotel to say our goodbyes. This moment would stay with Mitch and I forever. I wasn’t ready to say our farewells, but he looked at me and said, “it’s not goodbye, just until next time.”

I couldn’t help but make the ‘next time’ be very, very soon. I talked my mom into driving 3 and a half hours north to Corvallis to watch one last game before Mitch headed further up the West Coast. This would be the day that I’d officially say goodbye (or not goodbye, but, you know) to Mitch. It felt like I was losing a best friend. We had spent so much time learning all about each other and enjoying our similar love for baseball. I wasn’t ready to go on with the rest of my summer not being able to watch him play, but we had FaceTime to keep in touch.
This last game was around his birthday, so I grabbed some of his favorites (sour patch watermelons, BBQ flavored sunflower seeds, and purple Gatorade) to take to his game. When the game ended and mom and I were driving away, I was holding back tears (oh woe is me, I know). There was truly a connection between us that I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. As far as I knew, I gained a new best friend that I never wanted to lose, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually get to see him again.

Until next time,
Tay

Taylor Thompson & Mitch Neunborn