Last week was supposed to be my turn to curate Database Weekly and write an editorial to go along with it. Graciously, Mr. Louis Davidson (@drsql) offered to switch weeks while I was in Cambridge, England with most of the Redgate Marketing team for our yearly global gathering at HQ. As a remote worker on the other side of the pond, these opportunities for in-person collaboration are gamechangers. The week was awesome and some of my learnings might be worth another editorial in the future.

But what I really want to talk about is… baseball!

It just so happened that my return flight was supposed to be Saturday, June 8. But about two months ago, as I was watching a Yankees game one night, an advertisement for the London Series between the Philadephia Phillies and the New York Mets caught my attention. The first game was on Saturday evening and all I had to do was delay my flight until Sunday, which ended up saving about $300. (bonus!)

As the keen eyed among you noticed, I’m a Yankees fan first, not a Phillies or a Mets fan. So why would I stay an extra day in England, chilly “summer” temperatures and all, to watch a baseball game that I could easily attend in the states? Because I’m a baseball fan and this was a rare opportunity to experience something unique around the sport I enjoy. And it did not disappoint!

From an event perspective, MLB and their collaborators did an excellent job making the day, stadium, and event top notch. The field, transformed from a soccer pitch to a baseball field in a few days, was picturesque. Seriously, they really knocked this one out of the ballpark. 😉

The real joy, however, came with the community and camaraderie. I was fortunate to attend with two of my American co-workers, and we know a few others from the team were somewhere in the stadium as well. The Brits around us were just as excited to enjoy the American pastime, asking questions and celebrating the big plays. It was a rare opportunity to feel like we were able to share something with a stadium of people that may never see this beloved game again. It was an experience I felt fortunate to enjoy this year.

You might not be a baseball fan. Heck, you might have never seen a game before. That’s totally fine. But there’s certainly something you enjoy outside of your day-to-day work that others can join you in, learn from you, and celebrate with you. Don’t be afraid to do just that. Even if they say “rubbish” and spell the word “color” wrong.