Steven Trefz

First of all, thanks for the comments! It's nice to know where this fits on the sane-crazy spectrum. I hadn't thought of maniacal...but that checks out. The Corn Palace has prepared me for many things. I am sure the experiences are identical. That tractor has survived and will survive more than I ever will. But it does top out at around 6-7 mph. Once I entered that into the spreadsheet (see today's blog), it was deemed impossible. Plus the AC went out in the early 90's. The painting project will be a future story, but I learned valuable lessons about how hydraulic oil and discount paint work together. Good way for noticing new leaks though :)

Counting the costs. I spent most of the weekend drumming up the potential ramifications of my "all 81 away games" dream in an excel spreadsheet. This led to some quality angst and vulnerability hangover, for both I and spouse :) Upon entering mileage and dates, a few things are apparent: 1. MLB was not considering my potential dream trip when they were organizing the Twins road schedule this year. Beyond utilizing the LA trip as a back to back with the Dodgers and Angels in May, and the train ride between Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park in April (which could each be their own version of Twins fan H-E-DoubleWildSticks), the journeys between road cities often carry a closed eyes/dart throw vibe. 2. Buying airline tickets right now should be paired with antidepressant usage. 3. Getting accurate travel cost assessment can't happen until I get a better handle on who is joining me on each leg of the journey and how my lodging sets up. 4. At the end of the day, I'm even more excited to take the trip than when I started :) To kick off the blog this week I'm sharing my template for "Twins Home & Away Journey 2023." I would invite you to waste some time this week switching out my hometown for yours, and calculating the distance between destinations, car travel estimates, plane company options, etc. What would it require of you to make the journey? For me the season adds up to (at a minimum) 37,989 miles. How about for you? Are there any legs of the journey that can and need to happen for you and your crew this season now that you've laid it out there in grid form? Let me know what parts of the journey stand out to you as uniquely "oofda" or amazingly "nice." Steve 2023 Twins Home and Away Trip Itinerary.xlsx

Hello everyone, allow me to introduce myself. Steve Trefz, 42 yrs old, Twins fan by virtue of birthplace (farm in rural NorthCentral South Dakota), of influence (Herb and John every summer evening for 3.5 hrs), and of circumstance (first World Series that I remember watching was 1987, which was also the year of the first Metrodome trip and Twins game of my life). I have more to share when it comes to "Why the Twins?," but for now I just want to introduce where this blog is headed...literally. 26 Series 22 Stadiums 81 Games 1 Idea that I just can't shake What started out as a dream...a vision...is now actually happening. The original vision for this journey emerged in the winter of 2019-20. I had planned out the travel, the cost, the ramifications of attending all 162 Twins games in person Needless to say, 2020 would not be the year that I attended all 162 games for my favorite squad. The reasons are legion, and obvious to all of us who have lived through the past few years. But in the meantime, and in the present, the dream continued. An altered quest emerged. As a resident of Mitchell, SD, I've discovered that while I've loved having a flex-plan season ticket package off and on for the past several years, getting to Minneapolis for home games has become less and less feasible. In many ways, every pilgrimage to Target Field serves as a reminder that while I feel at "home" at Target Field, going to all 162 essentially "away" games was not going to happen with my current life circumstance (Husband of an awesome lady, and Father of two awesome teenage boys). The dream, however, refuses to leave me. Enter a negotiation, a truce, a window of grace... "All 81." An epic, albeit difficult, journey to be with my team out on the road. A pledge to be present and accounted for in a Twins jersey at each of the enemy stadiums. A quest to rekindle a love for community, and my country, after a couple of years of being isolated. A hope for the kind of experience that might shape me for years (if not generations) to come. Plus it should be a blast! Stay tuned please, I would love to share this journey with you. I plan to post every few days during the "planning" phase of the season. Let me know as we go how far into the weeds you want me to get. I have spreadsheets, data points, mileage and cost estimates, qualitative community assessments for the various cities and neighborhoods, etc. I'm prepared to nerd out. I also look forward to sharing the stories, sights, emotions, and insights that emerge from the quest. I'm prepared to get personal. I also look forward to a freaking division championship and a World Series run that adds another dozen or so "away" games to my list :) I'm prepared to get medication to help with that part. I'm going to need your help in this. I'm starting this quest with this community in mind. The TwinsDaily family (aka you the reader) has helped me navigate through much of the nastiness of the past few years. It's my prayer and hope that by me going to all 81, you will be right there with me. Grace and peace, and thanks for reading! Until next time, Steve